As a long-time Linux user, I enjoy encouraging others to try it. That’s why I search for ways people can explore Linux without much hassle. There’s virtual machines, there’s WSL—then there’s a platform that lets you run a Linux distro from the web browser you’re using right now.
Running Linux From a Browser? It Can Be Done
I recently stumbled upon DistroSea.com, a website that lets you run and test 60+ Linux distributions straight from your web browser. No need for any installation or even creating a live bootable medium. DistroSea uses virtual machine (VM) technology to allow multiple operating systems (distros, in this case) to run on a single host system. Each Linux distro runs in an isolated VM with its own virtualized resources (CPU, RAM, storage.)
So how does it work? DistroSea downloads and configures the distro ISOs using the quick get script from the Quickemu project. It also uses noVNC libraries to allow you to interact with the distros in your browser. noVNC a web-based VNC (Virtual Network Computing) client that connects to the graphical environment of the Linux distro running on the server and streams it to the user’s browser. This allows full interaction with the distro as if it were installed locally.
DistroSea isn’t the first website to bring this. Before DistroSea, there was DistroTest.net. It eventually shut down, though. Still now, there are some websites like this that offer using a Linux distro online. But when it comes to DistroSea’s collection and features, it seems unbeatable. I find DistroSea is better at keeping up to date with the latest distro versions, bug fixes, and performance improvements.
Testing Some of the Popular Linux Distros
The first distro I tried on DistroSea was Ubuntu. I went with the vanilla version first. I tried both the 24.04 and 24.10 versions. For 24.04, I’d say the experience was slightly better than in VirtualBox. Ubuntu 24.04 in VirtualBox had some incompatibilities which caused the system to get stuck. I didn’t face any such issues in DistroSea.
It came with many default apps, like the full LibreOffice suite, Remmina, and GParted. There was no password set on the default user account. I could use the sudo command or become root without any problem. I installed some apps such as VLC, Git, and GIMP. At first, I was a bit skeptical, since this is a live environment on top of being hosted online, I’d be able to install anything. To my surprise, I could download and install 1GB of apps without any issues. I also tried the App Center to install apps, and as expected, it worked.
Let’s look at how it actually feels to use. Now, of course, expecting the same user experience from DistroSea as you would from a native installation would be a mistake. However, DistroSea withstood my testing fairly well. I did some programming, surfed the internet, watched videos (on Dailymotion, YouTube wouldn’t play for some reason), edited images on GIMP. Most tasks were handled well. It was when I started multitasking that I noticed excessive lag and freeze.
For web browsing, I used Mozilla Firefox. I visited some heavy websites to see how well it could handle them. After opening more than two tabs, I faced issues. It also hung temporarily when I tried to download something using the browser. The internet speed was uncapped, and I got the same speed as my regular machine (I used Fast.com to measure.) So, I can’t blame this on my internet.
After testing Ubuntu, I also drove a few other distros such as Fedora Workstation, Arch Linux (no GUI), and Zorin OS 17 Core64. The experience was more or less the same in terms of performance. One thing I did notice though was that lighter distros were easier to use and mess with.
It’s Not Quite the Full Linux Experience
While I spent some good time tinkering with DistroSea, I realized it can’t offer the full Linux experience yet. Firstly, you’ll need a stable internet connection to use and stay on the platform. If you have an unstable internet connection, you’ll often get disconnected. Even with a good internet connection, some aspects are bound to still be a bit laggy. I was getting slow responses for mouse clicks and keyboard shortcuts.
Another problem you may face is that if you’re inactive for a couple of minutes, the system will disconnect you automatically without any warning. This is to save the resources allocated to your VM instance and give it to another person who’s trying to connect. For popular distros like Ubuntu, you’re often required to wait in a queue before you can get a chance to try a distro.
There’s also a limitation on internet usage: you can’t access the internet from within the distro unless you sign in with a Google account. Again, the creators did this for safety issues and to prevent too many outgoing internet connections. So, if you don’t want to sign in with Google, you won’t be able to do anything on the internet. Also, the sound didn’t work for me. I tried several audio sources and videos but to no avail.
Finally, another limitation is that you’re not using a fully installed Linux system, but rather a live environment for the Linux distributions it hosts. A live environment is essentially a “try before you install” setup, similar to what you see when booting an Ubuntu ISO, where you’re given the option to either “Install Ubuntu” or “Try Ubuntu.” DistroSea exclusively provides the “Try” version. While this is great for exploration and testing, it limits functionality in several ways, including your data not persisting across boots.
Having said that, it’s a great starting point. There are almost no requirements to use it. No configuring virtual machines or installing WSL. No risk of tampering with your device or losing data. Just hop on your browser, launch the site, choose a distro of your liking, and start playing with it. Having such fewer barriers would interest many more people to finally try out Linux.
DistroSea definitely has great potential. As of writing this, it’s a small operation. It relies on donations from Linux enthusiasts to keep it moving. Considering that, I really appreciate how well the developers have done their job and how far the platform has come. If you want to set your foot in the Linux world with minimal effort, then DistroSea is a must-visit. After that, you can try other ways of starting to use Linux to continue your journey.
