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30th Anniversary of First Kermit File Transfer 29 April 2011

Intertec Superbrain Microcomputer 30 years later Kermit started out as a project to make this microcomputer, an Intertec "Superbrain" CP/M-80 system with two 5¼-inch floppy diskettes and 32K of memory, act as a terminal to, and transfer files with, Columbia University's central DEC and IBM mainframe computers. The first successful file transfer took place on April 29, 1981. Shortly thereafter, Columbia students had access to Superbrains for getting their files off the mainframes and onto floppies, and from the floppies back to the mainframes. The reason this was necessary is described here. After the Superbrains were retired some years later, two of them were put in Watson Lab basement, which is not exactly a "clean room". One of them was brought back to life in 1991 for the final release of CP/M-80 Kermit, and then put back. In the ensuing 20 years it has partially disintegrated, even though it was wrapped in plastic. The other was in much worse shape and was discarded several years ago. Click for a larger view.

Kermit Project Canceled Effective 1 July 2011

See the announcement here. Kermit software and documentation remain available at the Kermit website and ftp archive, as always, but with changes described here. Briefly, over the next months Kermit software source code will be published with an Open Source license except for a few Kermit 95 source modules to which Columbia does not have publication rights. C-Kermit 9.0 will have an Open Source license, and E-Kermit will also be converted to Open Source. Kermit 95 executables and install packages will not be distributed in a free and open manner because they include strong encryption, whose export is controlled by the United States Government. For Kermit customers who cannot use open source licenses, and would like to continue to purchase copies of the software as they have previously, please contact techventures@columbia.edu and mention Kermit in the subject line. Technical support will not be available from Columbia University after 30 June 2011. The pages of the Kermit website will be updated during the remaining months to reflect the new support and licensing status of the Kermit software. See the Transition Roadmap (button just below) for the latest and most accurate information.

Cancellation announcement   Transition roadmap

The Kermit Project

As of 29 April 2011 the Kermit Project is 30 years old, initiated at Columbia in 1981 as a way to set up microcomputers as terminals to our central mainframes and allow files to be transferred reliably back and forth to so students could archive their files on floppy diskettes (read history here). Since then, as one of the world's first distributed volunteer-based software development projects, Kermit has evolved into an all-purpose cross-platform tool for transport-independent text-mode communication, file transfer and management, and automation. [Read more...]

Kermit software versions

All Kermit software programs are built around the Kermit File-Transfer Protocol designed at Columbia in 1981 and refined and extended over the years, which allows two software programs on each end of a communication connection to transfer both text and binary files correctly and completely [Read more...]  In addition, many Kermit programs also make connections over various communication media and act as a terminal. And in many cases they also include a built-in programming language to allow any communication procedure, any dialog, and any file-transfer or -management task to be fully automated.

The most popular Kermit programs are listed in the table below. Unless otherwise noted, all of these can make TCP/IP network connections (clear-text or secured by Kerberos IV, Kerberos V, or SSL/TLS), direct serial-port connections, and dialed modem connections, and can accept incoming connections of all these types. They can conduct interactive terminal sessions. They can transfer files with Kermit or FTP protocol. Those that can make Internet connections support the Telnet, Rlogin, FTP, and HTTP protocols unless otherwise noted. Their operation can be automated using the script programming language. And they can convert among a wide variety of text character sets in both terminal sessions and file transfer. [Read more...]

What is Kermit?   Kermit security methods   The Kermit script language   The Kermit FTP client

Program/Link Platform Description
Kermit 95
2.1.3
K95 retail shrinkwrap 		MS Windows, IBM OS/2 Since 1995. Supports all 32-bit versions of Microsoft Windows as well as OS/2 Warp. Runs on 64-bit Windows versions in 32-bit mode. Emulates over 40 different terminals including VT100, VT220, VT320, ANSI, HP, IBM, Linux Console, Sun Console, QNX, AT386, SCO ANSI, SNI 97801, Televideo, Wyse, and many others. Also supports XYZMODEM file transfer and SSH security in addition to Kerberos and SSL/TLS. As of 30 March 2011 the K95 manual is available online.
C-Kermit
8.0.211
Using C-Kermit, 2nd Ed. 		Unix, VMS, VOS, OS-9, AOS/VS, others Since 1985. Supports hundreds of 32-bit and 64-bit Unix varieties (Linux, Mac OS X, Solaris, AIX, HP-UX, FreeBSD, NetBSD, SCO, many others) as well as VMS on VAX, Alpha, and IA64. Older versions available for 16-bit Unix versions as well as for other operating systems including Stratus VOS, OS-9, AOS/VS, Atari ST, Commodore Amiga, and Apple Macintosh. The Unix version can make ssh connections using the external Unix SSH client, and has optional built-in support for SSL/TLS and Kerberos security. C-Kermit is also the basis for Kermit 95. Version 9.0 is in Alpha test.
MS-DOS Kermit
3.14, 3.15, 3.16
Using MS-DOS Kermit, 2nd Ed. 		MS-DOS, PC-DOS, Windows 3.x Since 1982. For DOS 2.0 or later and 16-bit Microsoft Windows versions through 3.11. Includes built-in TCP/IP stack. Emulates 15 terminals, including DEC VT100, 220, 320; Data General DASHER, Wyse50, ANSI text terminals as well as Tektronix and DG color graphics. Does not include encryption, TCP/IP supports Telnet only. Fits on a single diskette. Not for 32-bit or 64-bit Windows.
G-Kermit
1.00 		Unix Since 1999. Simple and fast Kermit protocol implementation written to satisfy the demand for a GPL Kermit file-transfer program for Unix. File transfer only, remote end only; no making connections, no terminal emulation, no scripting, no character-set conversion.
E-Kermit
1.6
E-Kermit for embedding 		(Any) Since 2004. Super-compact and efficient Kermit protocol code for embedding. File transfer only, no security, no making connections, no terminal emulation, no scripting, no character-set conversion. This is not a complete communication application, just a "subroutine" that executes the Kermit file transfer protocol suitable for embedding in other programs or in chips or devices. Source code now available.
IBM Mainframe Kermit
4.3.2
An IBM Card 		VM/CMS, MVS/TSO, OS/390, CICS, MUSIC Since 1982. Kermit file transfer for IBM mainframe operating systems. Far end only, no making connections, no terminal emulation. Extensive character-set conversion capabilities supporting many Country Encoded EBCDIC code pages.

There are hundreds of other Kermit programs, most of them for operating systems long forgotten — MULTICS, NOS, GCOS, MUMPS, RT-11, RSX-11, TOPS-10, TOPS-20, OS/8, MPE, CP/M-80, CP/M-86, iRMX-86, ISIS, PICK, UCSD p-System, Flex, IDRIS, Xelos, TISP, PRIMOS, Sperry VS9, Nonstop, TRSDOS, ... And some that are making a comeback on emulators that are much faster than the original machines. Some of these are listed here, and the rest can be found on the Kermit FTP site:

Link Description
ftp://kermit.columbia.edu/kermit/ The Kermit FTP archive accessed by FTP [help and troubleshooting]
http://kermit.columbia.edu/ftp/ The Kermit FTP archive accessed via HTTP (Web browser)

If time permits the FTP archive will be reorganized and catalogued for convenient Web access. The current organization dates from pre-Internet magnetic tape days (each directory holds what will fit on one tape).

Resources

Link Description
cancellation.html Announcement of the cancellation of the Kermit Project
transition.html Cancellation roadmap
kermit.html What is Kermit? Overview.
ckututor.html C-Kermit tutorial
k95tutor.html Kermit 95 tutorial
ckscripts.html The Kermit script language - tutorial and samples
ftpclient.html Kermit's secure scriptable FTP client
ftpscripts.html How to automate FTP sessions
security.html Internet security methods supported by Kermit software
FAQ Frequently asked questions
iksd.html The Internet Kermit service
manuals.html Kermit Books (published manuals)
biblio.html Kermit Bibliography
comp.protocols.kermit.misc The Kermit Newsgroup 1994-2011 (at Google Groups)
knews Kermit News Issues 1986-1994
support.html Kermit software technical support
csetnames.html Kermit character-set names
csettables.html Character-set tables
utf8 UTF-8 Unicode character-set sampler
em-apex Kermit Assists in Storm Tracking
nasa Kermit Supports NASA on the International Space Station
postal International Postal Addressing
timeline Columbia University Computing History 1754-2005

The Kermit Project / Columbia University / kermit@columbia.edu / 20 April 2011