Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site bu-cs.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!bu-cs!root From: root@bu-cs.UUCP (Barry Shein) Newsgroups: net.unix,net.unix-wizards Subject: Re: mail encryption/decryption Message-ID: <455@bu-cs.UUCP> Date: Mon, 1-Jul-85 20:55:20 EDT Article-I.D.: bu-cs.455 Posted: Mon Jul 1 20:55:20 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 5-Jul-85 04:01:47 EDT References: <518@dicomed.UUCP>, <142@whuts.UUCP> Organization: Boston Univ Comp. Sci. Lines: 19 Xref: watmath net.unix:4961 net.unix-wizards:13722 Re: Someone asked how to send encrypted mail, another pointed out the serious problem with sending non-printing characters an encryption program is likely to generate. See uuencode/uudecode, works wonderfully with mailed files, converts all non-printables into an encoded printable format (with a 2:3 expansion I believe), uudecode even strips the header (strips everything up to a magic little line uuencode put in.) It also keeps the records short (I think 45 chars by default) which is useful if you have to forward over some routes, especially BITNET spools, some of which will chop at 80 (punch spools ya know.) I even moved it to our IBM3081 to aid using SMTP as a 'poor person's FTP' (yes we have a license...geeez!) tho there are limits to ascii->ebcdic conversions. Note: regardless of the names uu(en/de)code have nothing directly to do with UUCP other than their origin [ie. works over any net], just handy UNIX tools. -Barry Shein, Boston University