1XDEVIEW(1)                  General Commands Manual                 XDEVIEW(1)
2
3
4

NAME

6       xdeview - a powerful decoder for binary files
7

SYNOPSIS

9       xdeview [Xt options] [-- options] [file(s)]
10

DESCRIPTION

12       XDeview  is  a  smart decoder for attachments that you have received in
13       encoded form via electronic mail or from the usenet. It is  similar  to
14       the  standard  uudecode(1) command, yet with more comfort and flexibil‐
15       ity.  XDeview supports the uuencoding, xxencoding,  Base64  and  BinHex
16       encoding  methods,  and  is able to handle split-files (which have been
17       sent in multiple parts) as well as multiple files at once, thus greatly
18       simplifying  the  decoding process. Usually, you will not have to manu‐
19       ally edit files to prepare them for decoding.
20
21       If you don't really need a graphical frontend for these kinds of  jobs,
22       have a look at uudeview(1) and uuenview(1).
23
24       After  invoking  the  program,  it  will  scan  all the given files for
25       encoded data. If any of them were directories, they will be recursively
26       dived  into.  You don't need to give files on the command line; you can
27       also select files later from within the program. After  completing  the
28       initial scan, you will be presented with a list of files that seem like
29       they can be decoded properly. You can then pick files individually  for
30       decoding.
31

OPTIONS

33       There's  no real need to set options on the command line; they can also
34       be set from within the program. Note that options must be preceded by a
35       double-hyphen  '--',  otherwise  they  might  be  mistaken  for display
36       options.
37
38       -d     Sets the program into desperate mode. It will then offer you  to
39              decode  incomplete  files. This is useful if you are missing the
40              last part of a 50-parts posting, but in most cases  the  desper‐
41              ately-decoded  files  will  simply  be corrupt and unusable. The
42              degree of usefulness of an incomplete file depends on  the  file
43              type.
44
45       -f     Uses  fast mode for file scanning. The program assumes that each
46              input file holds at most one part, which  is  usually  true  for
47              files  in a news spool directory. This option breaks decoding of
48              input files with multiple articles. Also, certain sanity  checks
49              are  disabled,  probably causing erroneous files to be presented
50              for decoding.  Sometimes you'll get error messages  when  decod‐
51              ing,  sometimes  you'll just receive invalid files. Don't use -f
52              if you can't live with these problems.
53
54       -o     Gives the OK to overwrite files already there on  decoding.  The
55              default  is  to  prompt the user whether to overwrite, rename or
56              skip the file.
57
58       -v     Disables verbosity. Normally, the  program  prints  some  status
59              messages  while reading the input files, which can be very help‐
60              ful if something should go wrong. Use if these messages  disturb
61              you.
62
63       -p path
64              Sets the path where decoded files shall be written to. This must
65              be a valid pathname, or you'll get errors when trying to  decode
66              anything. Defaults to the current working directory.
67
68       -b     This changes xdeview's policy of finding a part number on a sub‐
69              ject line and may only be needed in some rare  cases  when  part
70              numbers  are  found in () parentheses as well as in [] brackets,
71              for example in a series of  multi-part  postings.   By  default,
72              xdeview  uses  the numbers found in () parentheses first. But if
73              this number indicates the file's number in the  series  and  the
74              part number is given in [] brackets, use this parameters to make
75              the program read the other number first. This  does  not  affect
76              decoding of files with only one or neither type of brackets.  If
77              you prefer, you can also use the option as -b[]
78
79       -s     Read "minus smartness". This option  turns  off  automatic  part
80              number  detection from the subject line. Try this option if xde‐
81              view fails to parse the subject line correctly and makes  errors
82              at guessing part numbers, resulting in incorrect ordering of the
83              parts. With this option, parts are always put  together  sequen‐
84              tially  (so  the  parts  must  be correctly ordered in the input
85              file).  Note: The correct part number found in proper MIME files
86              is still evaluated.
87
88       -t     Use  plaintext  messages. Usually, XDeview only presents encoded
89              data for decoding. With this option set, text  parts  from  MIME
90              messages  and  non-encoded  messages are also offered. Plaintext
91              messages  frequently  don't  have  an  associated  filename,  so
92              they're assigned a unique name from a sequential four-digit num‐
93              ber.
94
96       The main window of xdeview is composed of six main elements. At the top
97       is  the Menu Bar.  Centered is the File List, which lists all the files
98       that have been detected in the encoded data and are ready for decoding.
99       Left of the File List is the Status List, which describes the status of
100       each file. Usually, this list will show "OK" for all files, as  display
101       of  erroneous files is normally suppressed.  On the right is a bunch of
102       short-cut buttons with the most heavily-used functions. At  the  bottom
103       of the window is the Save Path entry field, and the status bar. Each of
104       these items will be described individually in the following text.
105
107       File Menu
108
109              Load ...
110                     Loads encoded files. These files  are  then  scanned  for
111                     encoded data and files; these files are added to the File
112                     List. You can also select  directories,  which  are  then
113                     recursively descended into
114
115              Encode Encode file(s), storing the encoded data on disk, sending
116                     them via email, or posting them to newsgroups. See below.
117
118              Helpers
119                     Xdeview  reads  information  from   your   .mailcap   and
120                     .mime.types  to  perform  the  appropriate default action
121                     when you hit the "Execute" button. In this dialogue,  you
122                     can configure the locations of these files.
123
124              Save Setup
125                     Saves  all  current  options,  the  input and output file
126                     paths etc. into the .xdeviewrc file in your  home  direc‐
127                     tory.  This  file  is automatically read upon startup, so
128                     the saved settings will be set by default in future  ses‐
129                     sions.  The  resource file is actually a Tcl script which
130                     you can edit with any editor.
131
132              Quit   Exits the program.
133
134       Options
135              Set various options that modify the behaviour  of  the  program.
136              Note that most options only catch for files read afterwards.
137
138              Fast Scanning
139                     Sets  fast  scanning  mode.  The program will then assume
140                     that all input files contain at most one encoded part (as
141                     it  is  true  with files from a news spool). The scanning
142                     engine will be sped up because it does not have  to  read
143                     each  input  file  completely  but  stops  scanning after
144                     encoded data has been found.
145
146              The decoder has to disable some safety options in fast mode,  so
147              certain  problems  with  the  file  will  only  be detected when
148              finally decoding the file.
149
150              Automatic Overwrite
151                     When decoding a file which is already present in the tar‐
152                     get  directory,  the  user will be asked whether the file
153                     shall be overwritten. By  enabling  this  option,  target
154                     files will be overwritten without asking.
155
156              Desperate Mode
157                     Usually,  you  will  only be presented files to which all
158                     parts have been found. Enabling  Desperate  Mode,  you'll
159                     also  get  to see the other files as well, with an appro‐
160                     priate description of the problem in the Status List.  In
161                     desperate mode, the decoder will also try to detect short
162                     Base64 files outside of MIME messages. This  is  normally
163                     disabled,  because  these  desperate tries to find Base64
164                     encoding may cause misdetection of  encoded  data,  again
165                     resulting in invalid files.
166
167              Verbose Mode
168                     Opens  a  separate  text box to which additional messages
169                     will be written while scanning  the  input  files.  These
170                     messages  are extremely helpful for finding out what went
171                     wrong if files cannot be decoded properly.
172
173              Alternate Bracket Policy
174                     Changes the heuristics by  which  the  decoder  tries  to
175                     extract  a  part  number from the subject line. The algo‐
176                     rithm usually gives numbers in braces () higher  priority
177                     than  numbers  in  brackets []. If both kinds of brackets
178                     are present, and their use is conflicting (for example if
179                     both the part number and a series number are given), then
180                     you may have to explicitely select the bracket policy. If
181                     this option is false (default), then the "part number" is
182                     taken from the braces (), otherwise from the brackets [].
183
184              Dumb Mode
185                     Disables automatic part number detection by  parsing  the
186                     subject  line.   Use if xdeview fails to pick up the cor‐
187                     rect part numbers. Note that with  the  option  set,  the
188                     parts must be correctly ordered in the input files. Also,
189                     missing parts will not be detected this way.
190
191              Handle Text Files
192                     Usually, XDeview only presents encoded data for decoding.
193                     With  this  option set, text parts from MIME messages and
194                     non-encoded messages are also offered. Plaintext messages
195                     frequently  don't have an associated filename, so they're
196                     assigned a unique name from a sequential four-digit  num‐
197                     ber.
198
199              Auto Info
200                     Opens  up  the information window whenever you click on a
201                     file in the File List.
202
203              Remove Input Files
204                     With this option set, input files are removed if any file
205                     was  successfully decoded from them. Use with care! UUDe‐
206                     view only checks if any data was decoded  from  an  input
207                     file,  but does not care about any other contents of that
208                     input file, or whether a file  also  held  an  incomplete
209                     attachment.
210
211              MIME Compliance
212                     Be more strict when reading MIME input files.
213
214       Actions
215
216              Decode Decode the selected file(s).
217
218              Rename Rename  the selected file(s), for example if the filename
219                     conflicts with existing files, or  if  the  name  doesn't
220                     meet system limitations.
221
222              Decode All
223                     Decode all files currently visible in the File List.
224
225              Info   Displays  available  info  on the currently selected file
226                     (if more than one file is selected,  only  info  for  the
227                     first  will be displayed).  This is the zeroeth part of a
228                     file, if available, or the header of the first part up to
229                     the beginning of encoded data.
230
231              Execute
232                     Runs  an  external  program  with  the currently selected
233                     file. A program is selected by first looking at the  Con‐
234                     tent-Type  of the message, if available, then by checking
235                     the file's extension.   The  appropriate  information  is
236                     read  from  your .mailcap and .mime.types files (although
237                     the handling of information in  .mailcap  files  is  cur‐
238                     rently  incomplete). If no matching type is found, a dia‐
239                     log box pops up where you can enter any command.
240
241              List Text File
242                     This is for the rare cases when a text file has been sent
243                     through  the  net  in  encoded form. Use this action only
244                     when you know the file in question  is  in  fact  a  text
245                     file, otherwise you'll get a load of trash on the screen.
246
247       Help
248
249              About  A short message from the Author.
250
251              License
252                     Displays  the license under which xdeview is distributed,
253                     the GPL.  Read it, or you'll hear from my lawyers.
254

FILE LIST

256       The File List is a list box displaying all the  files  that  have  been
257       picked  up  while  scanning the encoded data. These files are ready for
258       decoding, previewing or anything. The list can be  scrolled  using  the
259       scrollbar on the right of the list.
260
261       Individual  files  can be selected simply by clicking on them. Multiple
262       files can be selected by holding down the CTRL key and clicking on  the
263       individual files.
264

STATUS LIST

266       The  Status  Lists  notes the corresponding status for each file in the
267       File List, Usually, you'll just see "OK" here; otherwise, an error mes‐
268       sage is shown describing why the file cannot be decoded properly. There
269       are the following states:
270
271       OK     All parts of the file have been  found,  and  the  encoded  data
272              looks  correct  on  first sight. There are certain problems that
273              might only appear when decoding the file, but usually everything
274              is fine.
275
276       Incomplete
277              This file is missing one or more parts. If you decode this file,
278              the output data will be corrupt and usually unusable.
279
280       No Begin
281              The file doesn't have a beginning. The decoded file will be most
282              certainly corrupt and unusable.
283
284       No End No  end  was  found  on the file. This usually means that one or
285              more parts at the end are missing. The degree of usefulness of a
286              decoded file depends on the file type.
287
288       Error  A previous attempt to decode the file has failed.
289

SHORT-CUT BUTTONS

291       The buttons on the right side of the window are short-cuts for the menu
292       items. Read the discussion of the Main Menu items above for an explana‐
293       tion.
294

SAVE PATH

296       This is the path where decoded files will be written to.
297

STATUS

299       A  short message what the program is currently doing or what it expects
300       you to do.
301

ENCODING MENU

303       When encoding files ("Encode" from the "File" menu), a large dialog box
304       opens  where  you can set various options for the file. If you selected
305       multiple files for encoding, a status line at the top displays the num‐
306       ber  of  files  left. The dialog itself stays open until all files have
307       been handled.
308
309       Filename
310              The current file to encode. You cannot edit this field.
311
312       Send As
313              The file name by which the file will be sent.  Defaults  to  the
314              filename stripped of all directory information.
315
316       Use Subject
317              When  mailing or posting, this text will be used as subject. The
318              filename and part numbers are added automatically,  so  you  can
319              choose to leave this line empty.
320
321       Lines per File
322              Sets  the number of encoded lines per part. Bigger files will be
323              automatically split into multiple parts. Use if you are  posting
324              files to a newsgroup, or if the recipient's system cannot handle
325              large files. A good splitting size  is  1000  lines.  "0"  lines
326              means not to split.
327
328       ... Encoding
329              Selects  the  encoding  method to use. If you wonder which one's
330              the best, you might find a clue in my article  "Introduction  to
331              Decoding".
332
333       File In (Path)
334              Sets  a directory where to encode the file to. The encoding will
335              go to files with the same base name as the  original  file,  but
336              with extensions of .001, .002 (depending on the number of neces‐
337              sary parts as enforced by the "Lines per File" setting).
338
339       Email To
340              Give a comma-separated list  of  email  addresses.  This  option
341              might  be  disabled  if  your  system  does not allow sending of
342              emails.
343
344       Post To
345              Here you can enter a comma-separated list of newsgroups to which
346              the file should be posted. This option might be disabled if your
347              system does not support posting news.
348
349       NNTP Server
350              This field only appears on some systems, in the case that a news
351              host is needed, but none was configured at compile-time. If this
352              field does appear, you must enter a  valid  host  name  here  in
353              order  for  posting  to work. If you don't want to post the file
354              anyway, don't worry about it.
355
356       OK     Performs the selected action(s) on this file and  skips  to  the
357              next one.
358
359       OK to All
360              Uses  these  settings for each file in question (does not prompt
361              you for the other files), thus sending all files at once.
362
363       Next   Does not encode the file and  skips  to  the  next  one  (sorry,
364              there's no button to skip backwards).
365
366       Cancel Cancels encoding and returns to the main menu.
367

SETUP FILE

369       If  it  exists, the file .xdeviewrc in your home directory will be exe‐
370       cuted in the Tcl interpreter during program initialization. It must  be
371       a  valid  Tcl  program,  which  you  can  use to set certain options by
372       default. For the Tcl-illaterate: variables can be set using the follow‐
373       ing syntax:
374       set var_name value
375       The  following  variables  (options) can be set (look at the text above
376       for an explanation of what they're doing)
377
378       OptionFast
379              If set to 1, use fast scanning mode.
380
381       OptionBracket
382              If set to 1, use the alternate bracket policy.
383
384       OptionOverwrite
385              If set to 1, assume it's Ok to overwrite files without asking.
386
387       OptionDesperate
388              If set to 1, switch into desperate mode.
389
390       OptionVerbose
391              If set to 1, print progress messages.
392
393       SaveFilePath
394              This is a string variable with the default Save Path, where  you
395              want decoded files to go.
396
397       EncodeMaxLines
398              Maximum  number  of  lines per file for encoding. "0" for unlim‐
399              ited.
400
401       EncodeEncoding
402              Default encoding to use. "0" for UUencoding, "1" for  XXencoding
403              and "2" for Base64 encoding.
404
405       NNTPServer
406              The  address  of your NNTP server (only needed on some systems).
407              Can also be  set  (preferredly)  in  your  environment  variable
408              NNTPSERVER.
409

RUNTIME MESSGAGES

411       If  you  have enabled verbose mode, progress messages will appear in an
412       own text window titled Runtime Messages.  The messages generated during
413       the  scanning  phase  are extremely helpful in tracing what the program
414       does, and can be used to figure out the  reason  why  files  cannot  be
415       decoded, if you understand them. This section explains how to interpret
416       them. Understanding this section is not necessary to operate  the  pro‐
417       gram.
418
419       First,  there  are  "Loading"  messages,  which  begin  with the string
420       "Loaded". Each line should feature the following items:
421
422       Source File
423              The first item is the source file from which a part was  loaded.
424              Many parts can be detected within a single file.
425
426       Subject Line
427              The complete subject is reproduced in single quotes.
428
429       Identifier
430              The program derives a unique identification for this thread from
431              the subject line, for grouping  articles  that  look  like  they
432              belong  to  the  same file. The result of this algorithm is pre‐
433              sented in braces.
434
435       Filename
436              If a filename was detected on the subject  line  or  within  the
437              data  (for  example, on a begin line, or as part of the Content-
438              Type information).
439
440       Part Number
441              The part number derived from the subject line, or, in  the  case
442              of  properly  MIME-formatted  messages, from the "part" informa‐
443              tion.
444
445       Begin/End
446              If a "begin" or "end" token was detected, it is printed here.
447
448       Encoding Type
449              If encoded data was detected within this part, either  "UUdata",
450              "Base64", "XXdata" or "Binhex" is printed here.
451
452       More  messages  are printed after scanning has completed. A single line
453       will be printed for each group of articles. The contents of  this  line
454       are best understood by looking at an example. Here is one:
455
456       Found 'mailfile.gz' State 16 UUData Parts begin 1 2 3 4 5 end 6 OK
457
458       This  indicates  that the file mailfile.gz has been found. The file was
459       uuencoded ("UUData") and consists of 6 parts.  The  "begin"  token  was
460       found  in  the  first  part, and the "end" token was found in the sixth
461       part. Because it looks like everything's there, this file is tagged  as
462       being  "OK". The State is a set of bits, where the following values may
463       be or'ed:
464
465       1      Missing Part
466
467       2      No Begin
468
469       4      No End
470
471       8      No encoded data found.
472
473       16     File looks Ok
474
475       32     An error occured during decoding of the file.
476
477       64     File was successfully decoded.
478

NOTES

480       If you cannot execute xdeview, and it reports something  like  "command
481       not  found",  but are sure that the file itself can be found, check the
482       reference to the main file uuwish at the top of the file.
483

SEE ALSO

485       uudeview(1), uuenview(1), uudecode(1), uuencode(1),
486       The uudeview homepage on the Web,
487       http://www.fpx.de/fp/Software/UUDeview/
488
489
490
491                                   June 1996                        XDEVIEW(1)
Impressum