How to apply `git diff` patch without Git installed?

Use

git apply patchfile

if possible.

patch -p1 < patchfile 

has potential side-effect.

git apply also handles file adds, deletes, and renames if they're described in the git diff format, which patch won't do. Finally, git apply is an "apply all or abort all" model where either everything is applied or nothing is, whereas patch can partially apply patch files, leaving your working directory in a weird state.

git diff > patchfile

and

patch -p1 < patchfile

work but as many people noticed in comments and other answers patch does not understand adds, deletes and renames. There is no option but git apply patchfile if you need handle file adds, deletes and renames.

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EDIT December 2015

Latest versions of patch command (2.7, released in September 2012) support most features of the "diff --git" format, including renames and copies, permission changes, and symlink diffs (but not yet binary diffs) (release announcement).

So provided one uses current/latest version of patch there is no need to use git to be able to apply its diff as a patch.

try this:

patch -p1 < patchfile