Kermit Project Transition Roadmap

Most recent update:  Fri Aug 19 10:03:44 2011 (see progress)

• Technical support 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 to 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

2011 / 08 / 18:	A new and comprehensive index to the entire Kermit Software archive. The FTP site has been reorganized for convenient web access, with Zip and Tar.gz archives available for every Kermit implementation since 1981, available for download over HTTP from your Web browser. The FTP archive remains available, but organized by Kermit program, rather than "by tape".
2011 / 08 / 18:	C-Kermit 9.0 enters the FreeBSD packaging cycle.
2011 / 07 / 20:	Kermit 95 source code published with open source license.
2011 / 07 / 20:	C-Kermit 9.0.301 enters Debian Linux packaging cycle.
2011 / 07 / 12:	The Computer History Museum agrees to house the Kermit Project archive: papers, books, articles, newspaper and magazine clippings, software, ... and the Superbrain.
2011 / 07 / 12:	C-Kermit 9.0.301 install packages available for Solaris at sunfreeware.com.
2011 / 07 / 11:	C-Kermit 9.0 correction for Solaris 10 and 11.
2011 / 06 / 28:	C-Kermit 9.0 final release.
2011 / 06 / 17:	E-Kermit 1.7.
2011 / 06 / 16:	C-Kermit 9.0 Beta.01 with BSD license.
2011 / 05 / 31:	Columbia Computing History website moved to www.columbia.edu/cu/computinghistory/.
2011 / 04-05:	Cataloging of books, artifacts, and other materials.
2011 / 03 / 30:	Kermit 95 manual published on Kermit website.
2011 / 03 / 30:	Embedded Kermit 1.6 published with BSD license.

---