unix2dos

unix2dos is a command-line utility used to convert text files from Unix-style line endings (LF) to DOS/Windows-style line endings (CRLF). It is commonly bundled in the dos2unix package, which also includes dos2unix, a utility that performs the reverse conversion. The tools are used to ensure correct newline handling when text files are exchanged between Unix-like systems and Windows.

When invoked on one or more files, unix2dos replaces the Unix newline characters in those files with CRLF sequences. Many implementations also offer an option to write the output to a separate file instead of modifying the input file in place, for example by using an output-file option. The program typically detects and skips binary data, and will only modify text files.

Usage examples:

- unix2dos myfile.txt converts in place.

- unix2dos -n old.txt new.txt writes the converted data to new.txt without altering old.txt.

Availability and licensing: unix2dos and the dos2unix package are widely available on Linux, BSD, macOS, and other Unix-like systems. They are typically distributed under free software licenses, with variations depending on the distribution.

Relation: The counterpart is dos2unix, which converts DOS/Windows CRLF back to Unix LF; together they form a common toolset for cross-platform text processing.

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