Free Linux course has already taught one million people

The best open source software: Linux
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Learning about the Linux operating system and the various Linux distros available is a great way for young programmers to get a start in the industry and many have done so using the Linux Foundation's Introduction to Linux training course.

In fact, the Linux Foundation recently announced that its training course, which is currently in its sixth edition, has surpassed one million enrollments.

The course itself helps students develop a good working knowledge of Linux using both the graphical interface and command line across the major Linux distribution families. The Linux Foundation's free course is a popular first step for individuals interested in pursuing a career in IT as no prior knowledge or experience is required.

Executive director of the Linux Foundation Jim Zemlin explained why the organization developed its own free Linux training course in a press release, saying:

“To have introduced over a million individuals to Linux is a tremendous milestone. One of our primary goals is to bring more talent into the open source community, and offering free, high quality training that is accessible to anyone who wants it is essential to achieving that goal. Thank you and congratulations to everyone who has supported these efforts, including our members, instructors, training support team, and the students themselves. We look forward to training the next million!”

Learning Linux

As Linux powers all of the world's 500 top supercomputers, the vast majority of mobile devices running Google's Android operating system and serves as the backbone of the cloud and the internet itself, understanding Linux is an essential first step to pursuing many jobs in the IT industry.

After completing the Linux Foundation's Introduction to Linux training course, students possess a good working knowledge of Linux that allows them to easily navigate through any of the major Linux distributions. They can also continue their progress as either a user, system administrator or developer using their newly acquired skill set.

Founder and CEO of the edX platform, which hosts the course, Anant Agarwal provided further insight on the success of the Linux Foundation's training courses, saying:

“The Linux Foundation has been an incredible partner of edX for the past six years, bringing dozens of courses in high-tech and in-demand fields to our platform of 34 million learners. Introduction to Linux, their very first offering, has been a true blockbuster – it’s one of our top 10 most popular courses of all time. We’re thrilled to congratulate Linux Foundation on reaching 1 million enrollments and look forward to bringing accessible high-tech education to countless more learners, together.” 

The Linux Foundation's Introduction to Linux course remains open for new enrollments and there is no cost to complete the course. Upon completion though, students can get a verified certificate for $199. For more advanced users though, the Linux Foundation also offers two dozen free training courses in partnership with edX on a number of other open source projects including Kubernetes, Hyperledger and more.

Anthony Spadafora

After working with the TechRadar Pro team for the last several years, Anthony is now the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. When not writing, you can find him tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home. 

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