Re: transferring binary files via E-mail

From: PnRMolds@aol.com
Date: Fri May 24 1996 - 16:39:14 EEST


In a message dated 96-05-23 12:04:01 EDT, you write:

>Subj: transferring binary files via E-mail
>Date: 96-05-23 12:04:01 EDT
>From: BruceO@eagledesign.com (Bruce Okkema)
>Sender: owner-rp-ml@bart.lpt.fi
>To: rp-ml@bart.lpt.fi (RP-ML)
>
>Not everyone has ftp capability. We get a fair amount of questions on
>how to transfer binary information via e-mail so I would like to pass
>along these instructions to all of you. Perhaps you will find this
>useful:
>
>PROBLEM:
>How does one send binary data via c-mail?
>SOLUTION: (unix commands)(Do not include quotation marks.)
>
>________________________________________________________________________Prepa
ring
>the data:
>1. Put all the files you wish to send into the same directory.
> (Skip to step 3 if you only have one file to send.)
>2. tar -cvf "filename.tar" *.stl
> (or similar designation to include all your files)
> (combines all your files into a single file.)
>3. compress "filename.tar"
> (compresses data into a file named filename.tar.Z")
>4. optional: rename "filename.tar.Z" to something with 8 or less
> characters + extension for compatibility with DOS based systems.
> e.g. "project.z"
>5. uuencode "project.z" "project.z" > "mailfile"
> (encodes binary data as ascii data)
>6. Compose and send your email w/ "mailfile" as an attachment.
>
>________________________________________________________________________Resto
ring
>the data:
>1. The recipient will get your mail and need to save the message as
> "mailfile" on their system.
>2. uudecode "mailfile" (creates "project.z")
>3. rename the file "project.Z"
>4. uncompress "project" (expands file to "project")
>5. mv "project" to the dir. into which you wish to restore the files.
>6. cd to that directory
>7. tar -xvf "project" (This restores the original binary files.)
>
>
>

Please also note that many email apps will automatically encode and decode
files for you if configured to do so. There are usually several different
methods of encoding that are available as well such as BinHexand Base64 as
well as uuencode and many others.

Something else that will be of interest to some as well is that based upon my
own personal experiences, the Pkunzip algorithm produces smaller compressed
files than "compress". Although the difference is not always huge, you do
get the convenience of being able to decompress/unzip the files on unix AND
pc platforms with the exception of executeable zip's). All you need are the
 proper OS versions of each which should be easy to find. If you have
trouble finding them I could email them.

Regards,

Ron Ptaszek

WWW: http://www.rust.net/~pnrmolds/pnr.htm

P & R Precision, Inc.
50495 Corporate Drive
Shelby Township, MI 48315

tel: 810-254-6720
fax: 810-254-0638
BBS/Modem: 810-254-1664

Email: PnRMolds@rust.net
WWW: http://www.rust.net/~pnrmolds/pnr.htm

"Prototype and Production Injection Molds from 3-D for a Decade, Fast and
Reliable"

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