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Press Release: GBdirect Release More Free Linux Training Materials

Dave Fisher
writes:

PRESS RELEASE – 5 JULY 1999

GBdirect, Europe’s leading provider of Linux training, today
announced the release of more free Linux training materials.
GBdirect became the world’s first commercial training company to
give away their lecture notes (at www.linuxtraining.co.uk) when
they released four modules from their Linux Systems course as part
of a project to create a comprehensive collection of free Linux
training materials (on 16th June, 1999).

The overwhelmingly positive response to this initiative produced
thousands of downloads and many offers to write and/or translate
course modules. Needless to say, these offers are being actively
pursued. The staff at GBdirect were, however, so enthused by the
reaction that they have managed to release a second tranche well
ahead of schedule.

New modules in the current release cover:

  1. Introduction to the vi Text Editor
  2. The X Windows Graphic User Interface
  3. Shared File Systems (NFS and SAMBA — for UNIX and
    Windows/NT)

Previous modules covered an overview of Linux, the filesystem,
the command line interface and basic tools. Each module consists of
20-25 pages of bullet-pointed lecture notes followed by graduated
exercises. In the interests of good citizenship, the modules are
distributed in low-bandwidth, open-source, formats.

GBdirect’s initial motivation for giving away these notes was to
ensure a wide distribution and to `give something back’ to the
community which created their office software. Whilst this may have
surprised their competitors in the commercial training market, the
folk at GBdirect are now even more convinced that they are
following the path to solid commercial success.

Like many software houses before them, GBdirect have found that
sharing their knowledge brings in hard cash and blue-chip business
partners. As a result of their first release GBdirect have now
established partnerships which will allow them to deliver and/or
re-sell training packages throughout the world. As the managing
director, Mike Banahan, put it: “We knew that the open source
method could deliver the goods commercially, we have only been
surprised by the speed and scale of the uptake.”

Close observers of the training market will be intrigued by
Mike’s comment that “our competitors may already be worried by our
interpretation of the `free market’, but they will be utterly
astonished by what we plan to do next”.

For further details contact GBdirect at the above addresses, or
ring Dave Fisher on 01274 772277

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