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base64 on Linux: Encode and Decode Strings and Files

· dinesh
base64 command linux - custom-base64-featured.png

base64 on Linux encodes binary as ASCII — searched for Kubernetes secrets, JSON payloads, quick Basic-auth headers, and copying short blobs through chat without corruption.

See: curl POST JSON,
jq,
tee.

Encode stdin

Default wraps lines — use -w0 on GNU for one-line output.

bashencode
echo -n 'hello' | base64
printf 'user:pass' | base64 -w0
base64
encode

Decode

-d (or --decode) returns original bytes.

bashdecode
echo 'aGVsbG8=' | base64 -d
base64 -d
decode

Files

Encode certificates or small binaries for transfer.

bashfile
base64 -w0 image.png > image.b64
file
encode

Not encryption

Anyone can decode base64 — treat as encoding only.

WarningFor real secrets use vault tools or sealed secrets — never rely on base64 alone.
secrets
warn

Quick Reference

  • Encode: base64
  • One line: base64 -w0
  • Decode: base64 -d

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