Minicom icon

Minicom

Minicom is a text-based serial port communication program that runs in a terminal. It is useful for connecting to devices like routers, switches, and serial consoles to configure them over a serial cable.
Minicom alternatives ➤

What is Minicom?

Minicom is a text-based terminal emulation program for Unix-like operating systems. It is designed to connect to devices with a serial interface, such as routers, switches, servers, and other hardware that can be configured over a serial cable.

Some key features of Minicom include:

  • Making TCP/IP connections to network devices that have serial console ports
  • Sending commands and configuring devices through the serial interface
  • Capturing serial output from devices to log files
  • Scripting using built-in macro language
  • User-friendly interface with menus and keyboard shortcuts

Minicom is commonly used by network administrators and hardware technicians to configure headless servers, networking equipment, embedded systems, and other devices that can be accessed via a serial port. It provides an easy way to connect to the serial console without having physical access to a monitor and keyboard.

Since Minicom runs in a terminal, it works well over SSH connections to remotely manage devices. This allows administrators to do initial setup and troubleshooting of equipment located in data centers or remote offices. It is included by default on most Linux distributions and BSD variants.

Official Links

Official Website
salsa.debian.org/minicom-team/minicom

The Best Minicom Alternatives

Top Apps like Minicom

Tera Term, CuteCom, GtkTerm, ZOC, Zterm, pqcom, YAT - Yet Another Terminal, Blink Shell, CoolTerm, dterm (terminal emulator), MacTerm, Get Console, picocom, Poderosa, MacTelnet, BXO Terminal are some alternatives to Minicom.
Sugggest an alternative ❐

Tera Term

Tera Term is a popular, free, open-source terminal emulator and telnet client application for the Windows operating system. First released in 1994 by T. Teranishi, it has become one of the most widely-used terminal programs for Windows due to its versatility, active development community, and lack of cost.Some of the...

CuteCom

CuteCom is a free, open source, cross-platform serial terminal program that allows connecting to serial devices such as modems, sensors, microcontrollers, etc. to interactively send and receive data.Some of the key features of CuteCom include:Support for multiple simultaneous connections to different devices/portsLogging all communication with connected devices...

GtkTerm

GtkTerm is an open-source terminal emulator application built using the GTK+3 toolkit. It provides a simple yet capable terminal environment for Linux and UNIX-like systems.Some of the key features of GtkTerm include:Multiple tabbed terminalsCustomizable appearance with changeable color schemes, fonts, transparency etc.Standard terminal abilities like scrollback, copy...

ZOC

ZOC is a full-featured professional terminal emulator and SSH client for macOS and Windows operating systems. It has been developed by EmTek GmbH since the 1990s and has a strong reputation for being a reliable and efficient terminal software.Some of the key features of ZOC include:Supports major terminal...

Zterm

Zterm is a free, open source terminal emulator application for Windows. It aims to provide a basic set of terminal features for connecting to systems via protocols like SSH and Telnet.As an open source project, Zterm is developed and maintained by a community of volunteers. It is released under...

Pqcom

pqcom is an open-source email application developed by Lessware. It is designed with a strong focus on privacy and security for personal communication.Some key features of pqcom include:End-to-end encryption using OpenPGP and S/MIME to keep emails privateSupport for major email protocols like IMAP and SMTPMinimalist and straightforward...

YAT - Yet Another Terminal

YAT (Yet Another Terminal) is a free and open-source terminal emulator for Windows. It provides an interface to access Windows command-line interfaces such as Command Prompt, PowerShell, and WSL.Some key features of YAT include:Multiple tabbed terminalsSplit panesCustomizable themes and stylesMacro recording and playbackSupport for links, scrollback, transparencyPortable version...

Blink Shell

Blink Shell is an SSH client application designed specifically for mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. It provides secure command line interface access to remote servers over SSH (Secure Shell).Some of the key features of Blink Shell include:Intuitive terminal interface optimized for touchscreensSupport for public/private key authenticationFully...

CoolTerm

CoolTerm is a popular open source serial terminal program available for macOS, Linux, and Windows operating systems. It provides a simple interface that allows users to connect to serial devices such as microcontrollers, modems, GPS units, and more to send and receive data.Some key features of CoolTerm include:Supports...

Dterm (terminal emulator)

dterm is an open-source terminal emulator for Linux and UNIX-like operating systems. It is developed in D programming language and aims to provide a fast, lightweight and customizable terminal emulator.Some of the key features of dterm include:Supports Unicode and offers text shapingColor schemes and themesTabs and split panesCustomizable...

MacTerm

MacTerm is a popular terminal emulator application designed specifically for the macOS operating system. It provides users with a command line interface to access the Unix shell and run various commands and programs in a text-based environment.Some of the key features of MacTerm include:Supports common Unix shells like...

Get Console

Get Console is an advanced console (command prompt) replacement for Windows. It provides a tabbed interface that allows you to open multiple command prompts in the same window and easily switch between them. Some of the key features of Get Console include:Tabbed interface for running multiple command promptsSearchable command...

Picocom

Picocom is a lightweight terminal emulation program designed to allow a user to communicate with serial devices, such as microcontrollers or modems, from a Linux computer. It has a simple interface and very few dependencies, making it a popular choice for basic serial communication tasks.Some key features of picocom...

Poderosa

Poderosa is a free and open source SSH and telnet client application for Windows. It was first released in 1999 and focuses on providing powerful terminal emulation and secure remote access capabilities.Some of the key features of Poderosa include:Support for SSH and telnet protocols for remote accessTabbed interface to...

MacTelnet

MacTelnet is a terminal emulator application developed specifically for the macOS operating system. It enables users to open secure shell (SSH) and telnet sessions to Linux/UNIX servers, network devices, and other systems directly from their Mac.Some key features of MacTelnet include:Supports common protocols like SSH, Telnet, rlogin...

BXO Terminal

BXO Terminal is a popular open-source terminal emulator and command-line interface application for Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems. It aims to provide a modern, customizable, and user-friendly terminal environment for users ranging from casual to advanced.Some of the standout features of BXO Terminal include:Supports common terminal features...