You can also test quickly:
hexdump -C example.bin However, xxd remains more convenient for its simplicity and the ability to reverse hex dumps seamlessly. Seeing xxd: command not found is a minor inconvenience with a straightforward solution. In most cases, a single package manager command will install it – often from the vim or xxd package. Once installed, xxd opens the door to low-level file inspection, binary patching, and data embedding that few other tools provide as cleanly.
echo "Hello" | xxd Expected output:
# Fedora sudo dnf install vim-common sudo yum install vim-common Arch Linux / Manjaro sudo pacman -S xxd Or install via vim:
sudo pacman -S vim apk add vim Installing on macOS macOS does not include xxd by default. If you have Homebrew installed, it’s straightforward: xxd command not found
xxd -i image.png > image_data.c Now image_data.c contains unsigned char image_png[] with the data. diff <(xxd file1.bin) <(xxd file2.bin) Alternatives to xxd If you cannot install xxd for some reason, consider these alternatives:
# Download the binary manually or use vim package # Git Bash often includes vim which includes xxd Check if vim is installed first: You can also test quickly: hexdump -C example
xxd -l 16 document.pdf Extract hex, edit it, then write back: