I've been diving into virtual machines lately and I'm looking for a lightweight Linux distribution to use in a VM specifically for browsing the web and running untrusted software. I initially got interested in QubesOS, but it's too unwieldy for my needs. My setup can handle multiple VMs without a hitch—I want to run my Windows 10 build, but I also want a safe place to experiment. Right now, I'm using Linux Mint, and I'm trying to get comfortable with Nix. I tried FreeBSD for its smaller attack surface, but I ran into issues with mouse input management on VMM when I didn't have USB passthrough set up. I thought about using Void Linux, but it doesn't really offer the same benefits as FreeBSD. I have TAILS on a USB for emergencies, but using it daily isn't appealing to me. Any suggestions on what distro might work best?
3 Answers
Honestly, any Linux distribution should work as long as you properly isolate your VM. It's more about how you set up your VMs than which OS you're using. Just make sure you're following good practices for VM isolation.
I’m curious about your FreeBSD issues. I run multiple VMs, and they do require some specific configurations for things like VNC access or SSH. If you'd prefer to run a non-graphical environment, just ensure you have X-forwarding set up. It can be complex but FreeBSD is quite versatile once you get the hang of it.
How about trying BigLinux? It comes with a bunch of pre-installed goodies, so if your untrustworthy software makes it go haywire, you won't have wasted time setting things up. Plus, it's user-friendly for experimenting.
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