Here's a trick I wrote with `GNU grep`: grep --group-separator= -A0 '.' The above command is equivalent to the below `awk` command (including removal of e

Here's a trick I wrote with `GNU grep`: grep --group-separator= -A0 '.' The above command is equivalent to the below `awk` command (including removal of empty lines at start/end of input): awk -v RS= '{print s $0; s="\n"}' Both the above solutions can be changed to a different group separator instead of single empty. You can also just use `cat -s` if you don't need a custom group separator and don't care about start/end empty lines. $ printf '\n\n\ndragon\n\n\n\n\nunicorn\n\n\n' | cat -s dragon unicorn $ printf '\n\n\ndragon\n\n\n\n\nunicorn\n\n\n' | awk -v RS= '{print s $0; s="\n"}' dragon unicorn