# Terminal Emulation on a PC

### or Mac, or workstation, or PDA, etc., and related information...

With personal computers now on seemingly every desktop, competition for real estate and mindshare has driven most real video terminals into retirement, replaced by a terminal-emulator program running on the usurping PC, Mac, PDA, or Unix workstation. (But not all.)

> Note on "Terminal-ogy"
> A terminal emulator is a program for hands-on control of a terminal session, where you are looking at a display and typing on a keyboard (or seeming to type on a keyboard, anyway, since that also can be emulated, with mouse clicks or other inputs). If, however, your computer is running a non-interactive program that is parsing the terminal datastream and feeding the extracted data to some programmatic interface for direct consumption by another program, then what you have is properly called a screen scraper. (Eric Raymond's Jargon file describes screen scraping, and there is a Wikipedia article. Also, techniques for screen scraping are featured in Michael Schrenk's 2007 book, Webbots, Spiders, and Screen Scrapers.) These two types of programs share many properties, but calling them by their right names avoids confusion.

One annoyance can be that terminal-emulation software does not behave exactly the way the real terminal did. One frustrated Usenet correspondent wrote:

> ...my experience with "VT100" emulators suggests that many, maybe even most, lack some fundamental capability [such as] the ability to respond to an auto-identification query, the ability to perform certain screen or cursor operations, the ability to transmit appropriate "editing keypad" escape sequences, etc. Beware.

And he doesn't even mention the fact that the keyboard layout is almost always different.

A fellow where I used to work went through a great deal of trouble with a well known, commercially sold emulator product. However, it turned out that the product was actually tested by the vendor only against Unix applications that use "curses", so only the subset of features that "curses" employs could be depended upon to work. He eventually threw the product out.

Therefore, when you are buying a commercial terminal-emulation product, you may want to obtain some type of trial version, so that you can see if it works well enough in your particular environment.

Or if you are writing a new emulation, don't test it only with "vi". Even GNU Emacs would give your emulation a better workout! But better still (for DEC emulations) is vttest. (Or you could save yourself trouble and buy an emulator toolkit from Distinct Corporation or from Minisoft.)

In today's networked world, TCP/IP communication is ubiquitous. This ubiquity has brought hazards along with it: for interactive terminal sessions, the SSH/Secure Shell protocol is now an important security mechanism. Many of the software packages listed on this page now support SSH in some degree.

> Microsoft has been gradually improving the TCP/IP implementation in Windows, but odd behavior sometimes is seen in interoperation with other operating systems, and prudent users will need to spend some time checking their security status.
> (The Kermit team at Columbia University used vttest to compare several Windows-95 telnet clients, including Microsoft's.)

## From the Archives....

- Basic facts about terminal emulation.
- Comments about commercial terminal emulators.
- Issues to consider, if you think you want to write terminal-emulation software.
- Discussion of the Windows Hyperterminal and Telnet Clients.
  (And of what to do, now that Windows Vista no longer bundles Hyperterminal.)
- Discussion on serial communication in Microsoft Windows.
- Miscellaneous commentary about RS-232-C serial communication.
- For older Macintosh machines: serial-cable DIN-8 to DB-25 pinouts
  (as revised by McCluskey... here is the old DB-25 diagram and here is the old DIN-8 to DE-9 text description)
- Macintosh Serial-Cable Summary (RTF format: McCluskey)
- On printing from a remote session to a printer attached to the PC.
- Discussion of the "telnet" login-session protocols, some SSH info.
- Discussion of SSH/Secure Shell protocol and implementations (and a brief brief nod to Kerberos and IPsec).
- The Avatar protocol, as used by the Opus BBS (zip)
- Banana ANSI BBS emulation.
- For those who need emulation of DEC's ReGIS protocol.
- Frequently Asked Questions about serial communication in Microsoft Windows. (dates from Win 3.1 days)

Information on keyboards and pointing devices.
About the "pcterm" mode for using a terminal with special PC software.
Description of "scoansi" terminal emulation from SCO/Caldera OpenServer Unix manpage for "display". (link OK in 2008)

## Some commercial product vendors

> There surely exist other vendors that I don't know about. Also, many vendors of network middleware also include some level of terminal emulation. The World Wide Web is always a work in progress. If some of the links below don't work, don't be surprised, but please let me know. ...RSS

> (See note here regarding methods of IBM 3270 emulation.)

(Running in Java)

> The idea of Java is that applications can run on a variety of platforms. While it is possible that hardware limitations may sometimes show up, the following products run on many platforms, in some cases including the JREs (Java Runtime Environments) of Linux, Solaris (both SPARC and X86), Mac OS X, HP-UX, Psion Netpad, Nokia Communicator, Windows 98/Me, and Windows 2000/XP/Vista.

- AppGate (vendor of Java-based Mindterm SSH/xterm, which emulates xterm-color, Linux console, SCO console, Sun console, AIXterm, DEC VT320 & VT100 & VT52, AT&T 6386, Linux-LAT, and AT386.)
- Cambridge Computer Corporation
  (PkWeb: Web browser "plug in" with several emulations)
- Intra-Sys (vendor of All in One for Java, Javabean component emulation of IBM 3278 & 5250, Siemens 9750 & 97801, DEC VT320 & VT100.)
- WRQ (Reflection for the Web: browser-based terminal emulation; emulates IBM 3270 & 5250, DEC VT52, VT100, VT420, HP 2392 & 7009x)
- HOBsoft (vendor of HOBLink J-Term, Java-based VT100, VT525, IBM 3270, IBM 5250)
- Neoware Systems offers teemtalk for Java (available emulations: Digital VT52, VT100, VT420; ANSI BBS; SCO Console; IBM TN3270E, TN5250; Tandem 6526, 6530; Wyse 50, 60; ADDS A2; Hazeltine 1500; Televideo 910, 920, 925; Hewlett-Packard HP2622A, HP2392A, HP 700/92)
- Core Technologies (CTCbridge for Java: IBM 5250, Unisys T27/UTS)
- Platypus Partners. (Java-based Jet IBM 3270 and TDM 6530)
- Anota (vendor of Web-ifier and Host-ifier)
- Seagull Software (vendor of BlueZone browser-based terminal emulation)
- Gallagher & Robertson (vendor of Glink for Java, emulating Bull/Honeywell VIP7800, VIP7760, VIP7700; DKU7107, DKU7211; IBM 3270 & 5250, DEC VT320 & VT102; Teletel & Minitel) -- (Kelly Group distributes)
- Zephyr Corp. (vendor of "Passport" Browser emulation: TN3270, TN5250, VT220)
- IBM WebSphere Host-on-Demand (SSL-based telnet sessions from web browser)
- Software Licensing Corp. Proxy/92 (HP2392A-to-VT320 protocol conversion in Java)
- Minisoft (vendor of Java-based Javelin HP700/92, HP2392A, or VT320; supports SSL, NS/VT, telnet)

(Emulations running under Windows)

- Attachmate Corporation (corporate heir of WRQ, KEA, DCA, and Wollongong...) sells professional-grade terminal-emulation software with support of several security mechanisms

, including Kerberos, SSL/TLS, XDM-Auth, and SSH.
- Powerlan-USA, formerly part of White Pine, sells the eXodus server with Tektronix and ReGIS graphics under X.
  (This vendor also sells WebTerm: a product for emulating a terminal session within a Web Browser, now supporting SSH.)
- James River Group (ICE: claimed to emulate IBM 3151, AT&T 605, SCO ANSI console, DEC VT220, Wyse 160;
  the ICE.TCP Pro product provides SSH connectivity, LPR printing and centralized installation.)
- AniTa (terminal emulation/GUI middleware: April System Design)
- TurboSoft Pty Ltd. (TTWin: can do VT320, Wyse 50, V103, Liberty, Fujitsu, ADM-11, Siemens 97801, Wang 2110, Linux console, etc.)
- Hewlett-Packard acquired Neoware Systems and Pericom Software (supplier of teemtalk: claimed to emulate Wyse, HP, Tektronix, ANSI-BBS, MDIS, Bull BQ7107, Prime, DEC, Televideo, Tandem, Hazeltine, ICL Doc-18, DG, IBM, AT&T and Stratus terminals under W2K, WinCE, Unix, Linux, and Java; direct telephone +1 610-277-8300 )
- Quovadx, Inc. (was Pixel Innovations, Ltd.) sells the QDX HostAccess Thin Client, claimed to emulate DEC, Prism, Qume, TVI955, ICL 7561, Wyse, IN2 SM9800, SCO, ADM11, Ampex, ADDS, IBM, Cifer T205, Galileo, MF-30, HP700/92 and HP2392A.
- STRATUSOFT/Applications Resources, Inc. (S-Shell V103 emulator--keyshell)
- LogNet Systems (VT420 emulator with macros, 16 or 32-bit)
- Century Software (TinyTerm Plus/NFS/LPD--PC, Unix, IBM emulations)
- VanDyke Software (terminal emulation for Windows and Linux, with SSH, has evaluation packages)
- Kermit 95 Release 2.0 offers a full Windows GUI environment and supports Kerberos, SSL/TLS, HTTP and SOCKS proxy, and SSH.
- AccuSoft Enterprises (AccuTerm-97 for Windows now supports an SSH add-on security package.)
- OmniCom Technologies (AlphaCom emulates Wyse 60, SCO ANSI, VT220, VT52, Linux console, and IBM 3151, and now supports SSH connections.)
- OpenConnect Systems (sells Secure ClientConnect for IBM EBCDIC environments)
- Softronics (Softerm: claims to emulate HP, Wang, TI931, Wyse, Data General, Televideo, Lear-Siegler/ADM, Hazeltine, Datapoint, ADDS, Tandem, Honeywell/VIP, etc.)
- Ipswitch (VT320 emulation, TN3270, TN5250, Internet products)
- Sector 7 (VX/Term VT220 emulation and VX/VTWin VMS-to-Windows porting library)
- StarQuest Software offers Client Access for Unix/Linux emulating the IBM 5250.
- Productivity Systems Inc. (emulates IBM 3164 Color ASCII terminal)
- Diversified Computer Systems (E-Term 32 for Windows emulates VT320 with ReGIS graphics, Tek 4014, IBM 3270, and other types, and now supports SSH security.)
- FacetCorp (vendor of FacetWin, emulating IBM 3151 & 3164; DEC VT100, VT525; Wyse 50 & 60; SCO ANSI console--also FacetWin Dialup Terminal for serial only)
- Delrina Corporation (now part of Symantec)
- Yrrid Software offers Cables: SSH terminal emulation of IBM 3270, IBM 5250, Tandem 6530, Unisys/Burroughs INT1-DCP, INT1-HCL, DEC VT100, Wyse 60, etc.
- Distinct Corporation ( Intelliterm: VT420 emulation with SSH)
- Esker Inc. (Emulus graphics, Tun Plus emulation of 3270, 5250, 3812, BA80, 97801, AT300, D412, Wyse 60, TM266, DKU7202, TO300, and VT220; also ActiveX)
  (Esker acquired Teubner & Associates, vendor of A-Net for 3270/Web, and has also bought out Persoft, vendor of SmarTerm.)
- Pathlink Corporation (Pipeline product emulates TVI, Falco, Tek, sixel, etc.)
- U.A. Systems (LiTE emulates Wyse 350, VT100, Hazeltine Esprit 3, TVI950, etc)
- Blue Emulations, Inc offers BluVista for Windows 98/Me/NT, emulating the IBM 3151 terminal.
- Ericom Software is the originating vendor of PowerTerm, which emulates VT525, Wyse50, DG D-412, TVI955, AIXterm, IBM 3270;
  an SSH layer is supported in the Enterprise edition.
- Unipress Corporation sells PowerTerm.
- SDI USA, Inc. (TN3270-Plus, emulating IBM 3270, IBM 5250, and VT220; now with SSH support as well as telnet)
- Mochasoft (Java Telnet, TN3270, TN5250 for Win-95/NT, Mac, Palm)
- BOSaNOVA (TN5250 for Win-95/NT)
- NLynx Systems (Emerald Series 5250 for Windows and Macintosh)
- Eicon Technology Inc. (Aviva emulation products)
- UnixSpace (telnet Windows client with unique encryption scheme)
- Mitem Corporation. (middleware for terminal interface retrofit)
- NetManage (Chameleon, OnNet, Rumba, and ViewNow for Citrix, also CICS support)
- FTP Software (OnNet TCP/IP) was acquired by NetManage.)
- PenguiNet SSH Client (siliconcircus.com: with SCP file transfer in 2009)
- FoxItSoftware (formerly Midasoft) offers KoalaTerm, which emulates DEC VT420, VT320, VT220, & VT100; the Secure KoalaTerm version is available, supporting SSH.) ::::.
- Rasmussen Software, Inc. (offers the Anzio family of terminal session products, emulating DEC VT220, Wyse 50, SCO ANSI and Linux console, ADDS, AT386, Versyss C332; the AnzioWin package offers SSH and SRP/telnet support)
- FutureSoft (now offers the DynaComm DCS-8 product, emulating ADDS VP/60, AT&T 605/705, Tandem 6530, VT52, VT100, VT420, TN3270, and TVI950)
- Lab-Pro/Labtam (Windows SSH, terminal session client)
- QVT/Net Telnet/SSH/browser/file transfer for Windows
- Dartcom (PowerVT)
- IVT Telnet/SSH/Kerberos (VT220 emulation claimed; URL may trigger an advertising popup)
- Network Automation (AutoMate scripting emulation/screen-scraping)
- Fujitsu-Siemens offers Sinix TE terminal emulation, of BA80, 97801, Unibol (UDT220), VT220, for Windows.
- Polygon, Inc. (Poly-Star VT320/ReGIS/Tek emulation)
- SecureNetTerm (InterSoft Windows client; supports Chinese, Hebrew, German, Castilian Spanish, Italian, etc.; emulates DEC VT320, Nixdorf BA-80, QNX-2, IBM 3163, TVI925, Wyse 50; supports SSH-2, Kerberos 5, and SecurID; keyboard map hints are here.)
- Crystal Point Inc. (OutsideView/Tandem)
- CAIL Systems, Ltd. (CTT: emulating Tandem, IBM, VT220, Wyse 60)
- Powerlan-USA has taken over Grafpoint's TGraf Tektronix 4125 emulation.
- NetTerm (via BTsoftware) emulates IBM 3151, 3161, 3163, & FTTERM; Televideo 925; Wyse 50; Nixdorf BA-80; QNX-2; also DEC VT52, VT100, VT220 & VT320)
- Quarterdeck Corporation (which bought Datastorm (ProComm vendor), on 1999-03-31 was itself bought by Symantec)
- IBM SecureWay Personal Communications (software)
- PC-Xware (X server with VT320 emulation)
- Core Technology Corporation (Unisys A, V terminal emulation)
- Midware (MAI BOSS DT-4300 series emulation)
- Wang Windows Desktop for the VS
- LCM Lightspeed Wang emulation
- SDI Software (TN3270 Plus)
- Gallagher & Robertson Glink (VT, VIP, DKU, Minitel, ViewData, 3270; supports SSL connections)
- Nexus Mainframe Terminal (Nexus Integration: Telnet 3270/5250/VT/ANSI terminal/printer)
- Visentech (Unisys A&V, IBM Twinax, VT220, HP700/92, Wyse 370)
  (Visentech web site does not display properly with Netscape 7.)
- Cambridge Computer Corporation (vxConnect, claimed to emulate: VT320, DG, Honeywell HDS/BDS/VIP, Stratus, ADDS, Hazeltine/Esprit, Wang, Wyse, Zentec, Meditech, Lear-Siegler)
- B.A.T.L. Terminal Emulation (GTW420-Pro: VT420, D211, HP2392)
- Mustang Software (Qmodem BBS program)
- Via Systems, Inc. (ViaDuct emulation of 40 types for Windows)
- AICS Research (QCterm HP terminal emulator for Windows)
- Minisoft (MS-DOS/Windows: HP NS/VT, DEC, IBM 3270/5250, Citrix)
- Information Systems Group, Ltd.
  (Whizz 60 claimed to emulate Wyse, VT320, ICL, McD-D Prism, VPA60)
- Hilgraeve Inc. (HyperTerminal, HyperAccess with API)
  (Hyperterminal Private Edition 6.3 for Windows is available, as of spring 2007; personal use by computer owners is free.)
- Rhintek, Inc. offers Emu/470 for MS-DOS, with graphics emulation of the DG470. ::.
- Network Wizards, Inc. (WizConsole multiport emulator)
  (Running on Macintosh)

  Recent Macintosh G3 and G4 systems do not come from the factory equipped with an RS-232-C serial port. However, Griffin Technology sells the clever gPort and iPort internal serial-port adapters.

  - Carnation Software (MacWise for MacOS 9 or MacOS X: emulates ADDS Viewpoint, Wyse 60, Wyse 370 with Esprit III color, Televideo 925, McD-D Prism, VT101, VT220; now supports SSH)
    Carnation also sells the Keyspan USB-to-Serial Adapter for using external modems with a USB-only Macintosh/iMac/iBook.
  - WRQ (Reflection for Macintosh Classic: supports ReGIS graphics)
  - Powerlan-USA (formerly White Pine) offers 5PM Term for Macintosh, with VT420, SCO-ANSI, TN5250, and TN3270.
  - Cambridge Computer Corporation (mxConnect for Macintosh, emulates DEC, Meditech, Hazeltine/Esprit 105C/125C, Wang, Zentec, Wyse 50, ADM-3, Data General 5220/5222)
  - F-Secure offers an SSH2 client for Mac OS
  - VicomSoft (vendor of MultiTerm/HostConn MacOS Terminal Emulation, emulating TVI, ADDS, IBM, HP, Tandem.)
  - MacWisdom Data Systems (formerly Cornerstone--has product MacEmulate: DEC, Televideo, Wyse, ADDS, Hazeltine 1500, ADM-11, DG, SCO)
  - Intrec (ProTerm for Macintosh or Apple IIgs: emulates ANSI-BBS, ADDS, ADM-3A/5, TeleVideo 910+, H19, DEC VT-52, VT-100)
  - Synergy Software offers VersaTerm-Pro for Macintosh (DEC VT220, DG D211/D400, Tek4105)
  - Yrrid Software offers TerminalOne (terminal emulation of DEC VT100, VT220, VT320 for Mac OSX)
  - Databeast offers dataComet Telnet/SSH terminal emulation (VT220, PC-ANSI, IBM-3270 Mac OS)
  - Ericom Software supplies PowerTerm InterConnect for Mac OS X, emulating IBM TN3270, TN5250, VT525, Wyse50, DG D-412, TVI955, AIXterm, and other types.
  - Pacerterm was acquired by NetManage, as was Rumba.
  - Pure Mac Telnet & SSH Program Descriptions
  (Running on a Palm OS, WinCE, or other Handheld/PDA, or on a Cell/Mobile Telephone)

  For fast terminal-style typing, you may also need an accessory keyboard, such as the ones discussed in this commentary. You may also need to consider how how modem serial cables are wired (differs from a Hotsync cable) with information from here. One source of such cables is PN Technologies/PCables.

  - Conklin Systems is now the vendor of the OnLine VT100 emulator for PalmOS
  - MochaSoft (Pocket Telnet/SSH VT220 for Palm OS; also TN3270/5250)
  - TuSSH (hires SSH for PalmOS)
  - Ruksun Software Technologies (wireless terminal for PalmOS, WinCE, EPOC, Amiga)
  - pkHpc (WinCE: Televideo, Stratus V102, Wyse-50, HP2392, Zentec)
  - Blue Emulations, Inc offers BluVista CE for Windows CE, emulating the IBM 3151 terminal.
  - Aton International has "Pocket tn3270" for Windows CE.
  - CE3270 (naurtech.com: IBM 3270, 5250, DEC VT100, VT220)
  - Murkworks, Inc. (tn3270ce for Windows CE)
  - Mochasoft (Telnet/SSH with VT220/TN5250 emulation for Nokia 9210)
  for cell/mobile telephones
  - Exolution htsh and wapsh (WML/HTML)

  See also the shareware and freeware packages here.

  (Running on a Unix/Linux platform)
  - Teemtalk for Unix (multiple emulations for Solaris, Linux, HP/UX, AIX, SCO Openserver)
  - Ericom Software supplies PowerTerm InterConnect for Linux, emulating IBM TN3270, TN5250, VT525, Wyse50, DG D-412, TVI955, AIXterm, and other types. Also available for Solaris and with SSH support.
  - Cleo/ISI--Interface Systems, Inc. (multiplatform A+ Emulator: 3270, VT320, and Wyse 50 emulation
    for Solaris, AIX, Tru64, SCO, VMS, and HP-UX; with scripting, ISDN, and PPP.)
  - The Bristol Group, Ltd. (IsoTerm emulates VT340 with ReGIS, runs on Solaris, HP-UX, AIX)
  - Omniplex PowerTerm Interconnect (DEC, Data General, Wyse, IBM TN3270 & TN5250, Tandem, Siemens, HP, and Televideo terminal emulation for Solaris)
  - Software Licensing Corp. IX/92 (HP2392A terminal emulation for Solaris, SCO, or HP/UX)

  As a supplement to a Unix terminal session, FacetCorp offers the FacetTerm session multiplexer.

  The Telconi Terminal is a useful accessory for configuring Cisco routers.

  (Running under IBM OS/2)
  - Rhintek, Inc. offers RhinoCom for OS2, emulating VT220, VT320, DG217, DG411, & DG413. ::.
  - Blue Emulations, Inc offers E3151 for OS2 and MS-DOS, emulating the IBM 3151 terminal.

  #### "telnetd" servers for Microsoft Windows NT

  This material now has its own Web page.

  ## Emulations and help on the Internet.

  > Note: Here I try to put a representative sample of terminal emulations and information available freely or as Shareware from Internet sources. These are of varying quality, but perhaps you will find some of them useful.

  > Note: Because of security issues, the "telnet" protocol should no longer be used, by itself, across the public Internet without encapsulation in some secure underlying protocol. Listed first below are software packages that provide better security and authentication via SSH, although IPsec or Kerberos may be more appropriate security mechanisms for large enterprises or widely deployed applications.

  > SSH is often the most convenient tool for increasing security of remote connections, however, it is not perfect or foolproof. If SSH is deployed carelessly, security weaknesses may still exist in the connection setup, as discussed in The Kermit Project's SSH Client documentation.

  #### Generalized Information or for Multiple platforms

  - Kerberos Security/Authentication Protocol (web.mit.edu)
  - MIT's parser for DEC VT420 control sequences (C source code/zip)
  - MIT's parser for DEC VT420 control sequences (C source code/zip)
  - Data-stream parser and finite state machine for DEC/ANSI-style control codes (vt100.net)
  - Kermit Software at Columbia University
  - The Kermit Project explains basic concepts of terminal emulation.
  - Computercraft Hardware Support (updated link)
  - Association of Shareware Professionals (user-supported since 1987)
  - WebmasterFree list of Telnet and SSH clients :::
  - The ncurses FAQ document gives help for many odd problems that can show up when you use a terminal emulation.

  #### In Java, or otherwise for multiple platforms

  - JTA (Java Telnet Applet...SSH and VT320 emulation...javassh.org)
    (link to old version is here)
  - tn5250j
  - ggiterm (uses GGI library for input and display: X, Linux, Solaris, Windows, Mac OSX, etc.)

  #### For Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2003, 2000, NT, Me, 98, 95, 3.1

  - TeraTerm (sourceforge.jp link: implements SSH2 protocol, other features)
  - TeraTerm Support Forum (2010: English language)
  - Tera Term 1 -- terminal emulator [English/Japanese]
    (See also the TTSSH ssh extension and instructions
    ...or the TTX SSL extension)
  - old TeraTerm Support Forum
  - PuTTY (Windows SSH, telnet, and serial connections) :::.
  - PortaPuTTY (variant of PuTTY that avoids use of Windows Registry)
  - Poderosa "tabbed" terminal emulator for Windows
  (Requires .NET Framework 2.0)
- FiSSH Secure Shell Client package (MIT/MassConfusion)
- MSSH ("Metro's Secure Shell": GUI front end to OpenSSH; for Windows with Cygwin or for port-forwarding)
- SSH Resources (numerous platforms)
  - AlphaCommunicator SSH
  - Secure CRT
  - Private Shell
  - Qodem: console emulation with BBS-style features (beta-test as of July 2005)
  - Information on Kermit (including numerous terminal emulations and protocols on several platforms)
  - Simtel.net MS-DOS Terminal and file-transfer programs
  - Simtel.net MS-DOS Internet programs (Digital River)
  - EasyTerm (Lutus: VT100 emulation via telnet; supports color)
  - NCSA Telnet TCP/IP MS-DOS package (Simtel.net)
  - Ada Terminal Emulator (based on the MIT parser for DEC VT420 control sequences)
  - Dave Baldwin's The Computer Journal published C and assembler source code for several simple MS-DOS communications programs. As of 2006, this PT80.ZIP file is archived here.
  - Conex: DEC VT320/Tek-4105 emulation (COM, LAT, BAPI, PC/TCP)
  - KBD configuration file for ProComm+ for Windows to set up proper VT220 function keys
  - Windows 95/3.1/NT Data Communication FAQ (Malcolm Hoar)
  - YKH: Japanese VT320 emulator for MS-DOS (requires VGA display, uses modem or DECnet)
  - Pascal demo of serial-port programming 4010
  - Tega: Bare Bones ADM-3A/Soroc emulation for MS-DOS
  - Microfusion MF30 emulator, for McDonnell (Douglas) Info Systems (MDIS) environments
  - MWterm, for MDIS environments (emulates ADDS A2 enhanced under MS-DOS)
  - Data General D460/D210 emulator (by Mark Aitchison <mark(at)phys.canterbury.ac.nz>)
  - Hazeltine Model One emulator (MS-DOS Turbo Pascal program by Eugene Johnson <eujo(at)airmail.net>)
  - Quick and Light RS-232 Terminal (Peacock: for Windows)
  - Telnet/400 (shareware 5250 emulator--A. York--new link)
  - Wyse 50 emulator for MS-DOS (small, from SimTel)
  - console telnet (sourceforge.net)
  - Virtually Unix distributes the rudimentary console telnet for Win-95/NT, among other Unix-like tools.
  - The Ultimate Collection of Winsock Software
    (the TUCOWS Windows terminal-emulation listing) :::.
  - Microsoft article: Win32 Comm API programming (self-extracting .exe)
  - Malcolm's Windows Data Communication FAQ (Malcolm Hoar)
  - Windows 95 Direct Connection (serial) Help (Kevin-Wells.com) :::.
  - Simtel.Net NAPLPS remote-graphics protocol/BBS clients :::.
  - Microsoft's application note on Windows 3.1 serial communication
  - The 16550 UART Chip Explained (Salt Air/Canrem)
  - IEEE 1284 parallel port standard (FarPoint)
  - Network packet drivers can be obtained from Crynwr Software.
  - Software packages FAQ from comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc
  - Stroud's Consummate Winsock Applications (Win-32 emulations)
    (previous Consummate Winsock Apps link)
  - Emulator for French Minitel terminal (2004: link has gone stale)
  - Cagle Term/Cagle Telnet (TAMU: DOS, Windows)
  - Zterm 2000 (shareware: Win98/Me/2000: VT100, Wyse 350, AMOS AM62A)
  - COMt: "Telnet Modem" (zip, shareware; adds telnet to Windows terminal emulators)
  - Token 2 (emulates VT100 with key remapping, proxy support)
  - IVT VT220 (emulates DEC VT220 character-cell terminal: SSH/serial)
  - Ewan (telnet terminal emulator: VT102, Tek 4010)
  - termcap entry for Ewan
  - SimpTerm--Windows 32-bit telnet client, can do English and Chinese)
  - Console Telnet for Win32 (Paul Brannan)
  - VxD to set the Caps Lock as a Control Lock key in Windows 95. (zip)
  - TV Teletext Viewer (Win 3.1, Win 95)
  - MicroImages offers the low-cost MI/X X Server for Windows, among other things.

  Aladdin's StuffIt Expander can also UnZip in Windows.

  #### For Macintosh/MacBook/iMac/iBook/PowerBook

  > The Unix-based MacOS X operating system includes its own bundled "Terminal" application, for command-line operation. Some hints for clever use of Terminal features are found in the archived Macintosh keyboard discussion. Also included in recent updates of OS X is the OpenSSH package. (The simple "telnet" command is also available, for the cases where its use would be safe.) And for a tabbed-terminal-window experience under MacOS X, there is iTerm. PowerPC-based machines also can run software packages written for the Classic MacOS 9.x environment,

  - Older Networking and Communications Downloads from Apple
  - VT102 Tool (from Apple, for old-style MacOS)
  - GLterm (OpenGL-accelerated terminal emulator from Apple, for Mac OS X)
  - iTerm (Cocoa/OSX terminal emulation)
  - MacSSH/MacOS Secure Shell (for which there is source available)
  - NiftyTelnet SSH (includes Secure Shell)
  - MacTelnet (Kevin Grant also has MacTelnet X for OS X.)
  - MacLayers (VT100 for Macintosh)
  - JellyfiSSH (grepsoft: OS X SSH helper/bookmark application)
  - "MacTCP" and Internet advice (Eric Behr: 1997)
  - Download Unix Applications and Utilities via Apple
  - Carnation Telnet Tool for Macintosh (sets IP; repaired link) ::.
  - ZTerm (Alverson: Mac OS X modem/terminal emulation, with serial support)
  - GLterm (with xterm controls, VT102 function keys, colors)
  - Better Telnet: Improved NCSA Telnet for Mac OS 7/8/9 (Rolf Braun)
  - Multi Term (GPL: terminal emulator for Mac OS X)
  - tn3270 for Macintosh (IBM terminal emulation: Brown University)
  - NCSA Telnet 2.5 (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, http)
  - MIT Hyperarchive of terminal emulations and program abstracts
  - Maricopa Community Colleges Mac Internet Collection (ftp)
  - Hebrew IBM tn3270 emulation for Macintosh (Prilusky/ftp)
  - VT100 PF Key Codes for MTS Visual Editor
  - Pretzel 3.0b4 (Prestel terminal emulator for Mac via MIT Info-Mac)
  - On 4 January A.D. 2000, the UMich Mac Archive, once the largest archive on the Internet, closed its doors.
  - The University of Texas Mac Internet-Software Collection is also now officially discontinued, but some remnants are still available as of 2000-01-31.
  - MicroImages offers the MI/X X Server for MacOS 9/PPC for free. (Mac OS X does not need it.)
  - RS-232 Serial Interfaces and the Macintosh (Jim Conner)
  - Setting up a Macintosh as a Linux serial terminal (Linux Doc)

  #### For Unix and Variants and/or X

  - Don't overlook xterm!
  - The Multi Gnome Terminal.
  - The Gnome Terminal (singular and original; available via FTP).
  - iBiblio index of Linux serial telecommunication software
    (Minicom, Seyon, ecu, pcomm, virtmodem, xc, termite)
  - Minicomm for Linux (similar to Telix in MS-DOS; src.tar.gz; GPL)
  - tn5250 (emulates IBM terminal for AS/400)
  - rxvt X-based terminal-emulator program (see also Freshmeat reference)
  - The Seyon program eases modem dialing from xterm.
  - Eterm (substitute for xterm)
  - emu (tarball version 1.31; some assembly required)
  - PCVT terminal emulator (by Hellmuth Michaelis; i386 source code)
  - freevt3k (allows Unix workstation to connect to HP MPE system)
  - Blurt (lightweight virtual terminal emulator for X: BSD license)
  - FTP source for freevt3k and xhpterm
  - X11tek (V00463 for DECwindows/X11, in C, emulates Tektronix 4010/4014)
  - Iowa HP/UX software collection (which contains
    GenTerm.tar.gz, a terminal widget, and
    x3270-3.0.3.7.tar.gz, an IBM 3270 emulator for X)
  - crttool: Unix/X vt220 emulator (HEPnet...dead link?)
  - Celeste's Unix Serial Port Resources: Terminals/Emulators (at Sunhelp.org)

  #### For Handheld Computers/PDAs
  (3Com Palm/Handspring Visor/Windows CE/WinCE/Psion/Magic Cap/Zaurus)
  and Mobile/Cell Phones

  These below are freeware/shareware; fully commercial products are here.

  - pSSH 2 for PalmOS 5/ARM (Greg Parker)
  - TuSSH (Angus Ainslie)
  - Palm Pilot Archives (download "Access It" or other terminal emulators)
  - Top Gun ssh for PalmOS (Ian Goldberg: or see the old tgtelnet program or see this link)
  - PalmVNC (Harakan)
  - TUCOWS Serial terminal software for Palm OS
  - TUCOWS Telnet software for Palm OS

    (Warning from the Zterm "vendor:
    Please remember that in the Windows CE world, there is no standard hardware platform as there is in the Windows desktop environment--and, as a result, there are subtle implementation differences in many devices and this can result in some odd operation. )

  - ZtermCE/Zterm-PocketPC (VT100, CY-350, Wyse-50/350, AM75, ANSI)
- Pocket Tera Term (for WinCE)
- ScrawlSoft PT100 Terminal Emulator (for Newton) for mobile/cell telephones
  - SSH & Telnet Floyd (psonek)

  #### For OS/2 (including Warp)

  - Large List of OS/2 Applications, including Terminal Emulation and Telnet (Macarlo)
  - OS/2 C-Kermit

  #### For Atari

  - List of terminal emulators for 8-Bit Atari computers
  - Uniterm emulator for Atari ST (UK FTP source)

  #### For Commodore and Amiga

  - Terminal-emulation and comm software for Amiga (via Aminet: the VAXterm VT220 emulator) ::::
  - DesTerm (terminal emulation for Commodore 64)
  - NovaTerm (terminal emulation for Commodore 64)
  - Linux-Term (project for Commodore 64)
  - Dialogue (terminal emulation for Commodore 128)

  ## Special-Purpose Applications

  - Gallaudet TTY-to-PC Information
  - Handicap BBS archive (technology for coping with disability)
  - OldSoftware.com

  ## Communication Hardware/Middleware/Screen Scraper Vendors

  - ssh (secure shell)
  - OpenSSH
  - Byte Runner (high-speed serial cards for PC ISA bus)
  - Black Box Corporation (Flash-animated homepage)
  - Circuit Cellar Inc. (Steve Ciarcia's versatile enterprise)
  - Hi-Tech Surplus Components (new link)
  - Computercraft Hardware Support
  - Windows-95 Direct-Cable or Ethernet Connection How-To (jrrricha)
  - SNMP Research offers a serial-port legacy adapter for managing simple devices on a network.
  - Asera.com (SEEC Mosaic and host access integration)
  - Teamstudio Screensurfer (with Java support: screen to HTML)

  ## Internet Telnet Protocol Standards

  > Note that the name of the terminal-session protocol is "telnet", not "tel-e-net". Actually, "Telenet" was/is a commercial packet-switched networking service offered by what is now Sprint, in competition with Tymnet.

  - TCP/IP Resources (list by Raz Uri)
  - Telnet Section of TCP/IP FAQ (itprc.com; 2001 link)
  - Telnet negotiation summary (via protocols.com)
  - RFC-854/STD-8 Telnet Protocol Specification (CMU: May 1983)
  - RFC-855/STD-8 Telnet Protocol Specification (CMU: May 1983)
  - RFC-856/STD-27 Telnet Binary Transmission
  - RFC-857/STD-28 Echo Telnet Option
  - RFC-858/STD-29 Suppress Go Ahead Telnet Option
  - RFC-859/STD-30 Status Telnet Option
  - RFC-860/STD-31 Timing Mark Telnet Option
  - RFC-861/STD-32 Extended Options List Telnet Option (CMU)
  - RFC-2941 Telnet Authentication Option (2000: OSU)
  - RFC-2946 Telnet Data Encryption Option (OSU)
  - RFC-1572 Telnet Environment Option (1994)
  - RFC-1571 Telnet Environment Option Interoperability Issues (1994)
  - RFC-1091 Telnet Terminal-Type Option
  - RFC-1411 Telnet Kerberos Option Version 4 (1993)
  - RFC-1205 Telnet IBM 5250 Interface (1991--repaired link)
  - RFC-1097 Telnet Subliminal-Message Option (1989)
  - RFC-1096 Telnet X-Display Location Option (1989)
  - RFC-1372 Telnet Flow-Control Option
  - RFC-1073 Telnet Window-Size Option
  - RFC-1053 Telnet X.3 PAD Option
  - RFC-1041 Telnet 3270 Regime Option
  - RFC-946 Telnet Terminal-Location-Number Option
  - RFC-885 Telnet End-of-Record Option (1983)
  - RFC-764 Old 1980 Telnet Specification (1980)
  - RFC-728 Minor Pitfall in the Telnet Protocol (1977)

  All the RFC-65X-series Telnet-option specifications have now been reclassified by the Internet Architecture Board as "historic" protocols.

  (If your Telnet works, but your PPP connection does not, you might try referring to the book PPP Design and Debugging (2nd ed.) by James Carlson. Some help on dialup PPP troubleshooting is available from Cisco.)

  Another bit of Telnet-protocol history is described as part of the story of the Multics implementation of the EMACS Editor.

  More recent developments in the field include an open-source implementation of the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).

  ## Non-Microsoft DOS for Intel x86

  - DR-DOS (DeviceLogics: release 8.0 current in August 2004)

  ## General Microsoft Windows FAQs

  - The Windows Annoyances FAQs
  - Windows-98 Information (Microsoft's)
  - Al's Winsock Tuning FAQ (link functional 2004-08-16: MTU, MSS)
  - alt.winsock FAQ (link functional 2001-08-08)
  - Frank Condron's World O'Windows
  - 1994 Windows and Windows Programmer FAQs [available 0100 GMT through 1400 GMT]
    (Contribute to the update, now being prepared.)
  - No Nags "free" Win-32 Telnet Clients
  - UWIN: project to retrofit NT with useful Unix features (AT&T)

  ## Microsoft Windows NT "Terminals"

  What Microsoft calls a "terminal server" is not what the rest of the industry calls a terminal server. However, since resistance is futile and we are all now absorbed, here are links for clients packages that can connect only to Windows NT via the Microsoft proprietary protocols. Be forewarned that these products are subject to frequent changes in both name and functionality, as the small vendors jockey for market position amidst Microsoft's FUD.

  - Maxspeed (Hydra clients)
  - Citrix Systems (WinFrame and WinView)
  - Tarantella (thin-client technology from SCO and Wyse)
  - Devon It/Ntavo (thin clients)

  - ECMA-048 Standard (derived from ANSI X3.64) (www.ecma.ch--PDF or MSW)

  (return to Video Terminal index page)
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  Introductory material copyright © 1995
  and archive contents collection copyright © 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010 Richard S. Shuford.

  This page's count says that you are visitor number since 2003-03-14.

  #### Regarding Methods of Emulating the IBM 3270

  Some vendors of terminal-emulation software for PCs and Macintoshes have been claiming to support 3270 terminal emulation--when what the product actually supports is mere emulation of a Televideo terminal with a special keymap that a protocol converter has to interpret. (The protocol converter also gets to do the tricky work of the ASCII -to-EBCDIC code translation and asynchronous/bisynchronous communication bridging.) In some environments, this setup is what you want, but sometimes you want these functions handled within the PC--as other products do. Just be certain of what you are getting!

  Go back.