Discover Top Posts Tagged with #intertec superbrain

Kermit and the Brain

It’s the mid 1980s. You have a file want to transfer from one computer to another, but these machines are vastly different. Both have RS-232 serial. That might help, but you have no common protocol to transfer that file.

A frog comes to your rescue.

Seriously though, the Kermit file transfer protocol is one of the most widely ported piece of software out there -- and for good reason. Douglas Crawford explored the ubiquitous transfer protocol on two CP/M capable machines, and an IBM PS/2 luggable running MS-DOS. The Kaypro II machine is plenty common, but the Intertec Superbrain (another Z-80 based machine which ran CP/M) is a recently restored gem. Douglas demonstrated the compile time of the 8080 build of Kermit on his Superbrain, which didn’t take much time at all. Then he transferred some files from the IBM over to the Superbrain like it was nothing. The best part i that Kermit is still a viable data transfer method today when moving information to and from legacy machines.

“This exhibit shows the Intertec Superbrain and its historical role in file transfer technology. In 1981 Columbia University pioneered the application of microcomputers for enabling students to transfer their minicomputer and mainframe work files to and from their own personal floppy disk storage. The first client version of Kermit was implemented on the Intertec Superbrain. From that point Columbia University fostered a grand project that spread Kermit to nearly every execution platform in existence. It might be said that our downloads and uploads we do today over the Internet owe some respect to the Superbrain in its first file transfer to floppy. This exhibit will include: a Superbrain QD computer recently restored to operation, highlights of the restoration effort, unique aspects of the Superbrain’s design, the Superbrain’s role at Columbia University as the first Kermit client platform, period development tools, and a build of an early Z-80 assembler version of the Kermit client that I’m making. It will also demonstrate Kermit file exchange using the Superbrain and possibly running the “built” Kermit client along with a presentation of noteworthy Kermit details, history, and its significance to today.”