OS Manuals

/usr/bin/fmt

GNU core utilities

From coreutils 9.12-r7 (os), captured 2026-11-05 by running fmt --help (exit 0). permalink

Usage: /usr/bin/fmt [-WIDTH] [OPTION]... [FILE]...
Reformat each paragraph in the FILE(s), writing to standard output.
The option -WIDTH is an abbreviated form of --width=DIGITS.

With no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.
  -c, --crown-margin
         preserve indentation of first two lines
  -p, --prefix=STRING
         reformat only lines beginning with STRING,
         reattaching the prefix to reformatted lines
  -s, --split-only
         split long lines, but do not refill
  -t, --tagged-paragraph
         indentation of first line different from second
  -u, --uniform-spacing
         one space between words, two after sentences
  -w, --width=WIDTH
         maximum line width (default of 75 columns)
  -g, --goal=WIDTH
         goal width (default of 93% of width)
      --help
         display this help and exit
      --version
         output version information and exit

Report bugs to: <bug-coreutils@gnu.org>.
GNU coreutils home page: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
General help using GNU software: <https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>
Full documentation <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/fmt>
or available locally via: info '(coreutils) fmt invocation'
Options (9)
OptionDescriptionSource
-c, --crown-marginpreserve indentation of first two lineshelp + man
-p, --prefix STRINGreformat only lines beginning with STRING, reattaching the prefix to reformatted lineshelp + man
-s, --split-onlysplit long lines, but do not refillhelp + man
-t, --tagged-paragraphindentation of first line different from secondhelp + man
-u, --uniform-spacingone space between words, two after sentenceshelp + man
-w, --width WIDTHmaximum line width (default of 75 columns)help + man
-g, --goal WIDTHgoal width (default of 93% of width)help + man
--helpdisplay this help and exithelp + man
--versionoutput version information and exithelp + man

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.