" The 9import tool allows an arbitrary file on a remote system, with the
capability of running the Plan 9 exportfs(4) service, to be imported into
the local name space. Usually file is a directory, so the complete file
tree under the directory is made available."
https://9fans.github.io/plan9port/man/man4/9import.html

9import host1 / /tmp/host1
9import host2 /tmp/host2
diff /tmp/host1/a/b/c /tmp/host2/a/b/c
(or whatever command you want that works with files. No need for stuff like
'rdiff' etc.)

stuff you take for granted on some systems ...

I have the plan 9 cpu command working (written in Go) and I think it's time
I get import working more widely, it's just too useful.

On Thu, May 16, 2024 at 2:01 AM <arnold@skeeve.com> wrote:

> Ralph Corderoy <ralph@inputplus.co.uk> wrote:
>
> > > Maybe
> > >
> > >     diff -u <(ssh host1 cat file1) <(ssh host2 cat file2)
> >
> > This is annoyingly noisy if the remote SSH server has sshd_config(5)'s
> > ‘Banner’ set which spews the contents of a file before authentication,
> > e.g. the pointless
> >
> > [....]
> >
> > It appears on stderr so doesn't upset the diff but does clutter.
>
> All true, I didn't think about that.
>
> > And discarding stderr is too sloppy.
>
> But the author of a personal script knows his/her remote machines
> and can decide if
>
>      diff -u <(ssh host1 cat file1 2>/dev/null) <(ssh host2 cat file2
> 2>/dev/null)
>
> is appropriate or not.
>
> My main point was that the problem is easily solved with a
> few lines of shell, so no need for a utility, especially one
> written in C or some other compiled language.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Arnold
>