UNIX® Shells by Example, Third Edition

uuencode—uuencode, uudecode—encode a binary file into ASCII text in order to send it through e-mail, or convert it back into its original form

uuencode [ source–file ] file–labeluudecode [ encoded–file ]

uuencode converts a binary file into an ASCII-encoded representation that can be sent using mail. The label argument specifies the output filename to use when decoding. If no file is given, stdin is encoded. 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 ...