ascii-xfr - Linux

Overview

ascii-xfr is a multiplatform utility for text transfer, specifically designed to convert binary files into ASCII text representations suitable for transmission over non-binary channels. This makes it an ideal tool for situations where traditional file transmission methods are impractical or unavailable.

Syntax

ascii-xfr [options] [file/directory]

Options/Flags

  • -h, –help: Displays help information about the command.
  • -v, –verbose: Enables verbose output, providing additional details during the conversion process.
  • -r, –recurse: Recursively converts files in subdirectories.
  • -o, –output: Specifies the output directory for converted files.
  • -e, –exclude: Excludes files matching a specified pattern from conversion.

Examples

Basic file conversion:

ascii-xfr myfile.bin

Converting multiple files in a directory:

ascii-xfr -r documents/

Customizing the output directory:

ascii-xfr -o converted-files myfile.bin

Excluding specific file types:

ascii-xfr -e ".log" directory/

Common Issues

  • Unsupported file formats: ascii-xfr may not be compatible with all file formats.
  • Large files: Conversion of very large files can be time-consuming.
  • Whitespace characters: The conversion process may introduce additional whitespace characters in the output files.

Integration

ascii-xfr can be integrated with other Linux commands to enhance its functionality. For instance:

cat file.txt | ascii-xfr -

This command converts the contents of file.txt to ASCII text and displays the result on the terminal.

Related Commands

  • base64: Converts binary data to ASCII representation using base64 encoding.
  • uuencode: Encodes binary data into an ASCII-printable format.
  • xxd: Converts binary data to hexadecimal or ASCII representation.