GNU bug report logs - #66265
Make padding optional with base64

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Package: coreutils;

Reported by: Paul Millar <paul.millar <at> desy.de>

Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2023 13:14:02 UTC

Severity: normal

Done: Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigBrady.com>

Bug is archived. No further changes may be made.

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From: help-debbugs <at> gnu.org (GNU bug Tracking System)
To: Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigBrady.com>
Cc: tracker <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: bug#66265: closed (Make padding optional with base64)
Date: Sat, 07 Oct 2023 14:01:02 +0000
[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]
Your message dated Sat, 7 Oct 2023 15:00:31 +0100
with message-id <f4af6f20-62b4-05cd-9fd2-a76fbd492dec <at> draigBrady.com>
and subject line Re: bug#66265: Make padding optional with base64
has caused the debbugs.gnu.org bug report #66265,
regarding Make padding optional with base64
to be marked as done.

(If you believe you have received this mail in error, please contact
help-debbugs <at> gnu.org.)


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[Message part 2 (message/rfc822, inline)]
From: Paul Millar <paul.millar <at> desy.de>
To: bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org
Subject: Make padding optional with base64
Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2023 11:46:18 +0200
Hi,

RFC 4648 says[1]:
>   In some circumstances, the use of padding ("=") in base-encoded data
>   is not required or used.

Currently, the 'base64' application always includes the padding when 
encoding, and prints an warning/error message (on stderr) if padding is 
omitted when decoding.  Decoding is nonetheless successful (the correct 
data is emitted on stdout) if the base64-encoded data omits the padding.

I think the base64 application should be updated to support 
base64-encoded data without padding.

My suggestion would be to add an option to base64 to control whether 
padding is added when encoding.  For decoding, it might make sense to 
add an option to control whether padding is expected.

(although, other approaches might be possible)

Cheers,
Paul.

[1] https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc4648#section-3.2


[Message part 3 (message/rfc822, inline)]
From: Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigBrady.com>
To: Paul Millar <paul.millar <at> desy.de>, 66265-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#66265: Make padding optional with base64
Date: Sat, 7 Oct 2023 15:00:31 +0100
Pushed.

Marking this as done.

cheers,
Pádraig


This bug report was last modified 1 year and 286 days ago.

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