[NTLUG:Discuss] OT attachments to email

[Leroy Tennison]

Fred James wrote:

> All
> This a bit off topic, but it does start with Unix.  The question 
> first, and then the details for those who are interested.
>
> Question:
> From a Unix system, I need to send script generated email to a list of 
> addresses with an attachment.  The recipients are a mixed bag - PC and 
> MAC users, and some use Notes as their mail client.  As detailed 
> below, the result for some MAC/Notes user is less than satisfactory 
> when I use 'uuencode'.  Can anyone suggest another route, or some 
> documentation, please?  Or is this just a hopeless case of 
> non-interoperability?
>
> Thank you in advance for any help you may be able to offer
> Regards
> Fred James
>
> Details:
> (1) I am generating a message and sending it to a list, with an 
> attachment which happens to be a Word document (that's what I was 
> given to send).
> (2) The message is generated on a Unix box (IRIX 6.5) by a BASH 
> script, and sent out using 'mailx' which on IRIX supports the tilde 
> escapes (such as ~| ~rt ~s).
> (3) The first line in the text file that is sent with the command 'cat 
> filename | mailx address' is '~|/usr/bsd/uuencode /localpath/filename 
> remote_filename'
>
> The results have been very good with the '*.doc' file, whether gzip'd 
> or not, except there is a 'gotcha' for some users.
>
> The corporation encourages (mandates for some) the use of Lotus Notes, 
> and so some folks receive their email through Notes.  That's OK for 
> most folks, especially those on a PC running some version of Windows.  
> The problem comes with MACs, where when using the method outlined 
> above they receive the attachment as an ASCII text block that is part 
> of the message body - that is ugly.
>
> If I use the command line 'uuencode localpath/filename remote_filename 
> | mailx -s "subject line" address', the MAC/Notes user gets an 
> attachment that can be saved and opened successfully through MS Word.  
> But it the icon indicates that the file isn't recognized as a MS Word 
> document (and all that that means to the user).
>
> Side Note:  A PC/Notes user who received the original 
> message/attachment successfully, can then forward that same bundle to 
> a MAC/Notes user who does then receive and open the forwarded 
> message/attachment successfully - go figure.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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>
One idea since you mentioned that the forward of your email from Windows 
to MAC worked.  Have the MAC user forward it back to you so that you can 
examine the headers and find out what Windows is doing.  You might be 
able to emulate it.