megatron

1 29 Aug 2023 @NETATALK_VERSION@

megatron

unhex

unbin

unsingle

hqx2bin

single2bin

macbinary

binheader

nadheader

Macintosh file format transformer

          megatron

          sourcefile

          unbin

          sourcefile

          unhex

          sourcefile

          unsingle

          sourcefile

          hqx2bin

          sourcefile

          single2bin

          sourcefile

          macbinary

          sourcefile

          binheader

          sourcefile

          nadheader

          sourcefile

## Description

`megatron` is used to transform files from BinHex, MacBinary, AppleSingle, or netatalk style AppleDouble formats into MacBinary or netatalk style AppleDouble formats. The netatalk style AppleDouble format is the file format used by afpd, the netatalk Apple Filing Protocol (AppleShare) server. BinHex, MacBinary, and AppleSingle are commonly used formats for transferring Macintosh files between machines via email or file transfer protocols. `megatron` uses its name to determine what type of transformation is being asked of it.

If `megatron` is called as `unhex` , `unbin` or `unsingle`, it tries to convert file(s) from BinHex, MacBinary, or AppleSingle into AppleDouble format. BinHex is the format most often used to send Macintosh files by e-mail. Usually these files have an extension of ".hqx". MacBinary is the format most often used by terminal emulators "on the fly" when transferring Macintosh files in binary mode. MacBinary files often have an extension of ".bin". Some Macintosh LAN-based email packages use uuencoded AppleSingle format to "attach" or "enclose" files in email. AppleSingle files don't have a standard filename extension.

If `megatron` is called as `hqx2bin`, `single2bin`, or `macbinary`, it will try to convert the file(s) from BinHex, AppleSingle, or AppleDouble into MacBinary. This last translation may be useful in moving Macintosh files from your `afpd` server to some other machine when you can't copy them from the server using a Macintosh for some reason.

If `megatron` is called as `binheader` or `nadheader`, it will parse and print to stdout the headers of a MacBinary file, or the associated AppleDouble metadata, respectively.

If `megatron` is called with any other name, it uses the default translation, namely `unhex`.

If no source file is given, or if sourcefile is `-', and if the conversion is from a BinHex or MacBinary file, `megatron` will read from standard input.

The filename used to store any output file is the filename that is encoded in the source file. MacBinary files are created with a ".bin" extension. In the case of conflicts, the old file is overwritten!

## Options

`-v, --version`

- Show version.

## See Also

afpd

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