UTF-EBCDIC encoding?

[Roy Smith]

In article <slrnku95jj.c0v.o at owen-marshall-4.local>,
 Owen Marshall <o at owenmarshall.invalid> wrote:

> On 2013-07-12, Joel Goldstick <joel.goldstick at gmail.com> wrote:
> > --047d7bdc8be492d67804e154c580 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
> >
> > On Fri, Jul 12, 2013 at 2:11 PM, Wayne Werner <wayne at waynewerner.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Is anyone aware of a UTF-EBCDIC[1] decoder?
> >>
> >> While Python does have a few EBCDIC dialects in the codecs, it does
> >> not have the (relatively new?) UTF-EBCDIC one.
> >>
> >> Additionally, if anyone is aware of a Python tool that can unpack a
> >> mainframe PDS file, that would also be worthwhile.
> >>
> >>
> >> Thanks, Wayne
> >>
> >> [1]:
> >> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/**UTF-EBCDIC<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UT
> >> F-EBCDIC>
> >> --
> >> http://mail.python.org/**mailman/listinfo/python-list<http://mail.python.or
> >> g/mailman/listinfo/python-list>
> >>
> >
> >
> > I can't help you.  I'm astonished.  Trying to imagine the work
> > environment where this technology would be necessary
> >
> 
> Ask any poor shmuck who has ever had to consume files created by the
> government -- especially stuff from the Social Security Administration
> -- and they'll tell horror stories about EBCDIC.
> 
> Typically I've seen ``iconv'' used for this task, so I'd love to see a
> native solution...

Unix command-line:

dd conv=ascii

or perhaps

dd conv=ascii,unblock cbs=80 ibs=80 if=/dev/cr of=/dev/lp (*)

(*) My dd-fu has tarnished with age.  Forgive me if I've munged the 
incantation somewhat.