{
    "mode": "man",
    "parameter": "MUNPACK",
    "section": "1",
    "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/MUNPACK/1/json",
    "generated": "2026-11-11T17:02:40Z",
    "synopsis": "munpack [ -f ] [ -q ] [ -t ] [ -r character ] [ -C directory ] [ filename ...  ]",
    "sections": {
        "NAME": {
            "content": "munpack - unpack messages in MIME or split-uuencode format\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SYNOPSIS": {
            "content": "munpack [ -f ] [ -q ] [ -t ] [ -r character ] [ -C directory ] [ filename ...  ]\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "DESCRIPTION": {
            "content": "The munpack program reads each RFC-822 message filename and writes all non-text MIME parts or\nsplit-uuencoded  files  as files.  If no filename argument is given, munpack reads from stan‐\ndard input.\n\nIf the message suggests a file name to use for the imbedded part, that name is cleaned of po‐\ntential problem characters and used for the output file.  If the suggested filename  includes\nsubdirectories,  they  will  be created as necessary.  If the message does not suggest a file\nname, the names \"part1\", \"part2\", etc are used in sequence.\n\nIf the imbedded part was preceded with textual information, that information is also  written\nto  a file.  The file is named the same as the imbedded part, with any filename extension re‐\nplaced with \".desc\".\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "OPTIONS": {
            "content": "",
            "subsections": [
                {
                    "name": "-f",
                    "content": "file, the file will be overwritten.  Without this flag, munpack  appends  \".1\",  \".2\",\netc to find a nonexistent file.\n",
                    "flag": "-f"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-q",
                    "content": "no interesting information.\n",
                    "flag": "-q"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-t",
                    "content": "that do not have a filename parameter do not get unpacked.   This  option  effectively\ndisables the \".desc\" file feature for MIME messages.\n",
                    "flag": "-t"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-r",
                    "content": "If  the  suggested  filename  contains invalid characters, they are replaced with this\ncharacter. The default replacement character is \"X\".\n",
                    "flag": "-r"
                },
                {
                    "name": "-C",
                    "content": "Change the current directory to directory before reading any files.   This  is  useful\nwhen invoking munpack from a mail or news reader.\n",
                    "flag": "-C"
                }
            ]
        },
        "DECODING MIME": {
            "content": "To  decode a MIME message, first save it to a text file.  If possible, save it with all head‐\ners included.  Munpack can decode some MIME files when the headers are missing or incomplete,\nother files it cannot decode without having the information in the headers.  In general, mes‐\nsages which have a statement at the beginning that they are in MIME  format  can  be  decoded\nwithout  the  headers.   Messages which have been split into multiple parts generally require\nall headers in order to be reassembled and decoded.\n\nSome LAN-based mail systems and some mail providers (including  America  Online,  as  of  the\nwriting  of this document) place the mail headers at the bottom of the message, instead of at\nthe top of the message.  If you are having problems decoding a MIME message on such a system,\nyou need to convert the mail back into the standard format by removing the system's  nonstan‐\ndard  headers  and  moving the standard Internet headers at the top of the message (separated\nfrom the message body with a blank line).\n\nThere must be exactly one message per file.  Munpack cannot deal with multiple messages in  a\nsingle  file,  to decode things correctly it must know when one message ends and the next one\nbegins.\n\nTo decode a message, run the command:\n\nmunpack file\n\nwhere \"file\" is the name of the file containing the message.  More than one filename  may  be\nspecified, munpack will try to decode the message in each file.  For more information on ways\nto run munpack, see the section \"OPTIONS\" above.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "ENVIRONMENT": {
            "content": "TMPDIR Directory to store temporary files.  Default is /tmp.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "FILES": {
            "content": "",
            "subsections": [
                {
                    "name": "$TMPDIR/m-prts-$USER/",
                    "content": "Directory used to store partial messages awaiting reassembly.\n"
                }
            ]
        },
        "REPORTING BUGS": {
            "content": "Send all bug reports to mpack-bugs@andrew.cmu.edu.\n\nMUNPACK(1)",
            "subsections": []
        }
    },
    "summary": "munpack - unpack messages in MIME or split-uuencode format",
    "flags": [
        {
            "flag": "-f",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "file, the file will be overwritten. Without this flag, munpack appends \".1\", \".2\", etc to find a nonexistent file."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-q",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "no interesting information."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-t",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "that do not have a filename parameter do not get unpacked. This option effectively disables the \".desc\" file feature for MIME messages."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-r",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "If the suggested filename contains invalid characters, they are replaced with this character. The default replacement character is \"X\"."
        },
        {
            "flag": "-C",
            "long": null,
            "arg": null,
            "description": "Change the current directory to directory before reading any files. This is useful when invoking munpack from a mail or news reader."
        }
    ],
    "examples": [],
    "see_also": []
}