“mailcap application/msword antiword”
Mailcap file (usually /etc/mailcap or ~/.mailcap) is the file, which is used by many email clients. This file specifies how application, such as email client, should handle a certain type of file (usually attachment). If mailcap contains the line which looks like application/msword; antiword %s , then programs, which respect (either use) this file, will run program called antiword, giving it current file as a parameter. Antiword is a program which converts Microsoft Word files into plain text, therefor makes them readable without using any Graphical User Interface (GUI). Antiword can be downloaded from the site of it’s author.