# man > uudecode(1) > **TLDR:** Decode files encoded by `uuencode`. > - Decode a file that was encoded with `uuencode` and print the result to `stdout`: `uudecode {{path/to/encoded_file}}` - Decode a file that was encoded with `uuencode` and write the result to a file: `uudecode -o {{path/to/decoded_file}} {{path/to/encoded_file}}` *Source: tldr-pages* --- [uudecode(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/uudecode/1/markdown) User Commands [uudecode(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/uudecode/1/markdown) ## NAME **uudecode** - decode an encoded file ## SYNOPSIS **uudecode** [**-flags**] [**-flag** [_value_]] [**--option-name**[[=| ]_value_]] [...] If no _file_(s) are provided, then standard input is decoded. ## DESCRIPTION _uudecode_ transforms uuencoded files into their original form. The encoded file(s) may be specified on the command line, or one may be read from standard input. The output file name is specified in the encoded file, but may be overridden with the ### -o are not retained. If the output file is specified to be _/dev/stdout_ or _-_, the result will be written to standard output. If there are multiple input files and the second or subsquent file specifies standard output, the decoded data will be written to the same file as the pre‐ vious output. Don't do that. _uudecode_ ignores any leading and trailing lines. It looks for a line that starts with "**be**‐‐ **gin**" and proceeds until the end-of-encoding marker is found. The program determines from the header line of the encoded file which of the two supported encoding schemes was used and whether or not the output file name has been encoded with base64 encoding. See [_uuencode(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/uuencode/5/markdown)_. ## OPTIONS ### -o --output-file direct output to _file_. If specified, decoded data are written to this file. When multiple inputs are speci‐ fied on the command line, this option cannot be specified. All decoded data must be written to the file name encoded in the data. ### -c --ignore-chmod ignore [**fchmod(3P)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/fchmod/3P/markdown)** errors. By default, if the output file permissions cannot be changed to the permissions speci‐ fied in the encoded data, the file will not be written out and execution stops. This option will cause that error to be ignored. The resulting file will have all the data, but the incorrect mode settings. **fchmod()** errors are also ignored if **POSIXLY**___**CORRECT** is set in the environment. RE: _ A warning is always emitted when **fchmod()** fails. ### -h --help Display usage information and exit. **-!**, **--more-help** Pass the extended usage information through a pager. ### -R --save-opts Save the option state to _cfgfile_. The default is the _last_ configuration file listed in the **OPTION** **PRESETS** section, below. The command will exit after updating the config file. ### -r --load-opts --no-load-opts Load options from _cfgfile_. The _no-load-opts_ form will disable the loading of earlier config/rc/ini files. _--no-load-opts_ is handled early, out of order. ### -v --version Output version of program and exit. The default mode is `v', a simple version. The `c' mode will print copyright information and `n' will print the full copyright no‐ tice. ## OPTION PRESETS Any option that is not marked as _not_ _presettable_ may be preset by loading values from config‐ uration ("RC" or ".INI") file(s). The file "_$HOME/.sharrc_" will be used, if present. ## STANDARDS This implementation is compliant with P1003.2b/D11. ## FILES See **OPTION** **PRESETS** for configuration files. ## EXIT STATUS One of the following exit values will be returned: 0 (EXIT_SUCCESS) Successful program execution. 1 (EXIT_OPTION_ERROR) The command options were misconfigured. 2 (EXIT_INVALID) (warning) One or more input files contained no valid data 4 (EXIT_NO_INPUT) (warning) The specified input file was not found 8 (EXIT_NO_OUTPUT) The specified output file could not be created (error); or else one of the output files could not be written or its access mode could not be changed (warnings). The accompanying message(s) will distinguish. 9 (EXIT_NO_MEM) No process memory available 66 (EX_NOINPUT) A specified configuration file could not be loaded. 70 (EX_SOFTWARE) libopts had an internal operational error. Please report it to autogen- . Thank you. The exit status codes are (mostly) warning codes. As such, each code is "or"-ed into the final exit code as the input files are processed. For example, an exit code of '6' is not listed above. It is the sum of **EXIT**___**INVALID** and **EXIT**___**NO**___**INPUT**. It would mean that at least one input file contained invalid data and also at least one input file could not be found at all. ## SEE ALSO [uuencode(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/uuencode/1/markdown), [uuencode(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/uuencode/5/markdown) ## AUTHORS Free Software Foundation, Inc. ## COPYRIGHT Copyright (C) 1994-2015 Free Software Foundation, Inc. all rights reserved. This program is released under the terms of the GNU General Public License, version 3 or later. ## BUGS Please put **sharutils** in the subject line for emailed bug reports. It helps to spot the mes‐ sage. If more than one _name_ in the encoded files are the same, or if the second or following input files specifies standard output for the output file, then the result is probably not what is expected. Specifically, standard output will be appended to and named output files will be replaced. Please send bug reports to: ## NOTES This manual page was _AutoGen_-erated from the **uudecode** option definitions. GNU sharutils (4.15.2) 30 May 2015 [uudecode(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/uudecode/1/markdown)