2.9 FTP and Binary Files via www4mail

If you use www4mail to retrieve, for example, image files (extensions `.jpg', `.gif'), software (extensions `.tar', `hqx'), files in Word (extension `.doc') or WordPerfect (extension `.wp'), or files which have been compressed (extensions `.gz', `Z'), then www4mail will send you such files as an attachment.

For example, if you send an e-mail

To: www4mail@wm.ictp.trieste.it Subject: (... whatever you like) ftp://ftp.andrew.cmu.edu/pub/mpack/mpack15d.zip or http://www.ictp.trieste.it/images/ProfSalam.gif

You will receive a binary message as BASE64 MIME file-attachment by default. There also exists the possibility of uuencoding binary files using UUENCODE option upon request -See section 2.4.5 uuencoding Messages.

Please note that

• there are limits on the number of bytes that www4mail will send you! -see section 2.4.2 Automatic Splitting of Messages.

  If a message is larger than 300 kilobytes (300kb), www4mail will automatically split it into two or more 300kb files, and send each file as a separate message. If this is the case, you will need to rebuild the original file by attaching the single parts in one file only. A suitable application or command can be used to combine all chunks (on UNIX use: cat file.1 file.2 file.3 > file and on DOS use: copy /b file.1+file.2+file.3 file).

• Your quota will considerably vary when requesting binary files! -see section 2.5 www4mail Quota Limits.