Columbia University Kermit 95 Site-License Download



This page last updated: Mon May 15 12:35:03 2006

UPDATE (Fall 2005)
Kermit 95 is a full-featured SSH client for Cunix, but due to recent changes on Cunix, you must take some extra steps to use it:

  1. Tell Kermit 95 to SET SSH COMPRESSION OFF. The new SSH server on Cunix uses a different form of compression than the previous SSH server.
  2. You might have to tell Kermit 95 to SET TERMINAL TYPE VT220. Kermit's default terminal type is VT320, but this disappeared from Cunix a while back. It might have been put back (but then it might disappear again). In case you see messages to the effect that VT320 is an "unknown terminal type", switch to VT220. (You can also do this in the K95 toolbar, but the change won't be permanent.)
  3. You might also have to change Kermit 95's character set from LATIN1 to CP1252, to avoid having your session hung when viewing text originating from Microsoft Windows (CLICK HERE for a discussion).

You can make these changes in the Cunix SSH entry of the K95 Dialer, or you can add them to your K95CUSTOM.INI file, or you can type them at the prompt. An even easier way is to create a plain-text file on your PC called CUNIX.KSC, containing:

SET SSH COMPRESSION OFF
SET TERMINAL TYPE VT220
SET TERM CHARACTER-SET CP1252
SSH CUNIX /USER:yourcunixusername

Save this file on your desktop and then doubleclick on it any time you want to make a terminal connection to Cunix. (Of course you can add any other commands you like, such as "set terminal height 52" to get a taller screen.)

Kermit 95 also can make Telnet connections secured by either Kerberos or SSL/TLS but Cunix no longer supports these methods (Kerberos Telnet access was turned off in August 2005).


Kermit 95 2.1.3, released January 2003, runs in a GUI (Graphical User Interface) window and includes a brand-new SSH v1/v2 client and an all-new secure, scriptable FTP client, as well as a Kerberos V Telnet client, all preconfigured for safe, secure connections to Columbia's secure Cunix servers. All Columbia students, faculty, and staff may download the new release from this page.


QUICK START

  1. Go to DOWNLOAD below and download Kermit 95.
  2. When the download is complete choose "Open". This starts the installation procedure.
  3. Choose all defaults (click OK, Yes, and/or Next a bunch of times).
  4. When done you might have to press F5 to refresh the desktop.
  5. Double-Click on the K95 Dialer Icon.
  6. Double-Click on the "Cunix via SSH" entry.
  7. Type your username in the "Name" dialog box.
  8. Type your Cunix password in the "Password" dialog box.

Now you have a secure, encrypted SSH V2 terminal session to Cunix. When you logout from Cunix, your session is closed automatically.

If you want to make a desktop shortcut for your Cunix SSH connection:

  1. Start the K95 Dialer.
  2. Single-Click (highlight) the "Cunix via SSH" entry.
  3. Click the Shortcut button on the Dialer Toolbar.
  4. Now you have a "Cunix via SSH" icon on your desktop.

Double-click on the new icon any time you want to start an SSH session to Cunix.

If you'd like to read a tutorial on Kermit 95, CLICK HERE.

If you have questions or problems, send email to: kermit-support@columbia.edu.


CONTENTS


Introduction

Kermit 95 is Columbia University's own secure communications software for Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP on Intel and compatible PC platforms, supporting both serial connections (dialed or direct) and network connections (SSH, Telnet, FTP, and Rlogin), and offering terminal emulation, file transfer, and international character-set translation, plus the ability to automate any procedures that can be done by hand using its built-in scripting language, which is compatible with that of C-Kermit and MS-DOS Kermit. The major new features of version 2.0 are its GUI features, SSH client, and FTP client,

You can use Kermit 95 to access shell (text-based) accounts such as those on our Cunix servers for email (with Pine, MM, VMM), news reading and posting (with Slrn, Pine), text editing (with EMACS, Pico, VI, EDT, Xedit), programming (in C, C++, Java, Perl, LISP, Fortran, shell, Kermit, or other languages), typesetting (with TeX, LaTeX, Scribe, Troff), data analysis (with SAS, SPSS, Minitab, S-Plus, Stata), or any other text-based activity. Kermit 95 can access these and other resources via:

While accessing these hosts and services, K95 automatically highlights URLs so you can conveniently Ctrl-Click them to activate them in your Web browser.

Kermit 95 is a product of The Kermit Project, Academic Information Systems, Columbia University. Of course all students, faculty, and staff of Columbia University are licensed to use it. This web page allows you to download Kermit 95 to any computer on the Columbia network, including the Morningside Campus, the Health Sciences Campus, the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Barnard College, and Teachers College.

For file transfer, Kermit 95 works in conjunction with C-Kermit, which is available on our Unix servers (Cunix) as "kermit", and should also be available on most departmental Unix and VMS systems (and if not, may be downloaded and installed).

The Kermit 95 software you will be downloading is preregistered and preconfigured for Columbia University. The Dialing Directory contains the Columbia University dialup numbers, and various Columbia dialup and Telnet targets are included in the Dialer menu. You may use this software on campus, at home, or from a laptop while traveling. You may not furnish copies of it to people who are not students, faculty, or staff of Columbia, TC, or Barnard, nor may you place it on any server that is publicly accessible from outside Columbia, or redistribute in any other fashion.

For an overview of Kermit 95, see:

For a Kermit 95 tutorial, see:

For a discussion of safe computing, see:


UPGRADE

If you already have version 2.1, you can upgrade it to 2.1.3 as explained in this section. If you have an earlier version (or don't have K95 at all) we recommend that you install the whole package (next section) in order to get the new Columbia-specific security certificates and host keys, which are not included in the general-purpose non-Columbia-specific upgrade package. The sizes and procedures are about the same in either case.

Should you prefer to upgrade, you can CLICK HERE to obtain the upgrade. After you go through the export control pages, download the "USA and Canada" version, then run it to install the upgrade. It won't interfere with your current customizations.


NEW OR REPLACEMENT INSTALLATION

To install K95 2.1.3 as a new application:
  1. Click the button . . .
    to download the K95 2.1.3 install package (approximately 11MB). Specify any existing temporary directory on your hard disk (e.g. C:\TMP) as the target.

  2. Close all your applications.
  3. Uninstall your current Kermit 95 version:
    My Computer → Control Panel → Add or Remove Programs → Kermit 95 x.x → Remove.
    Note that removing your previous K95 version does not remove your customizations.
  4. Restart your PC. This is necessary if you have used Kermit 95 since the last time you started Windows.
  5. Execute the install package (k95cu.exe). You can run it in any of the normal ways:

    • Your browser might give you an option to run it in its download dialog; or:
    • Double-click on its desktop icon; or:
    • Choose Run in the Start menu; or:
    • Enter a Command window, CD to the temporary directory, and type "k95cu".

Running k95cu.exe starts the InstallShield procedure. Just follow its instructions. Skip everything to do with Kerberos because Kerberos logins are no longer allowed.


Documentation

Kermit 95 documentation consists of:

You can also find the supplements in your Kermit 95 DOCS subdirectory.

Using C-Kermit should be available in 102 Philosophy Hall and at any of the neighborhood book stores, such as Papyrus.


Other Kermit Software Versions

The Kermit 95 CU download is only for Microsoft Windows. If you need the OS/2 version, send us e-mail.

Kermit software is available from Kermit Project for a wide variety of other platforms too: Unix (already installed on our Cunix servers), VMS, DOS, PDP-11s, hundreds of others. All of these may be downloaded, including:


If you have problems or questions . . .

Send email to:

Also see:


Kermit 95 Site License / Columbia University / kermit@columbia.edu / 2003-2005