Provided by: xdeview_0.5.20-14_amd64 bug

NAME

       xdeview - a powerful decoder for binary files

SYNOPSIS

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

DESCRIPTION

       XDeview  is  a  smart  decoder  for attachments that you have received in encoded form via
       electronic mail or from the usenet. It is similar to the standard uudecode(1) command, yet
       with  more  comfort  and flexibility.  XDeview supports the uuencoding, xxencoding, Base64
       and BinHex encoding methods, and is able to handle split-files (which have  been  sent  in
       multiple  parts)  as well as multiple files at once, thus greatly simplifying the decoding
       process. Usually, you will not have to manually edit files to prepare them for decoding.

       If you don't really need a graphical frontend for these kinds of  jobs,  have  a  look  at
       uudeview(1) and uuenview(1).

       After  invoking  the program, it will scan all the given files for encoded data. If any of
       them were directories, they will be recursively dived into.  You don't need to give  files
       on  the  command  line;  you  can  also  select files later from within the program. After
       completing the initial scan, you will be presented with a list of  files  that  seem  like
       they can be decoded properly. You can then pick files individually for decoding.

OPTIONS

       There's  no real need to set options on the command line; they can also be set from within
       the program. Note that options must be preceded by a double-hyphen  '--',  otherwise  they
       might be mistaken for display options.

       -d     Sets  the  program into desperate mode. It will then offer you to decode incomplete
              files. This is useful if you are missing the last part of a 50-parts  posting,  but
              in  most  cases  the desperately-decoded files will simply be corrupt and unusable.
              The degree of usefulness of an incomplete file depends on the file type.

       -f     Uses fast mode for file scanning. The program assumes that each input file holds at
              most  one  part,  which  is  usually true for files in a news spool directory. This
              option breaks decoding of input files with multiple articles. Also, certain  sanity
              checks are disabled, probably causing erroneous files to be presented for decoding.
              Sometimes you'll get error messages when decoding, sometimes  you'll  just  receive
              invalid files. Don't use -f if you can't live with these problems.

       -o     Gives the OK to overwrite files already there on decoding. The default is to prompt
              the user whether to overwrite, rename or skip the file.

       -v     Disables verbosity. Normally, the program prints some status messages while reading
              the  input  files,  which  can be very helpful if something should go wrong. Use if
              these messages disturb you.

       -p path
              Sets the path where decoded files shall  be  written  to.  This  must  be  a  valid
              pathname,  or  you'll  get  errors  when trying to decode anything. Defaults to the
              current working directory.

       -b     This changes xdeview's policy of finding a part number on a subject  line  and  may
              only  be needed in some rare cases when part numbers are found in () parentheses as
              well as in [] brackets, for  example  in  a  series  of  multi-part  postings.   By
              default, xdeview uses the numbers found in () parentheses first. But if this number
              indicates the file's number in the series and  the  part  number  is  given  in  []
              brackets, use this parameters to make the program read the other number first. This
              does not affect decoding of files with only one or neither type  of  brackets.   If
              you prefer, you can also use the option as -b[]

       -s     Read  "minus smartness". This option turns off automatic part number detection from
              the subject line. Try this option if  xdeview  fails  to  parse  the  subject  line
              correctly  and  makes  errors  at  guessing  part  numbers,  resulting in incorrect
              ordering of the parts. With this option, parts are always put together sequentially
              (so the parts must be correctly ordered in the input file).  Note: The correct part
              number found in proper MIME files is still evaluated.

       -t     Use plaintext messages. Usually, XDeview only presents encoded data  for  decoding.
              With  this  option  set, text parts from MIME messages and non-encoded messages are
              also offered. Plaintext messages frequently don't have an associated  filename,  so
              they're assigned a unique name from a sequential four-digit number.

MAIN MENU

       The  main  window of xdeview is composed of six main elements. At the top is the Menu Bar.
       Centered is the File List, which lists all the  files  that  have  been  detected  in  the
       encoded  data  and are ready for decoding. Left of the File List is the Status List, which
       describes the status of each file. Usually, this list will show "OK"  for  all  files,  as
       display  of  erroneous files is normally suppressed.  On the right is a bunch of short-cut
       buttons with the most heavily-used functions. At the bottom of the window is the Save Path
       entry field, and the status bar. Each of these items will be described individually in the
       following text.

MENU BAR

       File Menu

              Load ...
                     Loads encoded files. These files are  then  scanned  for  encoded  data  and
                     files;  these  files  are  added  to  the  File  List.  You  can also select
                     directories, which are then recursively descended into

              Encode Encode file(s), storing the encoded data on disk, sending them via email, or
                     posting them to newsgroups. See below.

              Helpers
                     Xdeview  reads information from your .mailcap and .mime.types to perform the
                     appropriate default action when  you  hit  the  "Execute"  button.  In  this
                     dialogue, you can configure the locations of these files.

              Save Setup
                     Saves  all  current  options,  the input and output file paths etc. into the
                     .xdeviewrc file in your home directory. This file is automatically read upon
                     startup,  so  the  saved settings will be set by default in future sessions.
                     The resource file is actually a Tcl script  which  you  can  edit  with  any
                     editor.

              Quit   Exits the program.

       Options
              Set  various  options  that  modify  the  behaviour  of the program. Note that most
              options only catch for files read afterwards.

              Fast Scanning
                     Sets fast scanning mode. The program will then assume that all  input  files
                     contain  at  most  one  encoded  part  (as it is true with files from a news
                     spool). The scanning engine will be sped up because it does not have to read
                     each  input  file  completely but stops scanning after encoded data has been
                     found.

              The decoder has to disable some safety options in fast mode,  so  certain  problems
              with the file will only be detected when finally decoding the file.

              Automatic Overwrite
                     When  decoding  a file which is already present in the target directory, the
                     user will be asked whether the file shall be overwritten. By  enabling  this
                     option, target files will be overwritten without asking.

              Desperate Mode
                     Usually,  you  will  only  be  presented  files to which all parts have been
                     found. Enabling Desperate Mode, you'll also get to see the  other  files  as
                     well, with an appropriate description of the problem in the Status List.  In
                     desperate mode, the decoder will also  try  to  detect  short  Base64  files
                     outside of MIME messages. This is normally disabled, because these desperate
                     tries to find Base64 encoding may cause misdetection of encoded data,  again
                     resulting in invalid files.

              Verbose Mode
                     Opens a separate text box to which additional messages will be written while
                     scanning the input files. These messages are extremely helpful  for  finding
                     out what went wrong if files cannot be decoded properly.

              Alternate Bracket Policy
                     Changes  the  heuristics by which the decoder tries to extract a part number
                     from the subject line. The algorithm usually  gives  numbers  in  braces  ()
                     higher  priority  than numbers in brackets []. If both kinds of brackets are
                     present, and their use is conflicting (for example if both the  part  number
                     and  a  series number are given), then you may have to explicitly select the
                     bracket policy. If this option is false (default), then the "part number" is
                     taken from the braces (), otherwise from the brackets [].

              Dumb Mode
                     Disables  automatic  part number detection by parsing the subject line.  Use
                     if xdeview fails to pick up the correct part numbers.  Note  that  with  the
                     option  set,  the  parts must be correctly ordered in the input files. Also,
                     missing parts will not be detected this way.

              Handle Text Files
                     Usually, XDeview only presents encoded data for decoding. With  this  option
                     set,  text  parts  from  MIME  messages  and  non-encoded  messages are also
                     offered. Plaintext messages frequently don't have an associated filename, so
                     they're assigned a unique name from a sequential four-digit number.

              Auto Info
                     Opens  up  the  information  window whenever you click on a file in the File
                     List.

              Remove Input Files
                     With this option set, input files are removed if any file  was  successfully
                     decoded  from  them.  Use  with  care!  UUDeview only checks if any data was
                     decoded from an input file, but does not care about any  other  contents  of
                     that input file, or whether a file also held an incomplete attachment.

              MIME Compliance
                     Be more strict when reading MIME input files.

       Actions

              Decode Decode the selected file(s).

              Rename Rename  the  selected  file(s),  for  example if the filename conflicts with
                     existing files, or if the name doesn't meet system limitations.

              Decode All
                     Decode all files currently visible in the File List.

              Info   Displays available info on the currently selected file  (if  more  than  one
                     file  is  selected, only info for the first will be displayed).  This is the
                     zeroeth part of a file, if available, or the header of the first part up  to
                     the beginning of encoded data.

              Execute
                     Runs  an  external  program  with  the currently selected file. A program is
                     selected by first looking at the Content-Type of the message, if  available,
                     then  by checking the file's extension.  The appropriate information is read
                     from  your  .mailcap  and  .mime.types  files  (although  the  handling   of
                     information  in .mailcap files is currently incomplete). If no matching type
                     is found, a dialog box pops up where you can enter any command.

              List Text File
                     This is for the rare cases when a text file has been sent through the net in
                     encoded  form. Use this action only when you know the file in question is in
                     fact a text file, otherwise you'll get a load of trash on the screen.

       Help

              About  A short message from the Author.

              License
                     Displays the license under which xdeview is distributed, the GPL.  Read  it,
                     or you'll hear from my lawyers.

FILE LIST

       The  File  List  is  a  list  box  displaying all the files that have been picked up while
       scanning the encoded data. These files are ready for decoding, previewing or anything. The
       list can be scrolled using the scrollbar on the right of the list.

       Individual  files  can  be  selected  simply  by  clicking  on them. Multiple files can be
       selected by holding down the CTRL key and clicking on the individual files.

STATUS LIST

       The Status Lists notes the corresponding status for each file in the File  List,  Usually,
       you'll  just  see  "OK" here; otherwise, an error message is shown describing why the file
       cannot be decoded properly. There are the following states:

       OK     All parts of the file have been found, and the encoded data looks correct on  first
              sight.  There  are  certain problems that might only appear when decoding the file,
              but usually everything is fine.

       Incomplete
              This file is missing one or more parts. If you decode this file,  the  output  data
              will be corrupt and usually unusable.

       No Begin
              The  file doesn't have a beginning. The decoded file will be most certainly corrupt
              and unusable.

       No End No end was found on the file. This usually means that one or more parts at the  end
              are missing. The degree of usefulness of a decoded file depends on the file type.

       Error  A previous attempt to decode the file has failed.

SHORT-CUT BUTTONS

       The  buttons  on  the right side of the window are short-cuts for the menu items. Read the
       discussion of the Main Menu items above for an explanation.

SAVE PATH

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

STATUS

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

ENCODING MENU

       When encoding files ("Encode" from the "File" menu), a large dialog box  opens  where  you
       can  set  various  options  for  the  file. If you selected multiple files for encoding, a
       status line at the top displays the number of files left. The  dialog  itself  stays  open
       until all files have been handled.

       Filename
              The current file to encode. You cannot edit this field.

       Send As
              The  file name by which the file will be sent. Defaults to the filename stripped of
              all directory information.

       Use Subject
              When mailing or posting, this text will be used as subject. The filename  and  part
              numbers are added automatically, so you can choose to leave this line empty.

       Lines per File
              Sets the number of encoded lines per part. Bigger files will be automatically split
              into multiple parts. Use if you are  posting  files  to  a  newsgroup,  or  if  the
              recipient's  system cannot handle large files. A good splitting size is 1000 lines.
              "0" lines means not to split.

       ... Encoding
              Selects the encoding method to use. If you wonder which one's the best,  you  might
              find a clue in my article "Introduction to Decoding".

       File In (Path)
              Sets  a  directory  where to encode the file to. The encoding will go to files with
              the same base name as  the  original  file,  but  with  extensions  of  .001,  .002
              (depending  on  the  number  of necessary parts as enforced by the "Lines per File"
              setting).

       Email To
              Give a comma-separated list of email addresses. This option might  be  disabled  if
              your system does not allow sending of emails.

       Post To
              Here you can enter a comma-separated list of newsgroups to which the file should be
              posted. This option might be disabled if your system does not support posting news.

       NNTP Server
              This field only appears on some systems, in the case that a news  host  is  needed,
              but  none was configured at compile-time. If this field does appear, you must enter
              a valid host name here in order for posting to work. If you don't want to post  the
              file anyway, don't worry about it.

       OK     Performs the selected action(s) on this file and skips to the next one.

       OK to All
              Uses  these  settings  for each file in question (does not prompt you for the other
              files), thus sending all files at once.

       Next   Does not encode the file and skips to the next one (sorry,  there's  no  button  to
              skip backwards).

       Cancel Cancels encoding and returns to the main menu.

SETUP FILE

       If  it  exists,  the  file  .xdeviewrc  in your home directory will be executed in the Tcl
       interpreter during program initialization. It must be a valid Tcl program, which  you  can
       use  to set certain options by default. For the Tcl-illaterate: variables can be set using
       the following syntax:
       set var_name value
       The following variables (options) can be set (look at the text above for an explanation of
       what they're doing)

       OptionFast
              If set to 1, use fast scanning mode.

       OptionBracket
              If set to 1, use the alternate bracket policy.

       OptionOverwrite
              If set to 1, assume it's Ok to overwrite files without asking.

       OptionDesperate
              If set to 1, switch into desperate mode.

       OptionVerbose
              If set to 1, print progress messages.

       SaveFilePath
              This  is a string variable with the default Save Path, where you want decoded files
              to go.

       EncodeMaxLines
              Maximum number of lines per file for encoding. "0" for unlimited.

       EncodeEncoding
              Default encoding to use. "0" for UUencoding, "1" for XXencoding and "2" for  Base64
              encoding.

       NNTPServer
              The  address  of  your  NNTP  server (only needed on some systems). Can also be set
              (preferredly) in your environment variable NNTPSERVER.

RUNTIME MESSGAGES

       If you have enabled verbose mode, progress messages will appear  in  an  own  text  window
       titled  Runtime  Messages.  The messages generated during the scanning phase are extremely
       helpful in tracing what the program does, and can be used to figure  out  the  reason  why
       files  cannot  be  decoded, if you understand them. This section explains how to interpret
       them. Understanding this section is not necessary to operate the program.

       First, there are "Loading" messages, which begin  with  the  string  "Loaded".  Each  line
       should feature the following items:

       Source File
              The  first  item is the source file from which a part was loaded. Many parts can be
              detected within a single file.

       Subject Line
              The complete subject is reproduced in single quotes.

       Identifier
              The program derives a unique identification for this thread from the subject  line,
              for  grouping  articles  that look like they belong to the same file. The result of
              this algorithm is presented in braces.

       Filename
              If a filename was detected on the subject line or within the data (for example,  on
              a begin line, or as part of the Content-Type information).

       Part Number
              The  part  number  derived from the subject line, or, in the case of properly MIME-
              formatted messages, from the "part" information.

       Begin/End
              If a "begin" or "end" token was detected, it is printed here.

       Encoding Type
              If encoded data was detected within this part, either "UUdata", "Base64",  "XXdata"
              or "Binhex" is printed here.

       More  messages are printed after scanning has completed. A single line will be printed for
       each group of articles. The contents of this line are best understood  by  looking  at  an
       example. Here is one:

       Found 'mailfile.gz' State 16 UUData Parts begin 1 2 3 4 5 end 6 OK

       This indicates that the file mailfile.gz has been found. The file was uuencoded ("UUData")
       and consists of 6 parts. The "begin" token was found in the  first  part,  and  the  "end"
       token  was found in the sixth part. Because it looks like everything's there, this file is
       tagged as being "OK". The State is a set of bits, where the following values may be or'ed:

       1      Missing Part

       2      No Begin

       4      No End

       8      No encoded data found.

       16     File looks Ok

       32     An error occurred during decoding of the file.

       64     File was successfully decoded.

NOTES

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

SEE ALSO

       uudeview(1), uuenview(1), uudecode(1), uuencode(1),
       The uudeview homepage on the Web,
       http://www.fpx.de/fp/Software/UUDeview/

                                            June 1996                                  XDEVIEW(1)