Vigilance vs AIDE
AIDE. A free tool that records a fingerprint of your files, then tells you which ones changed.
Vigilance. Runs on your own machine and names the one file that gained a new power.
Vigilance as an AIDE alternative
Vigilance is an AIDE alternative that runs on your own machine. It names the one file that gained a new power, before you trust an update. Below, a plain table sets the two side by side.
Side by side
| Question | AIDE | Vigilance |
|---|---|---|
| Watches files for change, on the machine | Yes | Yes |
| Tells you a file gained a new power, not just a change | No | Yes |
| Needs you to set up and tune what to watch | Yes | No |
| Looks inside a package, an installer or a container | No | Yes |
| Tells you what an edit lets the file do | No | Yes |
| Reports the change once, with no repeat nagging | No | Yes |
Which one do you need?
AIDE and Vigilance both run on the machine. AIDE says a file changed. Vigilance says a file gained a power.
Known risk versus new risk
A bug or a bad package someone already reported, with a name and a number. Most tools work here.
A file that gained a power it never had, that no report covers yet. Vigilance works here.
Common questions
Is Vigilance an AIDE alternative?
Yes, for one job. Vigilance names the file that gained a new power, on your own machine. Many teams run it next to AIDE.
What does Vigilance do that AIDE does not?
Vigilance can spot a file that can do more than the version before, and flag a brand-new bad file by what it can do.
What does AIDE do that Vigilance does not?
AIDE watches a live machine all the time and records who changed a file. Vigilance checks a version before you trust it.
Does Vigilance need the internet or a cloud account?
The Free plan runs online. Pro runs fully offline, with no cloud account.
Try it on your own software.
Show it the version you run today and the one you are about to install.
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