Kermit Project Transition Roadmap
Most recent update:
Fri Aug 19 10:03:44 2011
(see progress)
Columbia University has terminated the Kermit Project effective 1 July 2011.
Details will be announced in this space as they are settled. In brief:
- Technical support will continue to be be
available from Columbia University through June 30th by email and telephone.
- The Kermit website will remain available for
the foreseeable future but might be inconsistent as to software support and
licenses while all the pages are modified the reflect the new situation.
- The Kermit ftp archive
will remain available for the foreseeable future.
- Kermit software programs for which Columbia University holds the
copyright now have the Open-Source Revised 3-Clause BSD License. Open Source
versions of C-Kermit, E-Kermit and Kermit 95 are
now available.
- Older Kermit software programs that bear the
Columbia University copyright, such as MS-DOS
Kermit, Mac Kermit, IBM
Mainframe Kermit, DEC-20 Kermit, CP/M-80 Kermit, and so on, will remain as they are but
with a blanket license published on the website
allowing free access and use.
- All other Kermit programs will remain freely available as they always
have been.
- Kermit 95 Bulk, Omnibus, and Academic Site licensees will no longer be
billed for maintenance and support (in fact, the billing stopped in
mid-2010). These licenses are perpetual, licensees may continue to use the
software as long as desired, as long as it continues to work.
- The source code for Kermit 95 has been released with the BSD
license so new releases can be produced by anyone who has the desire
and ability. Some modules are excluded since they contain proprietary
code belonging to other companies or organizations that we do not have
permission to place into Open Source. CLICK
HERE for information about the source code and to download it if you wish.
- Regular Kermit 95 binaries can not be made openly available because they
include cryptography functions whose distribution is restricted by United
States export law. Kermit 95 binaries that include encryption (SSH,
SSL/TLS, and Kerberos) will have to be purchased and licensed, as before.
Single copies can be purchased from
Amazon.com,
E-Academy.com, and
other
retailers. If the stock of shrinkwrapped copies runs out, Kermit 95 will
continue to be available from
E-Academy.com in both
cryptographic and non-cryptographic (safe for export) versions via
electronic sales and delivery.
- Retailers or distributors who need to restock Kermit 95 shrinkwraps and
can't find them anywhere else may inquire at
techventures@columbia.edu.
- Bulk Right-to-Copy Kermit 95 licenses can be purchased from Columbia
Technology Ventures, Kermit 95 2.1.3 as-is with no warranty or technical
support, at http://techventures.columbia.edu/kermit
or email to techventures@columbia.edu with
"Kermit" included in the subject.
Progress
