diff --git a/Documentation/ref/ovs-appctl.8.rst b/Documentation/ref/ovs-appctl.8.rst

index 7054cf559e..e7c8b96d49 100644

--- a/Documentation/ref/ovs-appctl.8.rst

+++ b/Documentation/ref/ovs-appctl.8.rst

@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@ Synopsis

 ========

 ``ovs-appctl``

-[``--target=``<target> | ``-t`` <target>]

-[``--timeout=``<secs> | ``-T`` <secs>]

-[``--format=``<format> | ``-f`` <format>]

+[``--target=``\ *target* | ``-t`` *target*]

+[``--timeout=``\ *secs* | ``-T`` *secs*]

+[``--format=``\ *format* | ``-f`` *format*]

 [``--pretty``]

-<command> [<arg>...]

+*command* [*arg* ``...``]

 ``ovs-appctl --help``

@@ -33,11 +33,11 @@ command and prints the daemon's response on standard output.

 In normal use only a single option is accepted:

-* ``-t`` <target> or ``--target`` <target>

+* ``-t`` *target* or ``--target=``\ *target*

   Tells ``ovs-appctl`` which daemon to contact.

-  If <target> begins with ``/`` it must name a Unix domain socket on

+  If *target* begins with ``/`` it must name a Unix domain socket on

   which an Open vSwitch daemon is listening for control channel

   connections.  By default, each daemon listens on a Unix domain socket

   in the rundir (e.g. ``/run``) named ``<program>.<pid>.ctl``, where

@@ -47,33 +47,33 @@ In normal use only a single option is accepted:

   Otherwise, ``ovs-appctl`` looks in the rundir for a pidfile, that is,

   a file whose contents are the process ID of a running process as a

-  decimal number, named ``<target>.pid``.  (The ``--pidfile`` option

+  decimal number, named *target*\ ``.pid``.  (The ``--pidfile`` option

   makes an Open vSwitch daemon create a pidfile.)  ``ovs-appctl`` reads

   the pidfile, then looks in the rundir for a Unix socket named

-  ``<target>.<pid>.ctl``, where <pid> is replaced by the process ID read

+  *target*\ ``.<pid>.ctl``, where <pid> is replaced by the process ID read

   from the pidfile, and uses that file as if it had been specified

   directly as the target.

-  On Windows, <target> can be an absolute path to a file that contains a

+  On Windows, *target* can be an absolute path to a file that contains a

   localhost TCP port on which an Open vSwitch daemon is listening for

   control channel connections. By default, each daemon writes the TCP

   port on which it is listening for control connection into the file

-  ``<program>.ctl`` located inside the rundir. If <target> is not an

+  ``<program>.ctl`` located inside the rundir. If *target* is not an

   absolute path, ``ovs-appctl`` looks in the rundir for a file named

-  ``<target>.ctl``.  The default target is ``ovs-vswitchd``.

+  *target*\ ``.ctl``.  The default *target* is ``ovs-vswitchd``.

-* ``-T <secs>`` or ``--timeout=<secs>``

+* ``-T`` *secs* or ``--timeout=``\ *secs*

-  By default, or with a <secs> of ``0``, ``ovs-appctl`` waits forever to

+  By default, or with a *secs* of ``0``, ``ovs-appctl`` waits forever to

   connect to the daemon and receive a response.  This option limits

-  runtime to approximately <secs> seconds.  If the timeout expires,

+  runtime to approximately *secs* seconds.  If the timeout expires,

   ``ovs-appctl`` exits with a ``SIGALRM`` signal.

-* ``-f <format>`` or ``--format=<format>``

+* ``-f`` *format* or ``--format=``\ *format*

   Tells ``ovs-appctl`` which output format to use.  By default, or with a

-  <format> of ``text``, ``ovs-appctl`` will print plain-text for humans.

-  When <format> is ``json``, ``ovs-appctl`` will return a JSON document.

+  *format* of ``text``, ``ovs-appctl`` will print plain-text for humans.

+  When *format* is ``json``, ``ovs-appctl`` will return a JSON document.

   When ``json`` is requested, but a command has not implemented JSON

   output, the plain-text output will be wrapped in a provisional JSON

   document with the following structure::

@@ -158,10 +158,10 @@ and adjusting log levels:

   Lists logging pattern used for each destination.

-* ``vlog/set`` [<spec>]

+* ``vlog/set`` [*spec*]

-  Sets logging levels.  Without any <spec>, sets the log level for

-  every module and destination to ``dbg``.  Otherwise, <spec> is a

+  Sets logging levels.  Without any *spec*, sets the log level for

+  every module and destination to ``dbg``.  Otherwise, *spec* is a

   list of words separated by spaces or commas or colons, up to one from

   each category below:

@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ and adjusting log levels:

     change to only to the system log, to the console, or to a file,

     respectively.

-    On Windows platform, ``syslog`` is only useful if <target> was

+    On Windows platform, ``syslog`` is only useful if *target* was

     started with the ``--syslog-target`` option (it has no effect

     otherwise).

@@ -182,20 +182,20 @@ and adjusting log levels:

     will be logged, and messages of lower severity will be filtered out.

     ``off`` filters out all messages.

-  Case is not significant within <spec>.

+  Case is not significant within *spec*.

   Regardless of the log levels set for ``file``, logging to a file

   will not take place unless the target application was invoked with the

   ``--log-file`` option.

   For compatibility with older versions of OVS, ``any`` is accepted

-  within <spec> but it has no effect.

+  within *spec* but it has no effect.

-* ``vlog/set PATTERN:<destination>:<pattern>``

+* ``vlog/set PATTERN:``\ *destination*:*pattern*

-  Sets the log pattern for <destination> to <pattern>.  Each time a

-  message is logged to <destination>, <pattern> determines the

-  message's formatting.  Most characters in <pattern> are copied

+  Sets the log pattern for *destination* to *pattern*.  Each time a

+  message is logged to *destination*, *pattern* determines the

+  message's formatting.  Most characters in *pattern* are copied

   literally to the log, but special escapes beginning with ``%`` are

   expanded as follows:

@@ -214,13 +214,13 @@ and adjusting log levels:

   * ``%d``

-    The current date and time in ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS).

+    The current date and time in ISO 8601 format (``YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS``).

-  * ``%d{<format>}``

+  * ``%d{``\ *format*\ ``}``

-    The current date and time in the specified <format>, which takes

-    the same format as the <template> argument to ``strftime(3)``.  As

-    an extension, any ``#`` characters in <format> will be replaced by

+    The current date and time in the specified *format*, which takes

+    the same format as the ``template`` argument to ``strftime(3)``.  As

+    an extension, any ``#`` characters in *format* will be replaced by

     fractional seconds, e.g. use ``%H:%M:%S.###`` for the time to the

     nearest millisecond.  Sub-second times are only approximate and

     currently decimal places after the third will always be reported

@@ -228,14 +228,14 @@ and adjusting log levels:

   * ``%D``

-    The current UTC date and time in ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD

-    HH:MM:SS).

+    The current UTC date and time in ISO 8601 format

+    (``YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS``).

-  * ``%D{<format>}``

+  * ``%D{``\ *format*\ ``}``

-    The current UTC date and time in the specified <format>, which

-    takes the same format as the <template> argument to

-    ``strftime``(3).  Supports the same extension for sub-second

+    The current UTC date and time in the specified *format*, which

+    takes the same format as the ``template`` argument to

+    ``strftime(3)``.  Supports the same extension for sub-second

     resolution as ``%d{...}``.

   * ``%E``

@@ -299,22 +299,23 @@ and adjusting log levels:

     Pad the field to the field width with ``0`` characters.  Padding

     with spaces is the default.

-  * <width>

+  * *width*

     A number specifies the minimum field width.  If the escape expands

-    to fewer characters than <width> then it is padded to fill the

-    field width.  (A field wider than <width> is not truncated to

+    to fewer characters than *width* then it is padded to fill the

+    field width.  (A field wider than *width* is not truncated to

     fit.)

-  The default pattern for console and file output is ``%D{%Y-%m-%dT

-  %H:%M:%SZ}|%05N|%c|%p|%m``; for syslog output, ``%05N|%c|%p|%m``.

+  The default pattern for console and file output is

+  ``%D{%Y-%m-%dT %H:%M:%SZ}|%05N|%c|%p|%m``; for syslog output,

+  ``%05N|%c|%p|%m``.

   Daemons written in Python (e.g. ``ovs-monitor-ipsec``) do not allow

   control over the log pattern.

-* ``vlog/set FACILITY:<facility>``

+* ``vlog/set FACILITY:``\ *facility*

-  Sets the RFC5424 facility of the log message. <facility> can be one

+  Sets the RFC5424 facility of the log message. *facility* can be one

   of ``kern``, ``user``, ``mail``, ``daemon``, ``auth``, ``syslog``,

   ``lpr``, ``news``, ``uucp``, ``clock``, ``ftp``, ``ntp``, ``audit``,

   ``alert``, ``clock2``, ``local0``, ``local1``, ``local2``,