Your Question: What Is a Patch File in Linux?

The patch file (also called a patch for short) is a text file that consists of a list of differences and is produced by running the related diff program with the original and updated file as arguments. Updating files with patch is often referred to as applying the patch or simply patching the files.

What does patch command do?

What is patch? patch is a command that takes the output from the diff and puts it into a file. Then, it can take the filed output and overwrite another file with with the changes. For example, a common use is to use the patch to transfer changes from the changed file to the original file, thus making them identical.

What is patch in Linux kernel?

kpatch is a feature of the Linux kernel that implements live patching of a running kernel, which allows kernel patches to be applied while the kernel is still running.