tiffcmp Command in Linux

The tiffcmp command in Linux compares two TIFF files. It performs a detailed analysis, identifying discrepancies in metadata (tags) and, optionally, in the image data at the byte level. This tool is particularly useful for validating image integrity, verifying file conversions, or ensuring consistency between TIFF files in imaging workflows.

Table of Contents

Here is a comprehensive guide to the options available with the tiffcmp command −

• Prerequisites of tiffcmp Command
• Syntax of tiffcmp Command
• tiffcmp Command Options
• Examples of tiffcmp Command in Linux

Note − The tiffcmp command is primarily useful for debugging and comparing technical TIFF image differences, not for visual comparison.

Prerequisites of tiffcmp Command

The tiffcmp command is part of the libtiff-tools package in Linux. Make sure the package is installed before using the command. To install it on Ubuntu, Kali Linux, Raspberry Pi OS, Debian, and other Debian-based distributions, use the following command −

sudo apt install libtiff-tools

To install it on Arch Linux, use the command given below −

sudo pacman -S libtiff

To install libtiff-tools on Fedora, use the following command −

sudo dnf install libtiff

To verify the installation of the tiffcmp command, check its binary using the which command −

which tiffcmp

Syntax of tiffcmp Command

The syntax of the tiffcmp command in Linux is as follows −

tiffcmp [options] file1.tiff file2.tiff

In the above syntax, [options] specifies flags that modify the output behavior. The [file1.tiff] and [file2.tiff] fields are used to specify the TIFF image files to be compared.

tiffcmp Command Options

The standard options for the Linux tiffcmp command are listed below −

Examples of tiffcmp Command in Linux

This section explores how to use the tiffcmp command in Linux with examples −

• Comparing Two TIFF Files
• Comparing Image Data Only
• Listing the Differing Bytes
• Limiting the Number of Differing Bytes

Comparing Two TIFF Files

To compare two TIFF files and display any differences in both image data and metadata, use the following command −

tiffcmp image1.tiff image2.tiff

In the above output image, 3 means RGB (Red, Green, Blue), and 4 means RGBA (Red, Green, Blue, Alpha).

If both images are the same in comparison, then there will be no output.

Comparing Image Data Only

To compare image data only and ignore metadata tags, use the -t option with the tiffcmp command −

tiffcmp -t image1.tiff image2.tiff

Listing the Differing Bytes

To list each byte that differs between the two TIFF images, use the -l option −

tiffcmp -l image1.tiff image2.tiff

Limiting the Number of Differing Bytes

To limit the number of differing bytes to be displayed, use the -z option −

tiffcmp -z 5 image1.tiff image2.tiff

Conclusion

The tiffcmp command in Linux is a useful tool for comparing two TIFF image files, highlighting differences in metadata and image data. It helps ensure accuracy and consistency in imaging tasks such as file conversions and integrity checks. With several options available, it allows for flexible comparisons based on specific needs, like focusing on image content or limiting output.

This tutorial covered the tiffcmp command, its installation, syntax, options, and usage in Linux with examples.