uuencode(1C)           (Basic Networking Utilities)            uuencode(1C)


   NAME
         uuencode, uudecode - encode a binary file, or decode its ASCII
         representation

   SYNOPSIS
         uuencode [ source-file ] file-label

         uudecode [ encoded-file ]

   DESCRIPTION
         uuencode converts a binary file into an ASCII-encoded representation
         that can be sent using mail(1).  It encodes the contents of source-
         file, or the standard input if no source-file argument is given.  The
         file-label argument is required.  It is included in the encoded
         file's header as the name of the file into which uudecode is to place
         the binary (decoded) data.  uuencode also includes the ownership and
         permission modes of source-file, so that file-label is recreated with
         those same ownership and permission modes.

         uudecode reads an encoded-file, strips off any leading and trailing
         lines added by mailer programs, and recreates the original binary
         data with the filename and the mode and owner specified in the
         header.

         The encoded file is an ordinary ASCII text file; it can be edited by
         any text editor.  But it is best only to change the mode or file-
         label in the header to avoid corrupting the decoded binary.

   SEE ALSO
         mail(1), uucp(1C), uux(1C).
         uuencode(5) in the System Administrator's Reference Manual.

   BUGS
         The encoded file's size is expanded by 35% (3 bytes become 4, plus
         control information), causing it to take longer to transmit than the
         equivalent binary.

         The user on the remote system who is invoking uudecode (typically
         uucp) must have write permission on the file specified in the file-
         label.

         Since both uuencode and uudecode run with user ID set to uucp,
         uudecode can fail with permission denied when attempted in a
         directory that does not have write permission allowed for other.









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