A file-transfer upgrade is successful when the intended file arrives intact and failures are visible. Merely connecting to the remote system is not enough.
New release, different defaults
C-Kermit 11.0.506, released August 3, is the first non-beta since 2011. It adds IPv6 and changes collision handling to REJECT and transfer mode to MANUAL. Confirmation for unsolicited files excludes headless server/iksd operation. Legacy compatibility modes restore older settings but weaken protections.
By September 8, 11.0.509 is available, with fixes including terminal-resize forwarding, PTY cleanup and possible Telnet stalls. Read the maintenance notes as well as the major-release announcement when selecting a package.
A migration matrix for an existing job
Use a disposable destination and a copy of a representative transfer, not the only copy of production data. Record the old job’s explicit configuration before changing anything. The following are proposed checks, not transfers performed by PeopleAreGeek.
| Case | Evidence to retain |
|---|---|
| Destination file absent | Intended pathname, received size and payload comparison |
| Same filename already present | Whether the job rejects, replaces or preserves it, and how that outcome is reported |
| Binary payload and a text payload | Byte integrity for binary; deliberately expected line-ending conversion for text |
| Interrupted connection | Visible failure, handling of partial data and a deliberate retry policy |
| Scheduled unattended run | Behaviour without a person available to answer prompts |
The cover illustrates the second row: identical incoming data can produce different destination outcomes under different collision policies. That is why “the server accepted the connection” is not a sufficient success criterion.
Make compatibility an explicit decision
Do not enable a broad legacy mode solely because a script is old. First identify which setting it actually depends on. If a temporary compatibility mode is necessary, document its scope and keep the trial separate from routine transfers until the outcome is checked.
The practical target is a job that states its transfer type, destination policy and failure behaviour deliberately. That makes the next upgrade easier to assess too: compare the contract of the job with the new release, rather than hope inherited defaults remain unchanged.
September 8: verify changed defaults and headless exception, add 11.0.509 maintenance, replace blanket legacy-mode advice with a transfer validation matrix.