New tool for testing Linux distributions: distrotest.net

Posted by jaslar
Jun 15, 2019 at 08:40 PM

This isn’t exactly outliner software, but for those of us whose CRIMPing extends to operating systems, here’s a new thing: a web-based way to test drive a Linux distro without downloading and copying to a CD or flash drive, or installing to a virtual machine.

Check out https://distrotest.net—which has some 688 versions over 223 unique operating systems. Because of the Forbes article about it, which ran today (6/15/19), the server is currently overwhelmed, although they’re working on a fix. Over the past week or so, I’d already tested (via flash drive) Elementary, Linux Lite, Manjaro, MX Linux, Peppermint, Pop!_OS, Solus, and Zorin. But this looks like it would have saved a lot of downloading.

I was looking for something to replace the Windows 7 Home Edition on my 7 year old Acer laptop. I installed Linux Lite, but MX Linux was really fast, and Manjaro was pretty snappy, too. Linux tools of choice: Notecase Pro, Freeplane, and there are now Simplenote and Dynalist apps (although they’re basically web wrappers).