Kermit is a computer file transfer/management protocol and a set of communications software tools primarily used in the early years of personal computing in the 1980s it provides a consistent approach to file transfer, terminal emulation, scr ipt programming, and character set conversion across many different computer hardware and OS platforms.- Kermit software and documentation remain available at the Kermit website and ftp archive, as always, but with changes described here. C-Kermit and E-Kermit have been published with an Open Source license and the source code for Kermit 95 (except for portions to which Columbia does not have publication rights) have been too. Kermit 95 executables and install packages will not be distributed in a free and open manner because they include strong encryption, whose export is controlled by the United States Government. For Kermit customers who cannot use open source licenses, and would like to continue to purchase copies of the software as they have previously done, please contact techventures@columbia.edu and mention Kermit in the subject line. Technical support is no longer available　Columbia University effective July 1, 2011. The pages of the Kermit website have been updated to reflect the new support and licensing status of the Kermit software. See the Transition Roadmap (button just b