uuencode(5)

NAME

   uuencode - format of an encoded uuencode file

DESCRIPTION

   Files  output  by  uuencode(1)  consist of a header line, followed by a
   number of body lines, and a trailer line.  The uudecode(1) command will
   ignore  any lines preceding the header or following the trailer.  Lines
   preceding a header must not, of course, look like a header.

   The header line is distinguished by having the first  5  characters  be
   begin  followed  by  a  space,  or  else  a hyphen and either base64 or
   encoded or both (also separated with a hyphen).  The base64 option says
   the  file  has  been encoded using base64.  The encoded option says the
   output file name has been base64 encoded.  It  is  never  encoded  with
   traditional  uuencoding.   This is a GNU extension.  These are followed
   by a mode (in octal), and a string which names the  remote  file.   The
   mode  is  separated from the begin clause and the file name by a single
   space character.

   Traditional uuencoding
   The traditional uuencoded file body consists of a number of lines, each
   at  most  62  characters  long  (including the trailing newline). These
   consist  of  a  character  count  letter,  followed  by   the   encoded
   characters,  followed  by  a  newline.  The character count is a single
   printing character, and represents an integer, the number of bytes  the
   rest  of  the  line  represents.  Such integers are always in the range
   from 0 to 63 and can be determined by subtracting the  character  space
   (octal 40) from the character.

   Groups  of  3  bytes  are stored in 4 characters, 6 bits per character.
   All are offset by a space to make the characters  printing.   The  last
   line  may  be  shorter  than the normal 45 bytes.  If the size is not a
   multiple of 3, this fact can be determined by the value of the count on
   the  last  line.   Extra garbage will be included to make the character
   count a multiple of 4.  The body is terminated by a line with  a  count
   of zero.  This line consists of one ASCII space.

   The trailer line consists of end on a line by itself.

   base64 encoding
   base64 encoded files follow the specified format for the body, but also
   include a begin-base64 header and a trailer line of four = characters.

EXAMPLES

        begin-base64-encoded 644 VE9ETw==
   This introduces a base64  encoded  file  named,  TODO  with  that  name
   encoded using base64 encoding.

        begin-encoded 644 5$]$3P``
   This  introduces  an  encoded  file  named, TODO with that name encoded
   using uuencoding.  The encoding is a lot less friendly.  Please  prefer
   base64 encoding.

CONFORMING TO

   IEEE Std 1003.1, plus extensions

   The  -encoded  suffix  to  the  begin  header  line is a GNU extension.
   Recipients must have the GNU uudecode program to decode them.

SEE ALSO

   uuencode(1), uudecode(1), base64(1GNU)

HISTORY

   The uuencode file format appeared in BSD 4.0 .

                                                               UUENCODE(5)

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