Launching distributions from a browser Test Drive

With so many Linux distros to choose from, you can spend a lot of time downloading and installing before you find the right one for your needs. DistroTest.net lets you test a variety of Linux distributions from the browser without the up-front installation work.

- Erik Bärwaldt

If you've been thinking about switching from another operating system to Linux, you initially will be confronted with a large choice of distributions, desktop environments, and package managers. More than half a dozen popular desktops and several hundred distributions compete for your favor.

Until now it has been difficult, especially for newcomers, to find the Linux derivative best suited to their needs, due to all these choices. That dilemma is now done and dusted. The Distro Test. net website [1] lets you to try out more than 370 Linux distributions online, without having to install them or launch a live system from a removable disc.

Concept

Distro Test.net currently offers some 790 versions of nearly 370 distributions for testing. It provides the Linux derivatives as virtual machines (VMs), which can be used very much like locally installed computer systems with the help of a VNC client. You can upload files to the VMS, and you can install your own software, which is especially useful for testing purposes.

Of course, these virtual Linux systems do not have network access - primarily to prevent possible misuse. You also cannot set up software dependencies that involves additional on the VM. The entire site infrastructure uses free software.

Getting Started