Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Scott, Jason
- Abstract:
- Collection of shareware on optical disc, all distributed by the company Walnut Creek and its successors.
- Extent:
- 2 Linear Feet : 2 cartons
- Language:
- English
- Preferred citation:
-
[identification of item], Walnut Creek shareware collection (M2253). Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
This is a collection of optical discs distributed by Walnut Creek software and its successor companies from roughly 1992 to 2006. The software was donated by the Internet Archive via Jason Scott, and likely duplicates titles in their Walnut Creek CD-ROM Collection (https://archive.org/details/walnutcreekcdrom) or their general Shareware CD Collection (https://archive.org/details/cdbbsarchive). The optical discs all come in jewel cases; there are approximately 801 cases, and each contains anywhere from 1 to 6 discs.
About half of the collection is composed of shareware anthologies. Discs often contain an amalgamation of games, fonts, pictures, utilities (i.e. diagnostic programs), and productivity suites (i.e. word processors). The user was expected to pay for the full experience of a shareware program if they liked it, and likely wouldn't have access to the full functionality until they paid. Some of the discs present are freeware, which don’t require a fee, or fully-functional programs that were presumably paid for upfront (like Applixware Office for FreeBSD).
Other discs in the collection allow the user access to free operating systems - largely centered around Unix and the “Unix-like” Linux and FreeBSD paradigms. Major examples in this collection include Berkeley’s FreeBSD series, LINUX Redhat, TurboLinux, Slackware Linux, and so on.
Walnut Creek thrived in an era where people couldn’t get online to find shareware quickly. Having virtual “shopping malls” of sorts at one’s fingertips made these discs popular. The company became part of BSDI (the company behind BSD) in 2000, Said company was then purchased by Wind River Systems, ending with FreeBSD being spun off as FreeBSD Mall. All disks prior to 2000 are published by Walnut Creek. During this time period the publishers of the discs transition from Walnut Creek to BSDI, then joint publishing between BSDI and Wind River, and finally publishing by BSDMall in the most recent artifacts.
- Acquisition information:
- Given to Stanford University, Special Collections by Jason Scott of the Internet Archive.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
- Names:
- Scott, Jason
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Open for research. Note that material must be requested at least 36 hours in advance of intended use. Digital media are not available in original format, and must be reformatted to digital use copies.
- Terms of access:
-
While Special Collections is the owner of the physical and digital items, permission to examine collection materials is not an authorization to publish. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Any transmission or reproduction beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the owners of rights, heir(s) or assigns.
- Preferred citation:
-
[identification of item], Walnut Creek shareware collection (M2253). Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.
- Location of this collection:
-
Department of Special Collections, Green Library557 Escondido MallStanford, CA 94305-6004, US
- Contact:
- (650) 725-1022