NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

       uuencode, uudecode - Encodes or decodes a binary file

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

       uuencode [file] remotefile

       uudecode [file...]

STANDARDS    [Toc]    [Back]

       Interfaces  documented  on  this reference page conform to
       industry standards as follows:

       uudecode:  XCU5.0

       uuencode:  XCU5.0

       Refer to the standards(5) reference page for more information
 about industry standards and associated tags.

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

       The  uuencode  and  uudecode  commands  are used to send a
       binary file via uucp or other mail.  This combination  can
       be  used  over indirect mail links even when uusend is not
       available.

       The uuencode command takes the named file  (default  standard
  input)  and produces an encoded version on the standard
 output. The encoding uses only printing ASCII characters,
  and  includes the mode of the file and the name for
       re-creation on the remote system, specified by remotefile.

       The uudecode command reads an encoded file, strips off any
       leading and trailing lines added by mailers, and recreates
       the  original file with the specified mode and name.  Filter
 the encode through the  uudecode  program.   Filtering
       the  file  causes  the  original  file to be automatically
       recreated. This is possible on the uucp network  by  using
       sendmail  or  by  making rmail be a link to mailx. In each
       case, an alias must be created in a master file to get the
       automatic invocation of uudecode.

       If  neither  of the preceding facilities is available on a
       user's system, uudecode can be applied to the  file  manually
  by  editing  the file with any text editor, removing
       the trailing and leading lines, and changing the  mode  or
       remote  system  name. The encoded file is an ordinary text
       file.

EXAMPLES    [Toc]    [Back]

       In the following example, the ex1  file  is  encoded;  the
       output  is  also  redirected  to the ex1.out file: prompt>
       uuencode ex1 ex1.en > ex1.out

              If the source ex1 file is as follows:

              This example shows how to encode a file using uuencode
 and how to decode a file using uudecode.

              The encoded ex1.out file would be as follows:

              begin                   644                  ex1.en
              M5&AI<R!E>&%M<&QE('-H;W=S"G1H92!H;W<@=&\@96YC;V1E"F$@9FEL92!U
              M<VEN9PIU=65N8V]D90IA;F0@:&]W('1O"F1E8V]D92!A(&9I;&4*=7-I;F<@
              *=75D96-O9&4N"F]D ` end In the  following  example,
              the  ex1.out  file  is  decoded:  prompt>  uudecode
              ex1.out

              In this example, the uudecode command  decodes  the
              file  and puts the output in ex1.en.  To package up
              a source tree using tar, compress it, uuencode  it,
              and mail it to a user on another system, enter: tar
              cf - src_tree | compress | uuencode  src_tree.tar.Z
                   | mail sys1!sys2!user1

              (Enter the command entirely on one line, not on two
              lines as shown above.)

              When uudecode is run  on  the  target  system,  the
              src_tree.tar.Z  file  is  created;  it  may then be
              uncompressed and dearchived with tar.

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

       Commands:  ct(1),  cu(1),  mailx(1),  Mail(1),   rmail(1),
       sendmail(8),  tip(1),  uucico(8),  uucleanup(8),  uucp(1),
       uulog(1),  uuname(1),  uupick(1),  uusched(8),  uusend(1),
       uustat(1), uuto(1), uux(1)

       Standards:  standards(5)



                                                      uuencode(1)