How to install Linux? All Free Possible Alternatives.

 

Everything About it.

As a newbie, I was continually having issues with installations or resources. Every time I attempted to learn anything new, something held me back, such as a lack of expertise or difficult processes or commands while installing resources. In today's blog, I will most likely expose you to all of the techniques for installing or accessing a Linux shell that may be utilized in Penetration Testing, Shell scripting, Software Development, educational reasons, and so on.

Linux is a Unix-like operating system. Debian, Fedora, and Ubuntu are its popular distributions. One of which, Kali Linux, is most popular among Penetration Testers. There are many methods to install a Linux-based operating system. Among all of them, Installing Linux on the local system is not recommended for beginners who do not understand its functioning properly and also when there are better solutions, which we will cover below.

All of the techniques are ranked based on their simplicity of use and the likelihood of problems during installation. None of the methods on the list cost any money, and they have a large open-source community to assist you if you need it.

Spoilers: The last method contains something interesting for college students.

1. Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

This is a really quick and straightforward way for installing Linux on your Windows PC. It is less well-known among novices because it is still relatively new on the market and has yet to outperform Virtual Machines, which comes next on our list. One thing to keep in mind while using WSL is that it restricts the usage of Linux to the command line but you can easily start RDP service with the help of xrdp for the same which allows you to access GUI (Graphical User Interface) using Remote Desktop Connection. 

To install WSL, search for the required OS on Microsoft Store, for example, Kali Linux, and install it. Now search for "Turn Windows Features on or off" on Windows Search and turn on "Windows Subsystem for Linux" and that's it. Your Linux shell is ready to use after a reboot.

Regularly update your Linux system using the below command:

apt-get update && apt-get upgrade

2. Virtual Machines

This is the most common and extensively used way for installing any operating system in addition to your primary operating system. Virtual Box and VMWare are two well-known services for this purpose. You may securely install Parrot, Kali, Ubuntu, or any other operating system without fear of harming your system or principal operating system, even if one of your VMs gets corrupted. The main drawback of VM is its complexity for newcomers. At first, everything appears complicated and unpleasant, and there is a risk of frequent blunders that may be avoided with community help.

3. Onworks

When you don't want to deal with complicated installations and your involvement is just temporary, you can always employ the services of onworks.net, a free Linux hosting provider. It offers GUI-based workstations directly in your browser without the need to install a virtual machine or sign up for an account. The sole disadvantage of a browser-based workstation is that it is just transitory, and its sessions do not last long. When the session expires, all of your work will be gone. Onworks also provides functionality to save your session in drive through which you can later access your session without losing your files. Their are more alternatives available on internet for onworks that provide web-based hosting for Linux as well.

4. Google Cloud Console

Google Cloud Console, a Linux-based command-line shell, is another option. This is the best solution when you don't want to deal with any setup. All you have to do is go to the below link and login using your Google account. Cloud console has the same drawback as onworks in that its session does not last long and the tools you install in it are temporary, which means that the next time you access cloud console, your tools will be gone and you will have to install them again, but your files and folders will still be there. 

https://shell.cloud.google.com/?show=terminal

5. Amazon Web Services

If none of that was useful, or if your system isn't compatible enough to accept that many items, or if your system is forbidden access to any of those contents owing to some policy regulations, this is for you. Amazon Web Services is a recognized service provider for its cloud computing services all over the world. AWS offers a free year of service to users that sign up for the Free Tier. You can use this capability to build a Remote Desktop for any of the operating systems listed, including Windows and Linux. Remote Desktops are similar to Virtual Machines except for the fact that the machine is hosted on the cloud. When you use this service, you will be provided with a graphical user interface (GUI) in which all of your work will be safely preserved without impacting your computer. But as the saying goes, "Everything has a cost." The remote desktop service runs fine but as you know the system is hosted on the cloud and it is free, thus it lags a little, and you will have to pay for higher performance to get the most out of it.

6. Microsoft Azure Services

This method may appear similar to the last one, however, it is only applicable to college students. Github, a well-known hosting service for software development, provides free memberships and kits, such as Digital Ocean, Canva, DataDog, and others, to college students through the Github Student Developer Pack. One of them is Microsoft Azure. It gives a $100 credit in Azure for use in accessing its many services. Students may use it to build remote desktops for various operating systems such as Kali Linux, Windows, and so on. It may also be used to construct a Virtual Machine that can be accessed through Secure Shell (SSH).

There are multiple routes to the same destination. It is up to you to select the most convenient route. All of the approaches described above have been tried and the blog does not involve any promotion of any of the services or organizations listed. If you have any problem in set ups or have any questions, please contact me using this channel. You may also inform us about any additional options that meet the criterion of being free, simple to set up and could benefit the readers.

If you found it useful, please let us know in the comments section. We'll be back with our new blog shortly. Have a thoughtful day till then. Bye

I have also created up a video on the same topic. If u have any doubts related to the Blog, u can also refer to the below provided YouTube video link -