FMT(1)

📦
version 9.10 · 5 versions
, in ubuntu stonking

💖 FMT(1) 💖 the simple optimal text formatter (User Commands edition)

okay bestie, sit down, hydrate, because we're about to make your messy paragraphs gorgeous. this is fmt, from the GNU coreutils fam, and she is lowkey a legend. 🎀

✨ NAME ✨

fmt — simple optimal text formatter 💅

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

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

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

so basically? fmt takes every paragraph in the FILE(s) you hand her and reformats it, then writes the glow-up to standard output. ✨

and pssst — the option -WIDTH is just the short cute version of --width=DIGITS. same energy, fewer characters. 😌

if you give her no FILE, or if FILE is literally -, she reads from standard input. classic.

fr fr important: mandatory arguments to long options are also mandatory for the short options. no wiggle room, bestie. 🙈
  • -c, --crown-margin — keep the indentation of the first two lines. crown stays on, periodt 👑
  • -p, --prefix=STRING — only reformat the lines that begin with STRING, and then reattach that prefix back onto the reformatted lines. ✨
  • -s, --split-only — split the long lines, but do not refill them. she cuts, she doesn't re-fluff ✂️
  • -t, --tagged-paragraph — the indentation of the first line is different from the second. tagged, babe 🏷️
  • -u, --uniform-spacing — one space between words, two after sentences. uniform, tidy, iconic 🎀
  • -w, --width=WIDTH — maximum line width (default is 75 columns) 📏
  • -g, --goal=WIDTH — goal width (default is 93% of width) 🎯
  • --help — display this help and exit. your lil cheat sheet 🫶
  • --version — output version information and exit. who even are you (version-wise) 💀

✨ AUTHOR ✨

Written by Ross Paterson. king behavior, we thank him 👑

✨ REPORTING BUGS ✨

found something cursed? tell the devs, not me:

✨ SEE ALSO ✨

okay and here's the legal-ish part but make it cute: she was Packaged by Ubuntu (9.10-1ubuntu2). 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. like, none. zero. don't come for her if your paragraphs go rogue 💀

and that's the whole vibe check, bestie — this was GNU coreutils 9.10, dated August 2026, signing off from the FMT(1) page. go format something pretty. slay. 💖✨🦋

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