You might think that booting a Linux live USB is the only way to test a distro out on your computer. There are actually several ways to try out a new Linux distro that are easier than booting to a USB. Here are three methods you can use to trial various Linux distros on your current computer.
3Virtual Machine
Virtual machines are a great way to test an operating system on your desktop. Essentially, with a virtual machine, you are running a computer within your computer.
This allows you to run just about any operating system without having to reboot. I’ve used virtual machines in the past to test out Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Debian, and several other Linux operating systems over the years.
There are pros and cons to using a virtual machine to test a Linux distro before installing it. The biggest con is that it shares resources with your host operating system. If your computer is a bit older, or maybe you just don’t have a lot of spare resources, then the experience might not be as fluid as it could be.
https://www.howtogeek.com/what-are-virtual-machines-and-how-do-they-work/
Virtual machines do provide a full desktop experience of just about any Linux distro that you can get your hands on though, making it the most versatile method of testing Linux on this list.
Plus, with virtual machines, you can even spin up operating systems that wouldn’t be compatible with your current hardware, like DOS, older versions of Debian (pre-2005), and even legacy versions of Windows like Windows XP if you have a disc for it.
2DistroSea
The easiest way to test out a new Linux distro is to use DistroSea. This website offers 60+ Linux distributions that can run right in your browser.
https://distrosea.com/
As it’s been years since I’ve run Linux Mint, I accessed a Linux Mint virtual machine on DistroSea while writing this article. Marked as a “popular” distro, I was logged into a machine in under five minutes.
Overall, I’m very impressed with DistroSea, and it’s absolutely a great way to test out Linux without any overhead. You don’t have to install anything, download any ISOs, or install any software.
Simply click on the distro that you want, choose the version, and then click “Start.” When it’s your turn, you do have to hit one more button, Continue, to actually launch into the system. From there, it takes a few seconds to configure the system and then you’re ready to go.
Additionally, I should acknowledge that I did my testing on a gigabit internet connection. Since DistroSea is connecting you remotely, your mileage will vary depending on your connection strength.
1Docker
Docker is an extremely versatile program. While I primarily use it to run services in my homelab, Docker is definitely capable of running just about any Linux distro you want in a container.
https://www.howtogeek.com/733522/docker-for-beginners-everything-you-need-to-know/
The default setup for most Docker containers is terminal access only, but you can totally set up things like noVNC, which is the same software that DistroSea uses. This allows you to access a normal graphical user interface on your container as if it was a traditional desktop.
While you can build your own Docker containers with just about any Linux base you want, finding pre-built and pre-configured desktop images can be a challenge.
LinuxServer.io, one of my favorite Docker container developers, actually have a selection of containers for this very purpose, however. The drawback is there are only Alpine, Arch, Debian, Enterprise Linux, Fedora, and Ubuntu available through the webtop Docker container.
If you’re wanting to try one of those distros, or any others that you find available on Docker, then this is a great way to give Linux a try on your local machine. However, this isn’t Docker’s strength and might not be the most optimal way to try out various Linux distros.
There really are a lot of Linux distributions out there. Choosing the right one can be a daunting task. You should consider a few things before picking your first Linux distro though, like how you want to interact with it, how often you want to upgrade, and a few other key factors.
