TNEF(1)TNEF(1)NAMEtnef - decode Microsoft's Transport Neutral Encapsulaton Format
SYNOPSIStnef [options] [FILE]
tnef {--help | --version}
DESCRIPTION
This manual page documents the tnef filter. tnef decodes
e-mail attachments encoded in Microsoft's Transport Neu
tral Encapsulation Format (hereafter, TNEF), which "wraps"
Microsoft e-mail messages composed in Rich Text Format
(RTF).
Unfortunately, RTF-rendered attachments are inaccessible
to any e-mail client that does not understand TNEF. For_
tunately, the tnef filter can be used by any MIME-aware
client to decode these attachments.
OPTIONS-C DIR, --directory=DIR
unpack file attachments into DIR.
-f FILE, --file=FILE
use FILE as input ('-' denotes stdin). When this
option is omitted, tnef reads data from stdin.
--number-backups
when extracting attachments, if file FOO will be
overwritten, create FOO.1 instead.
--overwrite
when extracting attachments, overwrite existing
files.
-t, --list
list attached files, do not extract.
--use-paths
honor file pathnames specifieid in the TNEF attach
ment. For security reasons, paths to attached
files are ignored by default.
-w, --interactive, --confirmation
ask for confirmation for every action.
--debug
enable debug output.
-v, --verbose
produce verbose output.
Filter TNEF MIME Decoder 1
TNEF(1)TNEF(1)EXAMPLE
The following example demonstrates typical tnef usage with
a popular Unix mail client called "mutt".
Step 1 -- Configure ~/.mailcap
Mutt can't use tnef for its intended purpose until an
appropriate content type definition exists in ~/.mailcap .
Here's a sample definition:
application/ms-tnef; tnef-w %s
This mailcap entry says that whenever the MIME content
type:
application/ms-tnef
is encountered, use this command to decode it:
tnef-w %s
The latter command string invokes tnef, specifying both
the -w option and the attachment (created as a temporary
file) as command line arguments.
Step 2 -- Add The Filter To $PATH
Mutt can't invoke tnef if the filter isn't accessible via
$PATH.
Step 3 -- Test Mutt
Use mutt to read a message that includes a TNEF attach
ment. Mutt will note that an attachment of type "applica
tion/ms-tnef is unsupported".
Press the "v" key to open mutt's "view attachment" menu.
Move the cursor over the TNEF attachment and press the
enter key to "view" the attachment. Mutt will launch tnef
and invoke it using the command line syntax specified in
~/.mailcap (step 1). tnef then decodes all file(s)
included in the TNEF attachment, prompting for confirma
tion prior to creating an individual file (refer to -w
option above). -w is useful here because it gives the end
user a chance to view the filename(s) included in the mail
message.
Note that Mutt's attachment menu also supports a pipe
option, which permits the user to pipe attachments to an
external filter (how convenient). So, to list the con
tents of a TNEF attachment prior to decoding it, press the
"|" key and enter this command:
tnef-t
Filter TNEF MIME Decoder 2
TNEF(1)TNEF(1)SEE ALSOmetamail(1), mailcap(4), mutt(1), other email clients.
AUTHOR
Mark Simpson.
REPORTING BUGS
Report bugs to Mark Simpson <damned@world.std.com> .
OTHER REFERENCES
This web page:
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q136/2/04.asp
describes how to configure Microsoft email clients so that
the TNEF format is disabled when sending messages to non-
TNEF-compatible clients.
Filter TNEF MIME Decoder 3
