FMT(1)

NAME
fmt - simple optimal text formatter

SYNOPSIS
fmt [-WIDTH] [OPTION]... [FILE]...

DESCRIPTION

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

AUTHOR
Written by Ross Paterson.

REPORTING BUGS
Report bugs to: bug-coreutils@gnu.org

Report Gentoo bugs to: https://bugs.gentoo.org/
GNU coreutils home page: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
General help using GNU software: <https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>
Report any translation bugs to <https://translationproject.org/team/>

SEE ALSO
Full documentation <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/fmt>
or available locally via: info '(coreutils) fmt invocation'

Packaged by Gentoo (9.11 (p0))
Copyright © 2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.