Convert ^M to newline character in text files

If the ^M character is showing up in files while opening the file
concerned, then follow these steps to convert it to a new line.
In vi use the following:

:%s/^M/\n/g

or with perl on the command line:

$ perl -pi.bak -e 's/^M/\n/g'

NOTE: Be sure to create the ^M by typing ctrl V followed by ctrl M.

^M is ASCII 13 (Ctrl M), which is the carriage return.

Different operating systems use different symbols to set the end of a
line/new line.
Unix uses newline (\n)
Mac uses carriage return (\r)
And Windows/DOS use both (\n\r)

To prevent the ^M from showing up in files, be sure to use the ASCII
(text) mode when transfering text files.

Source article link:
http://blog.eukhost.com/webhosting/convert-m-to-newline-character-in-text-files/