How to handle MIME format mail messages arriving on VMS or Unix
							JMB, 3/20/98

	MIME format mail messages are the normal mode of mail from mailers
like Eudora and many pc mail packages.  These allow inclusion of graphics
or other format files, such as Microsoft Word or Excel files as part of
a mail message.  VMS mail and most Unix mailers do not understand the MIME 
formatting, usually giving us some mail text and one or more large sections 
of apparent gibberish.  On Unix, the Pine mailer understands MIME encoding.  
There is also the MediaMail package that runs on SGIs.  

	If you get MIME mail on VMS or Unix with a mailer other than Pine
or MediaMail, you can get the file converted with the help of your Mac or
on one of our Unix systems.  First, save the full mail message to an 
external file (Extract in VMS mail).  

Then for Mac conversion, ftp the message to your Mac with Fetch.  
Then use the File Converters (File Converters folder) on the Mac_on_VAX 
file server to convert them; see HELPND MAConVAX.  First open Mpack and 
in its File menu select "decode" and select the mail message.  It will 
extract the included graphics (or whatever it is) into one or more files, 
offering you the option to name it anything you want.  Then close Mpack.  
If the included file is a Word or Excel file, you may now open it there.
For graphics, open the GraphicConverter application and in its File menu 
open the graphics file created by Mpack.  GraphicConverter will display 
the image.  Then you can print the file or save it into some other format 
by selecting what you want under the File menu.  This graphics file may 
then be transferred back to VMS or Unix, if desired.

For conversion on Unix, ftp the file to your /u6 space, if it is not already
there.  Then execute:

> mimencode -u input-file.name output-file.name

Mimencode is in /usr/local/bin on the IBMs and on the SGIs.