Base64 encoding?
Peter Granzeau
encoding. The problem in Eudora 7.1--and in previous versions I have
used in the past--is that for some reason, all of the carriage returns
appear to have been removed. No one else on the mailing list will admit
to having the same problem, and I have been advised to see if I can't
make Eudora accept and display "base 64" encoding properly.
1. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? I certainly don't.
2. Can anyone help me to fix what is wrong?
The symptom is that I get a solid jumble of paragraphs and lines;
evidently there are no carriage returns whatever in what I receive.
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Regards, Pete
pgra...@cox.net
John H Meyers
> On a certain mailing list, I see messages which I am told use "base 64"
> encoding. The problem in Eudora 7.1--and in previous versions I have
> used in the past--is that for some reason, all of the carriage returns
> appear to have been removed. No one else on the mailing list will admit
> to having the same problem, and I have been advised to see if I can't
> make Eudora accept and display "base 64" encoding properly.
> 1. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? I certainly don't.
"base64" encoding sends data without altering a single bit of the original,
no matter what the original contains. Explained here in detail:
http://www.securitystats.com/tools/base64.php
> 2. Can anyone help me to fix what is wrong?
Not if it happens to be on the sender's side :)
It is not possible for any data encoded in base64 to get decoded incorrectly,
in such a way that carriage returns could disappear from the middle
of otherwise correct text.
Therefore, base64 decoding is not the culprit here,
even if for some reason you were sent any text encoded in base64
(which is completely unnecessary -- only binary files need base64 encoding!)
> The symptom is that I get a solid jumble of paragraphs and lines;
> evidently there are no carriage returns whatever in what I receive.
Are you talking about receiving a solid jumble of unintelligible lines
(of equal length), or about material which you can read just fine,
except that the line endings are wrong, so that the lines run together?
I'd wager that you would get the correct message if the sender
would _stop_ using base64 encoding for plain text,
because it's the use of base64 which allows someone
to send you text that happens to be missing all the carriage returns!
A complete original message, before it ever gets to Eudora -- that is,
as it appears on your POP server, without being interpreted in any way,
would no doubt clarify what's being sent, which would help to understand this.
If you don't have a "webmail" with a "view source" or "view original" function,
then this webmail does have a "view source" for any individual message:
Gmail also has a "view source" for any received message,
if you are able to get the same material sent directly to a Gmail address.
You can copy and send me a complete message source (with all headers,
including the MIME headers and the "base64" encoded stuff), if you wish.
Replace my entire invalid domain with hotpop (not hotmail) dotcom.
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