Save a text file in Unix dos style or unix style

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Converting Mac style text files to Unix style

Save a text file in Unix dos style or unix style

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Question:

I've got a DOS style text file on my Linux box, when I open it in vi and save it, vi reports 'saved (dos)'. How can I make vi save it in unix style?

Answer:

VI automatically detects the format of a text file (DOS, Unix, Mac) and it tells that at the command line. To change the format use the :set fileformat= command and write the file then as shown below. If you have multiple control-Ms at the end of a line that you want to be removed, try the search and replace command (see below).

// Change from <CR><LF> (DOS) to just <LF> (Unix):
:set fileformat=unix 
:w 
 
// change back to Carriage Return + Line Feed for DOS
:set fileformat=dos 
:w 
 
// writing for apple computers:
:set fileformat=mac 
:w

// remove multiple (repeated) Carriage Returns using search and replace	
:%s/[^M]$//
:w

Comments:

2008-09-26, 10:04:29

anonymous from United Kingdom

WARNING to other users...

With regards to

'...
// remove multiple (repeated) Carriage Returns using search and replace
:%s/[^M]$//
:w
...'

Please note the author does not mean the literal characters '^' followed by 'M' as this matches any character that is not a capital 'M'. Not sure why the '^M' has been wrapped with 'character set' brackets (eg. []), as it's not necessary (IMHO) and can lead to the miss understanding mentioned above. I'd suggest using the following instead

:%s/^M$//

where (as the author hinted) the '^M' is obtained using CTRL+M (or with putty CTRL+V followed by CTRL+M.

I hope this help folks.

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