MIMENCODE(1) Bellcore Prototype (Release 1) MIMENCODE(1)
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
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MIMENCODE(1) Bellcore Prototype (Release 1) MIMENCODE(1)
"standard" on which to base an implementation. Finally,
uuencode does not generally work well in a pipe, a lthough
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
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