Terminal Emulator

What Does Terminal Emulator Mean?

A terminal emulator is a software application that replicates the functionalities of classic computer terminals. These terminals consisted of a monitor and a keyboard, and were used mainly to access another computer, such as a minicomputer or a mainframe. The terminal emulator performs the same functionality in software.

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Techopedia Explains Terminal Emulator

A terminal emulator allows a host computer to access another computer, including remote ones, through either a command-line interface or a graphical one. The communication is made possible using protocols such as Telnet and SSH.

The terminal emulator allows the host computer to use or run applications on the remote computer, as well as transfer files between the two. The two systems need not be running the same operating system.

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…