I needed to run some exploratory testing of a web application using FireFox on a Linux OS. In my environment, using anything but a Window's OS requires permission and several hoops through which to jump. I find myself using Hyper-V to avoid these issues, and because it is so easy.

There are so many versions of Linux, so which one should I choose?

I feel like a kid in a candy store when it comes to selecting one, or maybe two operating systems. I began with Ubuntu, essentially, picking up from the last chapter where I grew tired and put down the book that is Linux. Ubuntu worked well, or at least, it did not leave a bad taste in my mouth. Last time I installed Ubuntu, I was using Virtual PC 2004, and it worked successfully.

Installing Ubuntu 8.10 in Hyper-V was incredibly easy. A full installation required 3-4 screens of user interaction. After downloading the ISO image to my server, I fired it up in Hyper-V. First, select a language. Second, choose to try, install, check for defects, test memory, ect. I chose to "install" versus "try" a live version. Third, user input screen, answer some install configuration questions such as language, time zone, keyboard layout, disk space partition, and login information. Finally, after installing, I am prompted for my login and password. Total time was less than thirty minutes, and perhaps it could have been faster, but I was multitasking. After installing Ubuntu and configuring FireFox to work with my network, I was testing my web application.

Still in awe of how easy the installation was, I decided to try out other flavors of Linux. Like Microbrews, Linux distros seem to be a dime-a-dozen. I found some online articles to help me narrow down what distros other seems to like, and so I arrived at the following.

The distros I downloaded and installed (or tried to install) as a Hyper-V Virtual Machine.

• Ubuntu 8.10
• Fedora 10
• Linux Mint 6
• Mandriva Linux One 2009 (Gnome and KDE) - tried both
• Open SuSe 11.1 KDE
• SimplyMEPIS 7.0

In Hyper-V, installing Fedora, Linux Mint, and Open Suse were strait-forward and successful on my first run, just like Ubuntu. I had trouble with Mandriva and SimplyMEPIS. Both of them would hang as they tried to load the ISO image, so I gave up. At this point, I have four working Linux VMs enabling me to test my web applications, so the incentive to get Mandriva and SimplyMEPIS working just is not there right now. I do believe Mandriva and SimplyMEPIS will work with Hyper-V. I must have some configurations incorrect.

One thing I thought was funny about SimplyMEPIS is their website poses a question as part of their advertising, "Why SimplyMEPIS?" They respond with, "SimplyMEPIS just works!" It is sad that to have to advertise that "it just works," because to me, that implies the inverse was the rule rather than the exception with previous versions, or with the technology - in this case, Linux.

I have fought Linux installs in the past, getting my onboard sound card to work, locating other device drivers, and even upgrading browsers. When I see, "it simply works," I am still skeptical. It is unfortunate in my case with Hyper-V, that SimplyMEPIS did not work within the time limits I cared to allow for each distro. I will give it and Mandriva a fair shake by trying other configurations to get them working.

From my experiences, virtual machines are a great place to start getting familiar with operating systems. Having access to Hyper-V certainly made this experience successful and enjoyable. VMware and Virtual PC are two other virtualization software applications I have used as well for similar situations. VMware's support for Linux operation systems is great. I have been able to install Fedora Core and Ubuntu in Virtual PC, but not without swearing at my screen.