Converting incoming mail from HTML to all plain text

n1uro · 07-25-2016, 06:03 PM

I've been trying to come up with a simple solution to convert ALL incoming HTML based mail (evil!) to plain text. I would assume something along the lines of a good .procmailrc would do calling html2text but I haven't been able to figure out a good recipe for it yet.

Any suggestions would be most welcomed and appreciated.

frankbell · 07-25-2016, 08:53 PM

Is this for your personal use?

If so, you might consider using a text client, such as Mutt, or the GUI Claws mail client, which defaults to displaying mail in plain text (in other words, it ignores the HTML). You can get a plugin that will display--not send--properly formatted HTML if it's one of those few emails that you decide you wish to view in HTML.

A web search for "linux strip html from email" turns up a number of links about this. You might find one of them useful.

n1uro · 07-25-2016, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankbell

Is this for your personal use?

If so, you might consider using a text client, such as Mutt, or the GUI Claws mail client, which defaults to displaying mail in plain text (in other words, it ignores the HTML). You can get a plugin that will display--not send--properly formatted HTML if it's one of those few emails that you decide you wish to view in HTML.

A web search for "linux strip html from email" turns up a number of links about this. You might find one of them useful.

Thanks for responding but I think you don't fully understand the scenario.
This would be for ax25 based mail importing tcp/ip based mail. My client uses a simple dumb terminal on shortwave radio or VHF based FM radio. Shell access or clients such as Mutt and especially a GUI on a dumb terminal are not options. The issue is an incoming HTML based mail can't not be read cleanly on a dumb terminal. I'm thinking a .procmailrc file may do the trick.

frankbell · 07-25-2016, 09:33 PM

Note the question that prefaced my response:

Quote:

Is this for your personal use?

The information that you just posted would have been useful in your initial question. I'm sure that it will help others offer more useful suggestions than did I in subsequent replies.

n1uro · 07-25-2016, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankbell

Note the question that prefaced my response:
The information that you just posted would have been useful in your initial question. I'm sure that it will help others offer more useful suggestions than did I in subsequent replies.

I know it would have been useful, however I didn't want environment to bias a response. Clearly environment has. Nothing I've searched has been able to do whats needed unfortunately. I can't believe how SMTP has been so destroyed over the years (thanks B.G!)

Elizine · 07-27-2016, 05:40 AM

You can set the default format for clients to html. You cannot change the format of a text message to html.

n1uro · 07-27-2016, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elizine

You can set the default format for clients to html. You cannot change the format of a text message to html.

Thanks for the response, however I'm trying to do just the opposite for incoming mail. I don't wish HTML code on a dumb terminal when reading.