From: fdc@columbia.edu
Sent: Wednesday, December 19, 2001 4:20 PM
To: Info-VAX@Mvb.Saic.Com
Subject: Announcing C-Kermit 8.0


This is to announce version 8.0 of C-Kermit, the all-purpose, portable
communications and automation tool for Unix and VMS.  C-Kermit can be:

 . A Telnet and Rlogin client
 . An FTP client (Unix only) <-- New
 . An HTTP 1.1 client (Unix only) <-- New
 . An SSH client (via external ssh program, Unix only) <-- New
 . A serial-port communications program
 . A dialout communications program
 . An Internet server (Unix only)

That can:

 . Conduct terminal sessions (except on FTP and HTTP connections).
 . Make secure Telnet, Rlogin, FTP, and HTTP connections using
   Kerberos IV, Kerberos V, SSL/TLS, or SRP security (Unix only).
 . Transfer files over the communication connection or act as the
   far-end file-transfer-and-management partner of your desktop client.
 . Convert character sets in both terminal sessions and file transfer,
   now including Unicode UTF-8.

and that includes a portable, cross-platform, easy-to-learn-and-use,
transport-independent scripting language that allows automation of
any communication task that can be done by hand (and many that can't).

Version 8.0 replaces Version 7.0 of Jan/Feb 2000, and adds the following
major new features for Unix only:

 . A scriptable FTP client capable of making secure connections.
 . A scriptable HTTP 1.1 client that can make secure connections.
 . An interface to your external SSH program, allowing file transfer,
   character-set conversion, and scripting of SSH terminal sessions.
 . Security module source code is included in the standard distribution.

And for all platforms:

 . RFC 2217 Telnet Com Port control allows shared network modems.
 . Learned scripts (automatic script writing).
 . Lisp-like S-Expressions.
 . Date/time/timezone conversion and arithmetic supporting many formats.
 . Bug fixes including plugging of buffer attack vulnerabilities.
 . A new Web-based tutorial and other new Web-based documentation.
 . New easier terms for commercial redistribution.

Links:

http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/ckermit.html
  The C-Kermit 8.0 web page, with links to everything you need.

http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/ckermit.html#download
  Download.

http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/ftpclient.html
  More about the new built-in FTP client.

http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/ckututor.html
  The new C-Kermit tutorial (oriented mainly to Unix).

http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/ckscripts.html
  The C-Kermit script library and script-writing tutorial, including
  lots of new examples for C-Kermit 8.0.

http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/COPYING.TXT
  The C-Kermit license and disclaimer; same as C-Kermit 7.0,
  allows inclusion with Linux, FreeBSD, etc.

http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/commercial.html
  New terms and conditions for commercial redistribution.

http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/ckbinaries.html
  A big table of prebuilt C-Kermit binaries, including (as of this
  moment) 245 for C-Kermit 8.0 and another 254 for earlier releases,
  spanning 10 major operating system families (Unix, VMS, VOS, AOS/VS,
  Aegis, Plan 9, ...)  IF YOU CAN MAKE C-Kermit binaries that are not
  in the table (or not at 8.0 level), please send them in!

http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/cksendbin.html
  How to make and contribute C-Kermit binaries.

http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/ckuins.html
  C-Kermit installation instructions for Unix.  See, especially:
  http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/ckuins.html#x5.4 for the new
  makefile 'install' target.

http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/ckvins.html
  Installation instructions for VMS.

http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/ckpackages.html
  One-touch install packages such as RPM are not available yet.
  This page discusses the issues involved in putting together a
  C-Kermit 8.0 install package.

http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/ckermit80.html
  Thorough documentation of all the new features of C-Kermit 8.0.

http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/cuiksd.html
  Columbia's Internet Kermit Service.

Special thanks to Jeff Altman of the Kermit Project for his truly
remarkable -- and massive -- contributions to this release and to Max
Evarts for installing and configuring literally dozens of operating
systems on which it could be built and tested.  And thanks to all the
people who contributed code, patches, builds and/or Internet access to
build / testing platforms, makefile targets, Beta test reports,
information, encouragement, and in some cases material support
throughout the development cycle, notably: Hewlett Packard Corporation,
Compaq Corporation, IBM Corporation, Peter Eichhorn of Assyst GmbH in
Germany, Peter Mauzey of Bell Labs, Gerry Belanger of Cognitronics
Corporation, Sven Holmstrom of ABB Utilities AB in Sweden, Lucas Hart of
Oregon State University, Nelson Beebe of the University of Utah; and to
Dat Thuc Nguyen for suggesting and thoroughly testing many of the new
scripting features.  This list could go on (and on), but space is limited!

If you have any trouble downloading or using the new version, send
email to kermit-support@columbia.edu.

Frank da Cruz
The Kermit Project
Columbia University
New York City
http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/