NAME
mimencode - Translate to and from mail-oriented
encoding formats
(Same program also installed as "mmencode".)
SYNOPSIS
mimencode[-u] [-b] [-q] [-p] [file name]
[-o outputfile]
DESCRIPTION
The mimencode program simply converts a
byte stream into (or out of) one of the standard mail encoding
formats defined by MIME, the proposed standard for internet
multimedia mail formats. Such an encoding is necessary because
binary data cannot be sent through the mail. The encodings
understood by mimencode are preferable to the use of the
uuencode/uudecode programs, for use in mail, in several respects
that were important to the authors of MIME.
By default, mimencode reads standard input, and sends a "base64"
encoded version of the input to standard output.
The (really not necessary) "-b" option tells mimencode to use
the "base64" encoding.
The "-q" option tells mimencode to use the "quoted-printable"
encoding instead of base64.
The "-u" option tells mimencode to decode the standard
input rather than encode it.
The "-p" option tells mimencode to translate decoded CRLF
sequences into the local newline convention during decoding and to
do the reverse during encoding. This option is only meaningful when
-b (base64 encoding) is in effect.
If a file name argument is given, input is read from that file
rather than from standard input.
The "-o" option, which must be followed by a file name, sends
output to the named file rather than to standard output.
RATIONALE
Mimencode is intended to be a replacement
for uuencode for mail and news use. The reason is simple:
uuencode doesn't work very well in a number of circumstances and
ways. In particular, uuencode uses characters that don't translate
well across all mail gateways (particularly ASCII <-> EBCDIC
gateways). Also, uuencode is not standard -- there are several
variants floating around, encoding and decoding things in different
and incompatible ways, with no "standard" on which to base an
implementation. Finally, uuencode does not generally work well in a
pipe, although some variants have been modified to do so. Mimencode
implements the encodings which were defined for MIME as uuencode
replacements, and should be considerably more robust for email use.
SEE ALSO
metamail(1),
mailto(1)
BUGS
This program was originally distributed as "mmencode".
That name turns out to conflict with a program of the same name
that is part of the Slate software from BBN, but totally changing
the name to mimencode would create other problems (notably with
portability to systems where the left half of file names is limited
to 8 characters). Currently, it is being distributed with links
under BOTH names. The programs in the distribution that call the
program all call it as "mimencode", so the "mmencode" version may
be deleted at sites where it causes a problem. (The source files
are still named "mmencode" rather than "mimencode".)
COPYRIGHT
Copyright (c) 1991 Bell Communications Research,
Inc. (Bellcore)
Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this material
for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted, provided that
the above copyright notice and this permission notice appear in all
copies, and that the name of Bellcore not be used in advertising or
publicity pertaining to this material without the specific, prior
written permission of an authorized representative of Bellcore.
BELLCORE MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE ACCURACY OR SUITABILITY
OF THIS MATERIAL FOR ANY PURPOSE. IT IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT
ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES.
AUTHOR
Nathaniel S. Borenstein