One of the most effective ways to evaluate a Linux distro is to install it in a virtual environment. However, there are times when this manual process can consume too much time, or intimidate some users with its technical details. The people at OSBoxes offer an alternative: ready-to-use Linux virtual machines, compatible with VirtualBox and VMWare.
Want to evaluate a Linux distro? Great! The ecosystem is broad, and I am sure you will find something you like. What is the priority? Ease of use? Security testing? Or maybe revitalizing an old computer? You can do all that and much more. Now, what is the best strategy? Purists recommend installing your chosen distro directly "on the metal", that is, on a laptop or a secondary hard drive/SSD on your desktop system.
The other option (in case you don't have extra hardware) is to follow the virtual route. Whether using VirtualBox or VMWare, the advantage of creating a complete environment for your Linux distro should not be taken lightly. Still, I admit that downloading the ISO image, going through the entire traditional installation, loading the modules of both virtualizers (Guest Additions or VMWare Tools) and resolving potential conflicts becomes tedious in record time. This is when OSBoxes with its ready-to-use Linux virtual machines.
OSBoxes: Linux virtual machines for VirtualBox and VMWare
OSBoxes presents dozens of Linux distros in its database. Each entry shows the download link for the virtual machines, and another that takes you to the official page of the distro. The interface is basic and is divided into three tabs per distro: one for VirtualBox, another for VMWare, and the third with basic information, which includes the password of the main user (usually osboxes.org). If the images have Guest Additions and VMware Tools, you will also see it there, as well as the minimum recommended version for the virtualizers.
The rest is a matter of importing the virtual machine into the virtualizer. In the case of Debian 9.7 we got a VMDK image, so first we must create a virtual machine in VMWare Workstation, and then configure that VMDK as a hard disk. Technical quirks? During our tests we found two: The Debian 9.7 image comes without sudo, and with all repositories disabled. Nothing that Synaptic cannot fix, but these are details to consider. Don't hesitate: Visit OSBoxes, download some of these Linux virtual machines, and experiment.
Official site: Click here
https://old.neoteo.com/distros-de-linux-online-distrotest/
