Columbia University Kermit 95 Site-License Download

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: 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. 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.) 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.

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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.

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CONTENTS

• Introduction
  
• UPGRADE
  
• NEW OR REPLACEMENT INSTALLATION
  
• Getting Updates
  
• Documentation
  
• Other Kermit Software Versions
  
• If you have problems or questions

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Introduction

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:

• SSH from your dorm room or office to the Cunix or departmental servers (TELNET AND RLOGIN ACCESS DISCONTINUED).
• Ditto from outside, but over a Dialup Networking or DSL connection.
• Dialing into the Columbia modem pool from outside (DIRECT DIALIN ACCESS DISCONTINUED).
• Dialing out to external text-based shell accounts, services, or BBSs (if you have a modem and an analog phone).

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:

• http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/k95.html

• http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/k95tutor.html

For a discussion of safe computing, see:

• http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/safe.html

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UPGRADE

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.

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NEW OR REPLACEMENT INSTALLATION

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Documentation

• The Kermit 95 online manual . . . Once you have installed Kermit 95, you can access the Kermit 95 manual from its desktop shortcut, from the Dialer Help menu, or by typing "manual" at the K-95> prompt.

• The book Using C-Kermit (Second Edition).
• The C-Kermit 7.0 Manual Supplement
• The C-Kermit 8.0 Manual Supplement

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.

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Other Kermit Software Versions

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:

• C-Kermit for Unix (Linux, Mac OS X, etc), VMS, QNX, AOS/VS, VOS, OS-9, Plan 9, etc.
• MS-DOS Kermit for DOS and Windows 3.x (but not Windows 9x/ME/XP/NT/2000 or OS/2).
• PDP-11 Kermit for assorted PDP-11 operating systems.

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If you have problems or questions . . .

• kermit-support@columbia.edu

Also see:

• The Kermit 95 FAQ
• Columbia University Modem Pool Information
• The Columbia University Home Page
• The AcIS Home Page
• The Kermit Project Home Page
• The Kermit 95 Home Page