uuencode

uuencode(1)                                                        uuencode(1)



NAME
       uuencode - encode a binary file

       uudecode - decode a file created by uuencode

SYNOPSIS
       uuencode [-m] [ file ] name

       uudecode [-o outfile] [ file ]...

DESCRIPTION
       Uuencode  and uudecode are used to transmit binary files over transmis-
       sion mediums that do not support other than simple ASCII data.

       Uuencode reads file (or by default the standard input)  and  writes  an
       encoded  version to the standard output.  The encoding uses only print-
       ing ASCII characters and includes the mode of the file and the  operand
       name  for  use  by uudecode.  If name is /dev/stdout the result will be
       written to standard output.  By default the standard UU encoding format
       will  be  used.   If  the option -m is given on the command line base64
       encoding is used instead.

       Uudecode transforms uuencoded files (or by default, the standard input)
       into  the  original form.  The resulting file is named name (or outfile
       if the -o option is given) and will have the mode of the original  file
       except  that  setuid  and execute bits are not retained.  If outfile or
       name is /dev/stdout the result will  be  written  to  standard  output.
       Uudecode ignores any leading and trailing lines.  The program can auto-
       matically decide which of the both supported encoding schemes are used.

EXAMPLES
       The  following  example packages up a source tree, compresses it, uuen-
       codes it and mails it to a user on another system.   When  uudecode  is
       run  on  the target system, the file ``src_tree.tar.Z'' will be created
       which may then be uncompressed and extracted into the original tree.


              tar cf - src_tree | compress | uuencode  src_tree.tar.Z  |  mail
              sys1!sys2!user


SEE ALSO
       compress(1), mail(1), uucp(1), uuencode(5)

STANDARDS
       This implementation is compliant with P1003.2b/D11.

BUGS
       If  more  than one file is given to uudecode and the -o option is given
       or more than one name in the encoded files are the same the  result  is
       probably not what is expected.

       The  encoded form of the file is expanded by 37% for UU encoding and by
       35% for base64 encoding (3 bytes become 4 plus control information).

HISTORY
       The uuencode command appeared in BSD 4.0.



                                                                   uuencode(1)