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    Command Linux
    Home - man page - WRAP-AND-SORT

    WRAP-AND-SORT

    WillieBy WillieApril 8, 2026Updated:April 19, 2026No Comments2 Mins Read
     

    NAME

    wrap-and-sort – wrap long lines and sort items in Debian packaging files  

    SYNOPSIS

    wrap-and-sort [options]

     

    DESCRIPTION

    wrap-and-sort wraps the package lists in Debian control files. By default the lists will only split into multiple lines if the entries are longer than the maximum line length limit of 79 characters. wrap-and-sort sorts the package lists in Debian control files and all .install files. Beside that wrap-and-sort removes trailing spaces in these files.

    This script should be run in the root of a Debian package tree. It searches for control, control*.in, copyright, copyright.in, install, and *.install in the debian directory.

     

    OPTIONS

    -h, –help
    Show this help message and exit.
    -a, –wrap-always
    Wrap all package lists in the Debian control file even if they do not exceed the line length limit and could fit in one line.
    -s, –short-indent
    Only indent wrapped lines by one space (default is in-line with the field name).
    -b, –sort-binary-packages
    Sort binary package paragraphs by name.
    -k, –keep-first
    When sorting binary package paragraphs, leave the first one at the top. Unqualified debhelper(7) configuration files are applied to the first package.
    -n, –no-cleanup
    Do not remove trailing whitespaces.
    -t, –trailing-comma
    Add a trailing comma at the end of the sorted fields. This minimizes future differences in the VCS commits when additional dependencies are appended or removed.
    -d path, –debian-directory=path
    Location of the debian directory (default: ./debian).
    -f file, –file=file
    Wrap and sort only the specified file. You can specify this parameter multiple times. All supported files will be processed if no files are specified.
    -v, –verbose
    Print all files that are touched.
    –max-line-length=max_line_length
    Set the maximum allowed line length. Package lists in the Debian control file that exceed this length limit will be wrapped. The default maximum line length is 79 characters.

     

    Willie
    • Website

    Willie has over 15 years of experience in Linux system administration and DevOps. After managing infrastructure for startups and enterprises alike, he founded Command Linux to share the practical knowledge he wished he had when starting out. He oversees content strategy and contributes guides on server management, automation, and security.

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