MPE/iX Shell and Utilities Reference Manual, Vol 2

uuencode(1) MPE/iX Shell and Utilities uuencode(1)
NAME
uuencode — encode a file for safe transmission
SYNOPSIS
uuencode [file] remote
DESCRIPTION
When files are transmitted over a network or over phone lines, non-printable characters (for
example, control characters) may be interpreted as commands, telling the network to do some-
thing. In general, therefore, it is not safe to transmit a file if it contains non-printable charac-
ters.
uuencode translates a file into a special code that consists entirely of printable characters.
A file encoded in this way is generally safe for transmission over networks and phone lines
(although we make no guarantees).
If a file is specified on the uuencode command line, uuencode reads that file as input;
otherwise, it reads the standard input. uuencode always writes the encoded result to the
standard output. The encoded version of the data is about 35% larger than the original.
The remote command line argument is the name that the file should be given after it has been
transmitted to its destination. When the file reaches its destination, you can use
uudecode(1) to translate the encoded data into its original form.
Since the encoded file consists entirely of printable characters, you may use a text editor like
Vi to edit the file. Of course, the only things you are likely to edit are the name of the original
file or the name of the remote file.
DIAGNOSTICS
Possible exit status values are:
0 Successful completion.
1 Failure because of an invalid command line option, or a missing command line argu-
ment.
Message
Message: input file "filename": system error
Cause: See syserror(3).
Action: See syserror(3).
Message: write error on standard output: system error
Cause: See syserror(3).
Action: See syserror(3).
1-644 Commands and Utilities