Slashdot Mirror


$2,400 'Introduction To Linux' Course Will Be Free and Online This Summer

kc123 writes "Earlier this week, The Linux Foundation announced that it would be working with edX, a non-profit online learning site governed by Harvard and MIT, to make its "Introduction to Linux" course free and open to all. The Linux Foundation has long offered a wide variety of training courses through its website, but those can generally cost upwards of $2,000. This introductory class, which usually costs $2,400, will be the first from the Linux Foundation to run as a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)."

12 of 84 comments (clear)

  1. and if you call right now.... by turkeydance · · Score: 2

    you'll receive a bonus absolutely free! it's Saturday, here. waiting for DST. bored. sucks.

    1. Re:and if you call right now.... by Penguinisto · · Score: 4, Informative

      Shit, there's been an intro to Linux course out for free for, like, 14 years now: it was written to be self-guided. I know this because, well, I wrote it.

      (original announcement )

      (...I'm kind of amazed it's still available online, though seeing it in .doc format is kinda funny. Tried to find the original Slashdot announcement, but the search engine on the site sucks.)

      --
      Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?
  2. Re:Repeat after me by Chrisq · · Score: 2

    As long as I never see or need to use the command line, it doesn't matter what operating system I use.

    To a great extent with things like cygwin it doesn't matter if you do use the command line either

  3. linux by JohnVanVliet · · Score: 3, Insightful

    well for those of us that have been using one version or another for the last ten years
    it might be a good review
    -- quote --
    " As long as I never see or need to use the command line, it doesn't matter what operating system I use."
    --- end quote--
    Most of the programs i use DO NOT !!!! use a GUI
    or do not need the one that it might have

    the terminal is GREAT !!!!
    learn to use it !!!!!

    --
    "I don't pitch OpenSUSE Linux to my friends, i let Microsoft do it for me
    1. Re:linux by armanox · · Score: 2

      Actually, to do a lot of things in the Microsoft world (*Exchange*) you have to use Powershell.

      --
      I'm starting to think GNU is the problem with "GNU/Linux" these days.
    2. Re:linux by jd2112 · · Score: 2

      Are you kidding? The very first thing I do when I see a Linux GUI is CTRL+ALT+F1 (or F2, F3... anything to get a normal tty). In any other *nix, I immediately pop open a terminal and do all my work there.

      For those who know why, no explanation is necessary. For those who do not (*cough*MCSA types*cough*), no explanation will suffice.

      Actually you now need to know some PowerShell in order to pass the MCSA tests, at least for Windows 2012.

      --
      Any insufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology.
  4. Re:Hmm, might be worth checking out by Chrisq · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I've been a Microsoft user myself, since about age 4 (now 30) - so I know Windows backward and forward, and knew DOS pretty well for a time. I'd like to branch out, and a top-notch training course in Linux for free seems appealing. I'm sure I could self-educate if needed, but having a more organized study laid out - for free! - sounds great.

    This is the brilliant thing about free courses. Give it a go and if you decided its not for you all you have wasted is a few hours of your time.

  5. Re:Curious by AnonymousCoward1998 · · Score: 2

    Usually a bored IT tech looking for a company paid vacation.

  6. Re:Curious by Xtifr · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The kind of person who thinks an education has value?

    The kind of person who prefers to learn things in an orderly fashion, rather than digging through random piles of source code and "free" advice from the internet of questionable utility and accuracy? And who is willing to pay for that privilege, or who works for a company that has a budget for ongoing education?

  7. Re:Hmm, might be worth checking out by Penguinisto · · Score: 2

    I've been a Microsoft user myself, since about age 4 (now 30) - so I know Windows backward and forward, and knew DOS pretty well for a time. I'd like to branch out, and a top-notch training course in Linux for free seems appealing.

    I strongly suggest doing this. I've lost track of the sysadmin job candidates that I've had to turn down because the vast majority of our environment is not Windows, and a string of Microsoft-centric accomplishments with occasional dabbling in Linux is a non-starter.

    Only one of the past seven positions I've held over the years was a strictly Windows-centric shop, and only one other tried to be (until I showed them a better way, eventually leading to a 50/50 mix of Windows+Linux, which cut down our EA costs greatly.)

    Thing is, over time, you'll find more and more that shops are not drinking the koolaid anymore, and are balancing out their stable with a wide mix of stuff. No sense in limiting yourself, is there?

    --
    Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?
  8. Re:Curious by mysidia · · Score: 4, Informative

    The kind of person who thinks an education has value?

    I agree that education has a value, and I still wouldn't buy this for $2400, or even $1200 or $600. When you consider that it is just video material --- it's definitely not worth so much.

    "Has value"; does not mean "each individual course infinite value", AND the majority of the cost that goes into education should be the student's time.

    Partly because I am familiar with Linux and don't need an intro class.

    But even if I was not familiar with Linux; I wouldn't buy this because $2400 is 75% of a full semester college tuition, and this is just one class which might or might not turn out to be a good or useful class.

    A price of $2400 for a couple weeks worth of coursework is obviously intended to provide profits for the institution putting the class on moreso than to provide an education at an economically reasonable price.

    Imagine how much you need to pay, if you actually want more than an intro, and you want 5 or 6 classes worth of organized course work, to learn somewhat more than just the basics?

    Is it really worth it to pay an extra $30,000 to become somewhat skilled in Linux? Probably earn no more money from a Linux-related job, even if you have one, or afew extra $K for some years than otherwise... obviously not recouping training cost.

  9. Re:Repeat after me by Mister+Liberty · · Score: 4, Funny

    $> Repeat after me
    Repeat: command not found