LinuxWorld UK Impresses With Depth - page 4

Overall Impressions

The final part of the show was a very rich conference and seminar program. Before we get into the detail of the conferences on offer, the Linux Professional Institute (LPI) were providing free certification exams for Linux. This was a great opportunity to test you Linux skills and get proof of your abilities. Space was understandably limited and the exams were very popular. Another encouraging sign.

The conference program covered a wide range of topics, split over two areas, one aimed at the technical team and another at the business side. For the technical team we had presentations on PHP, Apache, Ubuntu, deploying desktop Linux and even a presentation from Klaus Knopper on building the LiveCD filesystems used within Knoppix. On the business we have case studies on using desktop Linux, TCO considerations and their limitations and information on the benefits of Open Source software in different markets.

Again, like the general impression of the show, the conference program demonstrated a wide range of topics, skill levels and target audiences. In all cases these were practical guides to getting the best out of Linux, rather than the topics often given just a couple of years ago on the 'potential' of the Linux platform. They were demonstrating real functionality and real uses in ways that would appeal to both technical and business users and the organizers should be applauded for providing such a great range of topics.