[SLUG] multi Linuxes

[john at johnallsopp.co.uk]

Hi ppl

I asked this at the last meeting and thanks for the best solution
which was to use live CDs, but that doesn't solve the problem of older
Linux versions, so I wonder if anyone else in the list who wasn't at
the meeting might be able to help me design this.

I'm doing the LPI thing, and some of the functions is discusses relate
to version 7 of Red Hat, which is obviously quite old and won't be
available as a live CD.

Upcoming is using Debian or Red Hat's installation manager. I'm going
to suggest we learn both (since the point is to learn) and that would
also give a little time for others to catch up if necessary, I know
Steve wanted to join in late.

So, that gives me a requirement to run Debian, Fedora, and Red Hat 7.

Xen, which we talked about a few months ago, seems to offer that
capability. Fine so far.

I don't want that to be my main machine, since I may easily break it
(I'm learning after all), and I need my main machine for work, so I'm
thinking of turning the old box I'm using now, when it's replaced with
my long-mooted silent PC, into a computer running many versions of
Linux for testing and learning.

However, I don't really have room for another full PC with screen,
keyboard, mouse and all that. I'd prefer it to just hum away in a
cupboard somewhere on the network, and for me to access it via my main
machine's i/o devices.

That all seems perfectly possible. What I don't know, though, is how
to make that PC controllable from my main machine, and yes I want the
full GUI just like a normal user, not just a text/terminal interface.

I have used VNC before, and that works scarily well, but is that
appropriate here?

I'm not too bothered about speed though, if that of any importance.

All help appreciated

J