From: Collin Funk Subject: Re: Maximum width in "fmt" command? Date: Wed, 07 Oct 2026 18:11:56 -0700
>> around to fixing. There are 2 reports in debbugs about it, but I've been >> getting 504 errors the past few days trying to access it. I'll send them >> once I can connect again. >I was able to load the bug tracker today. Here are those bug reports [1] >[2]. >Collin >[1] https://bugs.gnu.org/9680 >[2] https://bugs.gnu.org/80745 Thanks. Incidentally, both of those are "Forbidden" if accessed with a GUI browser. But I was able to read them in "lynx". It seems to me that if the underlying problem (not being able to follow the general GNU guideline of "no arbitrary limits") can't/won't be fixed (*), then there should be a "zero mode" which just converts lines to paragraphs, as described in the OP - and also mentioned in one of those posts (URLs). It seems that is the most common reason for wanting a large (unlimited) line length, and that is much easier to implement (so it seems) as a special feature than as a general "lift or abolish the limit" sort of thing. As noted in one of those posts, it is trivial to do this in AWK (or Perl or whatever), so it should be an easy addition to "fmt". (*) Not that there is anything wrong with that. ================================================================================= Please do not send me replies to my posts on the list. I always read the replies via the web archive, so CC'ing to me is unnecessary. When responding to my posts, please try to refrain from giving bureaucratic answers. If you have nothing useful to say, then just click Next and go on. BTW, ain't interested in kludgey workarounds - got enough of my own! (YT id: 6H1lcubN0oE)
