ARCHIVED: In Unix, how can I decode a MIME encoded (Base64 or quoted-printable) email message with metamail?

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If the email message is encoded using either the Base64 or quoted-printable encoding scheme, you can save the message to a file and use the following command:

  metamail -w < efile

Replace efile with the filename of the encoded message you saved as a file. You will be prompted for a name to give each part of the encoded message.

Note: Many mailers call metamail for you automatically (e.g., Elm), or have the native ability to handle MIME-encoded messages (e.g., MH and Pine).

Note: Not all Unix system have metamail installed.

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Last modified on 2018-01-18 09:29:01.