1. A method comprising: storing a plurality of recipes in a repository, wherein each of the plurality of recipes describe the bits that make up an application and at least a portion of an operating system included in a software appliance; receiving a request to modify the software appliance, the software appliance comprising a binary image of data embodying the application and the at least the portion of the operating system to provide an execution platform for the application; determining, by a processor, modification data representing a modification to the binary image by comparing bits that make up the application and the at least the portion of the operating system in a modified binary image to bits that make up the application and the at least the portion of the operating system in the binary image, wherein the modification comprises a change to bits of the binary image that modify the software appliance according to the request, wherein the modification data to describe the change to the bits of the binary image, and wherein determining the modification data comprises determining a recipe of the plurality of recipes corresponding to the binary image, determining a modified recipe of the modified binary image, wherein the modified binary image embodies data of the software appliance modified according to the request, and comparing the recipe and the modified recipe to determine the change in bits; and providing the modification data to an initiator of the request.