From: kent landfield (kent@hypermail.org)
Date: Fri Feb 28 2003 - 08:47:36 CST
ronnie rephan writes:
>
> So, what is the fix?
>
> Ronnie
What is the fix to what ? Octet-stream ? Why did you mail this question
here ? For whatever reason it seems that Apple users ask this question
Am I wrong ? If it is documented somewhere to ask the hypermail list I'd
like to know so I can get that incorrect reference removed. Thanks.
Additionally, it is best to read the FAQs written and supplied to the
general public before asking questions on a public list. The Questions
are not just listed in the FAQs, they have answers with them.
Because for some unknown reason we get this question regularly, we have
listed it in the FAQ...
The Hypermail FAQ states:
-------------------
I have received an email with attachment that needs octet-stream. What should I do?
No attachment "needs" octet-stream. octet-stream is a label that describes
the attachment as being "a stream of octets". What is that you say? Well, the
application didn't know any more specifics and thus it identified it as good
as possible. It knows it is a stream of octets, nothing else.
So, an attachment coming as "octet-stream" can be pretty much ANYTHING. You
have no idea, and neither does anyone else. The only way to figure out is to
download the file and see for yourself, ask the person who mailed it or to
hope that the mail it came with describes what the attachment was about.
"octet-stream" could just as well be named "I haven't got the slightest idea
what this is, but I know it is built up with a series of bytes".
-------------
Take a look at the RFCs and search on octet-stream and get an 'official'
definition...
-- Kent Landfield | HYPERMAIL: http://www.hypermail.org/ Email: kent@hypermail.org | RFCS: http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/