tools/mpack-1.6/README.unix

                    mpack/munpack version 1.6 for unix

Mpack and munpack are utilities for encoding and decoding
(respectively) binary files in MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail
Extensions) format mail messages.  For compatibility with older forms
of transferring binary files, the munpack program can also decode
messages in split-uuencoded format.  The Macintosh version can also
decode messages in split-BinHex format.

The canonical FTP site for this software is ftp.andrew.cmu.edu:pub/mpack/
Binaries are no longer provided. The pc, os2, amiga and archimedes ports
have been removed. The mac version probably doesn't compile anymore, but
is still included (MacOS X users can use the unix version...)

This MIME implementation is intended to be as simple and portable as
possible.  For a slightly more sophisticated MIME implementation, see
the program MetaMail, available via anonymous FTP to
thumper.bellcore.com, in directory pub/nsb


Decoding MIME messages:

First, you have to compile the munpack program.  See the instructions
in the section "Compilation" below.  If, after reading the
instructions, you are still unsure as to how to compile munpack,
please try to find someone locally to help you.

To decode a MIME message, first save it to a text file.  If possible,
save it with all headers included.  Munpack can decode some MIME files
when the headers are missing or incomplete, other files it cannot
decode without having the information in the headers.  In general,
messages which have a statement at the beginning that they are in MIME
format can be decoded without the headers.  Messages which have been
split into multiple parts generally require all headers in order to be
reassembled and decoded.

Some LAN-based mail systems and some mail providers (including America
Online, as of the writing of this document) place the mail headers at
the bottom of the message, instead of at the top of the message.  If
you are having problems decoding a MIME message on such a system, you
need to convert the mail back into the standard format by removing the
system's nonstandard headers and moving the standard Internet headers
to the top of the message (separated from the message body with a
blank line).

There must be exactly one message per file.  Munpack cannot deal with
multiple messages in a single file, to decode things correctly it must
know when one message ends and the next one begins.

To decode a message, run the command:

        munpack file

where "file" is the name of the file containing the message.  More than
one filename may be specified, munpack will try to decode the message in
each file.  For more information on ways to run munpack, see the section
"Using munpack" below.


Reporting bugs:

Bugs and comments should be reported to mpack-bugs@andrew.cmu.edu.
When reporting bugs or other problems, please include the following
information:

  * The version number of Mpack
  * The platform (Unix, PC, OS/2, Mac, Amiga, Archimedes)
  * The EXACT output of any unsuccessful attempts.
  * If having a problem decoding, the first couple of lines
    of the input file.


Compilation:

Mpack uses autoconf and automake on unix.
refer to INSTALL for more information

Using mpack:

Mpack is used to encode a file into one or more MIME format messages.
The program is invoked with:

        mpack [options] -o outputfile file

or 

        mpack [options] file address...

or

        mpack [options] -n newsgroups file

Where "[options]" is one or more optional switches described below.
"-o outputfile" is also described below. "file" is the name of the
file to encode, "address..." is one or more e-mail address to mail the
resulting messages to and "newsgroups" is a comma-separated list of
newsgroups to post the resulting messages to.

The possible options are:

     -s subject
          Set the Subject header field to Subject.   By default,
          mpack will prompt for the contents of the subject
          header.

     -d descriptionfile
          Include the contents of the file descriptionfile in an
          introductory section at the beginning of the first
          generated message.

     -m maxsize
          Split the message (if necessary) into partial messages,
          each not exceeding maxsize characters.  The default
          limit is the value of the SPLITSIZE environment 
          variable, or no limit if the environment variable
          does not exist.  Specifying a maxsize of 0 means there
          is no limit to the size of the generated message.

     -c content-type
          Label the included file as being of MIME type
          content-type, which must be a subtype of application,
          audio, image, or video.  If this switch is not given,
          mpack examines the file to determine its type.

     -o outputfile
          Write the generated message to the file outputfile.  If
          the message has to be split, the partial messages will
          instead be written to the files outputfile.01,
          outputfile.02, etc.

The environment variables which control mpack's behavior are:

     SPLITSIZE
          Default value of the -m switch.  Default "0".

     TMPDIR
          Directory to store temporary files.  Default "/tmp".


Using munpack:

Munpack is used to decode one or more messages in MIME or
split-uuencoded format and extract the embedded files.  The program is
invoked with:

        munpack [options] filename...

which reads the messages in the files "filename...".  Munpack may also
be invoked with just:

        munpack [options]

which reads a message from the standard input.

If the message suggests a file name to use for the imbedded part, that
name is cleaned of potential problem characters and used for the
output file.  If the suggested filename includes subdirectories, they
will be created as necessary.  If the message does not suggest a file
name, the names "part1", "part2", etc are used in sequence.

If the imbedded part was preceded with textual information, that
information is also written to a file. The file is named the same as
the imbedded part, with any filename extension replaced with
".desc"

The possible options are:

     -f
          Forces the overwriting of existing files.  If a message
          suggests a file name of an existing file, the file will be
          overwritten.  Without this flag, munpack appends ".1", ".2",
          etc to find a nonexistent file.

     -t
          Also unpack the text parts of multipart messages to files.
          By default, text parts that do not have a filename parameter
          do not get unpacked.

     -q
          Be quiet--suppress messages about saving partial messages.

     -C directory
          Change the current directory to "directory" before reading
          any files.  This is useful when invoking munpack
          from a mail or news reader.

The environment variables which control munpack's behavior are:

     TMPDIR
          Root of directory to store partial messages awaiting 
          reassembly.  Default is "/var/tmp".   Partial messages
          are stored in subdirectories of $TMPDIR/m-prts-$USER/


Acknowledgements:

Written by John G. Myers, jgm+@cmu.edu

The mac version was written by Christopher J. Newman, chrisn+@cmu.edu

Send all bug reports to mpack-bugs@andrew.cmu.edu 

Thanks to Nathaniel Borenstein for testing early versions of mpack and
for making many helpful suggestions.


PGP signature:

The mpack 1.6 distribution is not pgp signed.

Legalese:

(C) Copyright 1993,1994 by Carnegie Mellon University
All Rights Reserved.

Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell this software
and its documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without fee,
provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that
both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in
supporting documentation, and that the name of Carnegie Mellon
University not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to
distribution of the software without specific, written prior
permission.  Carnegie Mellon University makes no representations about
the suitability of this software for any purpose.  It is provided "as
is" without express or implied warranty.

CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO
THIS SOFTWARE, INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY
AND FITNESS, IN NO EVENT SHALL CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY BE LIABLE
FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES
WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN
AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS
SOFTWARE.

Portions of this software are derived from code written by Bell
Communications Research, Inc. (Bellcore) and by RSA Data Security,
Inc. and bear similar copyrights and disclaimers of warranty.
1	mpack/munpack version 1.6 for unix
2
3	Mpack and munpack are utilities for encoding and decoding
4	(respectively) binary files in MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail
5	Extensions) format mail messages. For compatibility with older forms
6	of transferring binary files, the munpack program can also decode
7	messages in split-uuencoded format. The Macintosh version can also
8	decode messages in split-BinHex format.
9
10	The canonical FTP site for this software is ftp.andrew.cmu.edu:pub/mpack/
11	Binaries are no longer provided. The pc, os2, amiga and archimedes ports
12	have been removed. The mac version probably doesn't compile anymore, but
13	is still included (MacOS X users can use the unix version...)
14
15	This MIME implementation is intended to be as simple and portable as
16	possible. For a slightly more sophisticated MIME implementation, see
17	the program MetaMail, available via anonymous FTP to
18	thumper.bellcore.com, in directory pub/nsb
19
20
21	Decoding MIME messages:
22
23	First, you have to compile the munpack program. See the instructions
24	in the section "Compilation" below. If, after reading the
25	instructions, you are still unsure as to how to compile munpack,
26	please try to find someone locally to help you.
27
28	To decode a MIME message, first save it to a text file. If possible,
29	save it with all headers included. Munpack can decode some MIME files
30	when the headers are missing or incomplete, other files it cannot
31	decode without having the information in the headers. In general,
32	messages which have a statement at the beginning that they are in MIME
33	format can be decoded without the headers. Messages which have been
34	split into multiple parts generally require all headers in order to be
35	reassembled and decoded.
36
37	Some LAN-based mail systems and some mail providers (including America
38	Online, as of the writing of this document) place the mail headers at
39	the bottom of the message, instead of at the top of the message. If
40	you are having problems decoding a MIME message on such a system, you
41	need to convert the mail back into the standard format by removing the
42	system's nonstandard headers and moving the standard Internet headers
43	to the top of the message (separated from the message body with a
44	blank line).
45
46	There must be exactly one message per file. Munpack cannot deal with
47	multiple messages in a single file, to decode things correctly it must
48	know when one message ends and the next one begins.
49
50	To decode a message, run the command:
51
52	munpack file
53
54	where "file" is the name of the file containing the message. More than
55	one filename may be specified, munpack will try to decode the message in
56	each file. For more information on ways to run munpack, see the section
57	"Using munpack" below.
58
59
60	Reporting bugs:
61
62	Bugs and comments should be reported to mpack-bugs@andrew.cmu.edu.
63	When reporting bugs or other problems, please include the following
64	information:
65
66	* The version number of Mpack
67	* The platform (Unix, PC, OS/2, Mac, Amiga, Archimedes)
68	* The EXACT output of any unsuccessful attempts.
69	* If having a problem decoding, the first couple of lines
70	of the input file.
71
72
73	Compilation:
74
75	Mpack uses autoconf and automake on unix.
76	refer to INSTALL for more information
77
78	Using mpack:
79
80	Mpack is used to encode a file into one or more MIME format messages.
81	The program is invoked with:
82
83	mpack [options] -o outputfile file
84
85	or
86
87	mpack [options] file address...
88
89	or
90
91	mpack [options] -n newsgroups file
92
93	Where "[options]" is one or more optional switches described below.
94	"-o outputfile" is also described below. "file" is the name of the
95	file to encode, "address..." is one or more e-mail address to mail the
96	resulting messages to and "newsgroups" is a comma-separated list of
97	newsgroups to post the resulting messages to.
98
99	The possible options are:
100
101	-s subject
102	Set the Subject header field to Subject. By default,
103	mpack will prompt for the contents of the subject
104	header.
105
106	-d descriptionfile
107	Include the contents of the file descriptionfile in an
108	introductory section at the beginning of the first
109	generated message.
110
111	-m maxsize
112	Split the message (if necessary) into partial messages,
113	each not exceeding maxsize characters. The default
114	limit is the value of the SPLITSIZE environment
115	variable, or no limit if the environment variable
116	does not exist. Specifying a maxsize of 0 means there
117	is no limit to the size of the generated message.
118
119	-c content-type
120	Label the included file as being of MIME type
121	content-type, which must be a subtype of application,
122	audio, image, or video. If this switch is not given,
123	mpack examines the file to determine its type.
124
125	-o outputfile
126	Write the generated message to the file outputfile. If
127	the message has to be split, the partial messages will
128	instead be written to the files outputfile.01,
129	outputfile.02, etc.
130
131	The environment variables which control mpack's behavior are:
132
133	SPLITSIZE
134	Default value of the -m switch. Default "0".
135
136	TMPDIR
137	Directory to store temporary files. Default "/tmp".
138
139
140	Using munpack:
141
142	Munpack is used to decode one or more messages in MIME or
143	split-uuencoded format and extract the embedded files. The program is
144	invoked with:
145
146	munpack [options] filename...
147
148	which reads the messages in the files "filename...". Munpack may also
149	be invoked with just:
150
151	munpack [options]
152
153	which reads a message from the standard input.
154
155	If the message suggests a file name to use for the imbedded part, that
156	name is cleaned of potential problem characters and used for the
157	output file. If the suggested filename includes subdirectories, they
158	will be created as necessary. If the message does not suggest a file
159	name, the names "part1", "part2", etc are used in sequence.
160
161	If the imbedded part was preceded with textual information, that
162	information is also written to a file. The file is named the same as
163	the imbedded part, with any filename extension replaced with
164	".desc"
165
166	The possible options are:
167
168	-f
169	Forces the overwriting of existing files. If a message
170	suggests a file name of an existing file, the file will be
171	overwritten. Without this flag, munpack appends ".1", ".2",
172	etc to find a nonexistent file.
173
174	-t
175	Also unpack the text parts of multipart messages to files.
176	By default, text parts that do not have a filename parameter
177	do not get unpacked.
178
179	-q
180	Be quiet--suppress messages about saving partial messages.
181
182	-C directory
183	Change the current directory to "directory" before reading
184	any files. This is useful when invoking munpack
185	from a mail or news reader.
186
187	The environment variables which control munpack's behavior are:
188
189	TMPDIR
190	Root of directory to store partial messages awaiting
191	reassembly. Default is "/var/tmp". Partial messages
192	are stored in subdirectories of $TMPDIR/m-prts-$USER/
193
194
195	Acknowledgements:
196
197	Written by John G. Myers, jgm+@cmu.edu
198
199	The mac version was written by Christopher J. Newman, chrisn+@cmu.edu
200
201	Send all bug reports to mpack-bugs@andrew.cmu.edu
202
203	Thanks to Nathaniel Borenstein for testing early versions of mpack and
204	for making many helpful suggestions.
205
206
207	PGP signature:
208
209	The mpack 1.6 distribution is not pgp signed.
210
211	Legalese:
212
213	(C) Copyright 1993,1994 by Carnegie Mellon University
214	All Rights Reserved.
215
216	Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell this software
217	and its documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without fee,
218	provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that
219	both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in
220	supporting documentation, and that the name of Carnegie Mellon
221	University not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to
222	distribution of the software without specific, written prior
223	permission. Carnegie Mellon University makes no representations about
224	the suitability of this software for any purpose. It is provided "as
225	is" without express or implied warranty.
226
227	CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO
228	THIS SOFTWARE, INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY
229	AND FITNESS, IN NO EVENT SHALL CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY BE LIABLE
230	FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES
231	WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN
232	AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING
233	OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS
234	SOFTWARE.
235
236	Portions of this software are derived from code written by Bell
237	Communications Research, Inc. (Bellcore) and by RSA Data Security,
238	Inc. and bear similar copyrights and disclaimers of warranty.