Testing operating systems before installing them is a simple task but requires certain tools. If you ask yourself how to test a Linux and Windows virtual machine from online browser? This article is for you.
How to test in a Linux and Windows virtual machine from the online browser?
A virtual machine consists of a software that runs in the window of a computer as if it were a normal application. The process does not affect the operation of the operating system or the performance of the computer running it.
Next, we explain what a virtual machine consists of, its usefulness and importance and the procedures to follow to access this software from an online browser.
What is a virtual machine?
A virtual machine is a program that emulates the operation of a computer inside another through an encapsulation that separates the two instruments. Virtual machine software creates a separate layer for using the hardware components of an operating system through an emulation process.
What is a virtual machine for?
A virtual machine is used to emulate any operating system in order to safely test it without risking the behavior of the computer running its operating system. It also allows you to increase the size of your hard drive when you need more storage space on your computer.
As regards the security issue, you could run the files from the virtual machine to check if they are trustworthy or not and to prevent them from causing damage to your computer. Thus, you will keep immunity in the real operating system.
Manage network technology with a virtual machine
It is possible to simulate a network environment with the purpose of connecting multiple virtual machines running on the same computer through an interconnection and managing the configuration as it would happen on real computers. This process would be very useful if you want to test the security of your networks or when you are sending messages over a network from the Windows console to inform an entire workgroup.
Steps to test Linux virtual machine from online browser
If you want to emulate the GNU / Linux operating system from the virtual machine, you can take advantage of the browser online to perform this procedure. To do this, you need to log into a website called DistroTest.
What is DistroTest?
DistroTest is a web page that you can get from any online browser of your choice. This site allows you to test several Linux versions or distributions from the Internet before proceeding with the installation.
DistroTest has a large reservoir of distributions that you can try for free. The website runs a VNC server that allows users to log into the platform and see it as it really is, then run the version of their choice.
How to use DistroTest?
Once you enter DistroTest, you will see a main page with a list of available Linux distributions in alphabetical order. Press the version you prefer and click on «Details» to see the attributes of the virtual machine. Then, press the «Start» or «System Start» button to start the virtual machine in a new window.
Steps to test in Windows virtual machine from online browser
You can connect to a virtual machine that emulates the Windows system via the site Azure DevTest Labs which you will get in any web browser. If, on the other hand, you prefer to take advantage of your operating system, you can choose to enable Hyper-V in Windows through a simple and practical procedure.
What is the Blue Bastion?
Azure Bastion is a Microsoft company service that allows you to connect to your virtual machines from the web browser. Provides an RDP / SSH connection via the Azure portal. Users can enable browser access to virtual machines by setting up an Azure Bastion virtual network. It is in fact possible to assign a static IP address to a virtual machine with Azure.
Use Azure Bastion to test a virtual machine from the browser
To use this service, you need to connect to the "Azure Portal" from any web browser. Then selecting a virtual machine will open a session RDP/SSH from the browser. It is important to note that it is not necessary to have a public IP from the virtual machine providing the Azure service.
