# Install c-kermit with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, zypper Scriptable network and serial communication for UNIX and VMS. Version 9.0.302 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-25. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:c-kermit ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install c-kermit ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install kermit ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: comms/kermit/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#kermit ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ke/kermit/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install ckermit ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: ckermit from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:c-kermit - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 9.0.302 - **Source summary:** Scriptable network and serial communication for UNIX and VMS - **Homepage:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** BSD-3-Clause - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-06-25T13:37:37+02:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - ckermit.ini (cli) - kermit (cli) - kermit-sshsub (cli) - ckermit.ini (alias) - kermit (alias) - kermit-sshsub (alias) ## Uses from macOS - libxcrypt - ncurses ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 9.0.302 - Package-manager updated: 2026-06-25 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://www.kermitproject.org/ - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage C-Kermit is the long-running C implementation of the Kermit Project's portable communications software: terminal sessions, file transfer, character-set conversion, and automation across serial lines and network protocols. It is historically important because it survived the modem-to-Internet transition while staying useful as a scriptable Unix and VMS command-line tool. ### Project history The Kermit Project dates itself to 1981, and the C-Kermit tutorial says C-Kermit was first written at Columbia University's Kermit Project in 1985. The 10.0 tutorial describes ten major releases, while the 9.0 page identifies C-Kermit 9.0.302 as an open-source release from 20 August 2011. The project moved into a new open-source era after Columbia: the C-Kermit 9.0 page says the New Open-Source Kermit Project hosted by Panix was created on 1 July 2011, and that version 9.0 used the revised 3-clause BSD license. The same page documents continuing 10.0 beta work for Unix, VMS, and Windows, including revived built-in SSH and SSL/TLS support. ### Adoption history C-Kermit accumulated unusual portability because it targeted real communication environments rather than one operating system. The official 9.0 page lists Unix-like systems, VMS, QNX, Android, and many historical Unix variants, and it points to package availability across BSD and Linux distributions. The package-manager story is part of its recent history: the Kermit site notes that Debian and Ubuntu dropped C-Kermit in May 2021, that a Snap was created for Ubuntu 20.04 users, and that Debian and Ubuntu were putting a development 9.0.305 package back in their distributions by November 2021. ### How it is used C-Kermit is used as an interactive terminal program, file-transfer client, protocol toolbox, and automation language. The official tutorial describes serial and network connections, terminal sessions, binary and text transfer, character-set conversion, custom configuration, and a built-in scripting language. On Unix, the project presents it as an alternative or complement to classic tools such as cu, tip, minicom, uucp, ftp, telnet, ssh wrappers, expect, wget-like retrieval, and shell scripting for communications tasks. ### Why package nerds care C-Kermit matters to package historians because it is a living fossil of cross-platform communications software: a single command-line program spanning serial ports, modems, Telnet, SSH integration, FTP/HTTP clients, file transfer, and scripting. It also shows how licensing and distribution policy affect old infrastructure tools. Version 9.0's BSD license made redistribution easier, while security-library churn and distro removals show why mature network packages can still be operationally hard to keep packaged. ### Timeline - 1981: The Kermit Project begins. - 1985: C-Kermit is first written at Columbia University's Kermit Project. - 1997: Using C-Kermit, Second Edition documents C-Kermit 6.0. - 2011-07-01: New Open-Source Kermit Project hosted by Panix is created. - 2011-08-20: C-Kermit 9.0.302 is released under the revised 3-clause BSD license. - 2021-05: Debian and Ubuntu drop C-Kermit from their distributions. - 2021-11: Debian and Ubuntu begin putting C-Kermit 9.0.305 back into their distributions. - 2025-03-22: C-Kermit 10.0 Beta.12 is announced as the next release on the official C-Kermit page. ### Related projects - Kermit Project: the umbrella project for Kermit protocol and implementations. - E-Kermit: the embedded/smaller Kermit implementation from the same project family. - Kermit 95 and C-Kermit 10 for Windows: Windows-oriented descendants in the same communications lineage. - ckermit-snap: a community Snap package referenced by the Kermit Project during the Debian/Ubuntu packaging gap. ### Sources - - - - source_facts.package-manager ## Security Notes broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. - **Geiger risk:** blue / medium - broad file, network, media, or database tool signal ## Configuration and credential file locations These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval. ## Configuration files - Unix: ~/.kermrc ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** c-kermit - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - MacPorts - kermit: installed executable or alias match | MacPorts ports tree: comms/kermit/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Nix - kermit: installed executable or alias match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ke/kermit/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - zypper - ckermit - 9.0.302-20.2: installed executable or alias match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: ckermit from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | A Combined Serial and Network Communication Software Package | https://www.kermitproject.org/ ## Related links - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [airshare](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/airshare/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, file-transfer, networking. - [bbftp-client](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bbftp-client/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, file-transfer, networking. - [gensio](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gensio/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, serial. - [irssi](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/irssi/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, scripting, terminal. - [lrzsz](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lrzsz/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, file-transfer, networking, serial. - [mabel](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mabel/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, terminal. - [piknik](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/piknik/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, file-transfer, networking. - [telnet](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/telnet/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, terminal. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/c-kermit.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/c-kermit.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated configuration and credential file locations - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph