ARCHIVED: In Pine, how do I decode a uuencoded mail message I received?

Note: Pine is not available on any central UITS systems. UITS does not support the use of Pine at Indiana University.

Note: The software discussed here is no longer in common use at IU, and UITS may no longer be able to verify this text's accuracy; additionally, the UITS Support Center may no longer have the materials needed to adequately support this software.

A uuencoded file typically contains non-text data (e.g., graphics, programs, or word processing files) converted into ASCII text. To uudecode a message with Pine, while you are looking at the message, press the pipe key ( | ). When prompted for a command, enter uudecode . This will decode the message and save it in a file in your home directory. The name of this file will be the last word in the "begin" line of the uuencoded message. So, in the following example, myfile.zip will be the name of the new file:

You can then use the file, or you can transfer it to your own computer.

Note: If you receive an error when you press  | , you may need to enable the Pipe to Unix feature. See ARCHIVED: In Pine, how do I enable or disable the Pipe to Unix command?

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