13

Sometime I have to use the text files created in Ubuntu, using editors, in Windows editors. So basically when ever I create a text file in Ubuntu I append the extension .txt, and it does make the file open in Windows very easily.

But the actual problem is the text files created in Ubuntu are so difficult to understand (read) when opened in Windows' Notepad. No matter how many lines have been used, all the lines appear in the same one line.

Is there a easy way to save the text files in Ubuntu's basic editors so that it can be seen exactly the same in Windows' notepad?

Improve this question
1
  • 2
    If you're open to alternatives, I'd recommend Notepad++, a free source code editor with syntax highlighting and more. It handles standard Unix file endings perfectly and offers a conversion function.
    – kiri
    Commented Nov 16, 2013 at 7:33

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
24

Unlike Unix where a new line is represented by a LF character we need a combination CR/LF for files in DOS/Windows:

Gedit

We can let Gedit save text documents with Windows-style line endings in the File -> Save as dialog.

  • Adjust the settings for Line Endings in the drop down menu to Windows.

    enter image description here

Nano

To make nano write text files in DOS format we have to run it with the following command line option 1:

nano --dos <filename>

Vim

Vim can convert files from Unix to DOS format with the following control sequences 2 :

:update
:e ++ff=dos
:w

Emacs

To set the buffer coding to DOS style issue Meta + x :

set-buffer-file-coding-system utf-8-dos
Improve this answer
3
  • Thanks Takkat for your answer. I'm in Office and currently using Windows(no Ubuntu installed). I'll let you know as soon as I reach my home. :)
    – Saurav Kumar
    Commented Nov 13, 2013 at 10:56
  • It would be this much simple I didn't expect. Yes it worked for gedit. Do you know how to achieve it for other editors like nano, vi and Emacs. I'm accepting this answer in a hope you'll find a way and make this question complete and perfect. Thanks.. :)
    – Saurav Kumar
    Commented Nov 13, 2013 at 14:55
  • 1
    That's brilliant. Thanks for asking the question and thanks @Takkat for your answer. I will use this a lot!
    – doug.numbers
    Commented Dec 11, 2013 at 19:13
8

Converting Unix-style line termination to Windows-style and back

I'm not sure if it's installed by default. Try this to be sure

sudo apt-get install dos2unix

You can convert the files with this to Windows-style

unix2dos myFileFromUbuntu.txt

And with this back to Unix-style

dos2unix myFileFromWindows.txt

Changing them back is often unnecessary. You will find, that the standard text editors handle Windows-style line termination just fine.

Improve this answer
4
  • Good!! +1 for alternate way.. :)
    – Saurav Kumar
    Commented Nov 13, 2013 at 17:05
  • A bit overkill I would say...
    – PascalVKooten
    Commented May 8, 2014 at 14:13
  • 2
    "Write programs that do one thing and do it well." - Doug McIllroy about the Unix philosophy
    – MadMike
    Commented May 9, 2014 at 14:33
  • 2
    @Dualinity Not an overkill if you have many files to convert
    – warvariuc
    Commented Sep 6, 2014 at 15:51

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .