A terminal emulator is a computer application that emulates a hardware terminal. It allows users to access data and software programs installed on centralized computers. Terminal emulators can be graphical and are used for automating tasks, sending data output to a printer, and saving data to a storage device. They are used by healthcare professionals, large companies, and Linux and Unix administrators to access data and use the resources of a centralized computer.
A terminal emulator is a computer application that emulates or behaves like a hardware terminal consisting of at least a keyboard and monitor. Hardware terminals provide access to data and software programs installed or stored on centralized computers, often referred to as mainframes. These specialized computers are typically servers that have large amounts of memory, large storage capacity, and very fast and powerful processors to handle multiple requests from client computers. Instead of needing a physical monitor and keyboard for the express purpose of accessing the resources of a central computer, terminal emulators have been developed to allow software to take the place of hardware.
Terminal application and TTY are terms used to refer to a terminal emulator. While many people think of a terminal emulator as synonymous with a shell, command-line, or text terminal, there are slight differences in these words. For example, a shell is an application itself, not just a window. It does not feature a graphical user interface (GUI), but rather command line work is done within a shell. Command line work is always in text mode and is absent from a GUI; technically, a terminal emulator can be graphical. When they’re graphical, they’re sometimes called terminal windows.
Hardware terminals are generally less intelligent than their emulator counterparts due to the complex programming used to develop them. The ability to transmit data to a central computer and display information from it on the screen was available with hardware terminals, but emulators offer even more. They are often developed for users to automate tasks, send data output to a printer, and save the data to a storage device.
There are many reasons why a terminal emulator is used on a personal computer (PC) to access resources on centralized computers, which can be local or remote. Doctors and other healthcare professionals often need access to lab test results for a patient. These results are typically stored on the central laboratory computer, which can be accessed by PCs used by the healthcare professional if a terminal emulator is installed. Large companies with hundreds of employees often make use of terminal emulators installed on their employees’ desk PCs to allow them to access information and software that is sometimes only available on a central computer.
Linux and Unix administrators often use terminal emulators to access various computers as a Web or File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server. Experienced PC users of the Linux desktop operating system sometimes use terminal emulators to access the system under the GUI because some operations can only be done on a command line, or rather run them. Basically, anyone who wants to access data and use the resources of a centralized computer will need a hardware terminal or terminal emulator.
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