Computer Science | Grinnell College

Kermit, developed at Columbia University in 1981, is a protocol for file transfer, terminal emulation, character-set conversion, and other platform-independent communication services, known especially as a tool for standardized and efficient discourse between dissimilar systems. It was most popular in the 1980s, although current implementations such as C-Kermit (homepage linked below) are maintained. Kermit was originally developed for and primarily used to transmit data via serial connections, although some later implementations also run over networks. It was developed for everyday student use at Columbia to transfer files between mainframes and microcomputers with different character sets, and used for similar purposes at Grinnell, although it has been used in a wide range of applications, including some aboard the International Space Station.

The depicted set of instructions document the process of using Kermit to transfer a file between PDP and VAX minicomputers the College operated concurrently circa 1985 by way of an intermediary Rainbow workstation. This awkward and involved process is an example of the kind of problem the MathLAN, which was still in early planning stages at this point, was designed to solve.

References: Notes from a conversation with John Stone
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kermit_(protocol)
http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/ck80.html