standard-telnetlib
Standard library telnetlib redistribution. "dead battery".
What it is and what it does
standard-telnetlib is a redistribution of Python's telnetlib module, which was removed from the standard library as part of PEP 594's "dead batteries" initiative. It provides a pure-Python implementation of the Telnet protocol client, allowing legacy code and projects that depend on telnetlib to continue working on modern Python versions where the module is no longer included.
The package is part of a broader archival effort to preserve removed standard library modules on PyPI. It requires no external runtime dependencies and installs with low friction. The project is intentionally dormant and minimal—it exists to maintain compatibility with existing code rather than to add features or actively develop the Telnet protocol support.
Use it for:
- Restore telnetlib imports in legacy projects migrating to newer Python versions where the module was removed
- Maintain backward compatibility in applications that use Telnet for remote device management or network diagnostics
- Provide a fallback for code that conditionally imports telnetlib when the standard library version is unavailable
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Provides the telnetlib module removed from Python's standard library, allowing projects to maintain compatibility with code that depends on Telnet protocol client functionality.
Yes, if your project depends on telnetlib and targets Python versions where it has been removed from the standard library. The package is permissively licensed, has no external dependencies, and installs cleanly. Dormant maintenance is appropriate for an archival redistribution. Install only if you actually need Telnet protocol support; do not add it speculatively.
Install
standard-telnetlib on PyPI
pip
pip install standard-telnetlibuv
uv add standard-telnetlibpoetry
poetry add standard-telnetlibInstalling standard-telnetlib
Before you install
Low friction installation with no runtime dependencies. Maintenance is dormant (653 days since last release), but the package is archived preservation work rather than active development, which is appropriate for a standard library redistribution.
License in practice
Licensed under PSF-2.0 (Python Software Foundation License), a permissive license that poses no restrictions on use or redistribution in most contexts.
Quickstart
pip install standard-telnetlib
import telnetlib
tn = telnetlib.Telnet('example.com')
Verify before relying
- Whether the redistributed telnetlib maintains full API compatibility with the removed standard library version
- Compatibility scope across Python versions beyond what the fact sheet specifies
- Whether telnetlib functionality works as expected in practice on modern Python versions
Package facts
| License | PSF-2.0 (permissive) |
| Python support | not specified |
| Install friction | low — pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | none |
| Maintenance | dormant — 653 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 458,866/month — #6,545 on PyPI (30-day window, as of 2026-08-14) |
| Known vulnerabilities | none known (OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14) |
Evidence: standard_telnetlib-3.13.0-py3-none-any.whl
Keywords: stdlib
Tags
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