Walnut Creek CDROM

In the early years, some of the most popular products were Simtel shareware for MS-DOS, CICA Shareware for Microsoft Windows, and the Aminet archives for the Amiga. In January 1994,[https://web.archive.org/web/20131006235130/http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/18988936/project-gutenberg-cd-rom Project Gutenberg on CD-ROM] it published a collection of 350 texts from Project Gutenberg, one of the first published ebook collections.

Walnut Creek developed a close relationship with the FreeBSD Unix-like open source operating system project from its inception in 1993. The company published FreeBSD on CD-ROM, distributed it by FTP, employed FreeBSD project founders Jordan Hubbard and David Greenman, ran FreeBSD on its servers, sponsored FreeBSD conferences, and published FreeBSD books, including The Complete FreeBSD. By 1997, FreeBSD was Walnut Creek's "most successful product", according to Bruce.[http://www.freebsdmall.com/cgi-bin/fm/history.html FreeBSD Mall: Company History] From 1995 onwards, Walnut Creek was also the official publisher of Slackware Linux.[http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/10/04/1033538761935.html The Linux distribution that's always in the black, The Age] Walnut Creek also gained fame for its idgames subdirectory, which was the de facto distribution center for the Doom-engine modification community at the time.

As more users gained access to high-speed Internet connections, demand for software on physical media decreased dramatically. The company merged with Berkeley Software Design Inc. (BSDI) in 2000 to focus more engineering effort on the similar FreeBSD and BSD/OS operating systems. Soon after, BSDI acquired Telenet System Solutions, Inc., an Internet infrastructure server supplier.[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_/ai_62661886 BSDi Acquires Telenet System Solutions, Inc.; The New BSDi to Deliver Internet Infrastructure-Grade Software, Systems and Solutions, Business Wire]

The software assets of BSDI (FreeBSD, Slackware, BSD/OS) were acquired by Wind River Systems in 2001, and the remainder of the company renamed itself iXsystems.[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2001_April_4/ai_72739922/pg_1?tag=artBody;col1 Wind River to Acquire BSDi Software Assets, Extending Development Platforms to Include Robust UNIX-based Operating Systems for Embedded Devices, Business Wire] Wind River dropped sponsorship of Slackware soon afterwards,[https://www.linuxtoday.com/infrastructure/2001041701420nwsl Slackware Commercial Distribution Left in Doubt as Developers Are Laid Off, Linux Today] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729164713/https://www.linuxtoday.com/infrastructure/2001041701420nwsl|date=2020-07-29}} while the FreeBSD unit was divested as a separate entity in 2002 as FreeBSD Mall, Inc. Also, the idgames and related archives moved to 3D Gamers in October 2001.{{cite web|url=https://www.bluesnews.com/a/232/doom-quake-unreal-archives-re-opened|title=DOOM, Quake, Unreal archives re-opened|last=Halderman & Frans P. de Vries|first=Ty|date=2001-10-11|website=Blue's News|publisher=|access-date=2020-11-28|quote=}}

iXsystems' server business was acquired in 2002 by Offmyserver, which reverted to the iXsystems name in 2005.[http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2005/11/emw308540.htm OffMyServer Renames Company iXsystems] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090830175005/http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2005/11/emw308540.htm |date=2009-08-30}} In February 2007, iXsystems acquired FreeBSD Mall.[https://web.archive.org/web/20131012140314/http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/02/prweb506879.htm iXsystems Announces Acquisition of FreeBSD Mall]

Walnut Creek CDROM's URL,{{Cite web |url=http://www.cdrom.com/ |title=Free Download of Computer Software, Games, Tools and Utilities - Freeware, Shareware, Demos and Trial Versions - Simtel.net |access-date=2021-06-10 |archive-date=2013-01-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130130192722/http://www.cdrom.com/ |url-status=dead }} for a time was redirected to Simtel.net{{cite web |url=http://www.simtel.net/ |title=Simtel.Net Worldwide Shareware and Freeware Software Distribution Network |website=www.simtel.net |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991110043209/http://simtel.net/ |archive-date=1999-11-10}} but is now "Page not found", as is SimTel (was shut down on March 15, 2013.{{cite web|title=Simtel Web Site|url=http://www.simtel.net/|publisher=Digital River|accessdate=14 March 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130315145600/http://www.simtel.net/|archivedate=15 March 2013}}).

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• {{cite web |title= Official website |url-status=dead |url= ftp://ftp.cdrom.com |archive-date= 1998-02-09 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/19980209123008/http://ftp.cdrom.com/ |access-date= 2018-12-01 }}
• [https://archive.org/details/walnutcreekcdrom Collection of the software they distributed] at The Internet Archive

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Category:1991 establishments in California

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Category:American companies established in 1991

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Category:FreeBSD

Category:Software companies disestablished in 2000

Category:Software companies established in 1991

Category:Defunct companies based in the San Francisco Bay Area