Bash script for autodownloading of different latest, "bleeding edge" Linux distros and testing them in qemu VM. Other than Linux, it also boots *BSDs families and other opensource projects. Currently about 100 Linux, BSD and alternative OS distributions are supported in 8 different "families". Also, booting from iPXE mirrors (netboot.xyz and boot.salstar.sk) is supported.
/----------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
| Script downloads recent (latest release) linux ISOs and spins a VM for a test. |
| This is distrohopper dream machine. It consist of the file with distro download |
| functions (distrofunctions.sh) as well as this script. Theoretically, the script |
| should always download recent linux ISOs without any updates. But, if the dev(s) |
| change the download URL or something else, it might be required to do manual |
| changes - distrofunctions.sh. |
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------/linux, bash, curl, wget, awk, grep, xargs, pr (these tools usually are preinstalled on linux)html2text (for PopOS, Fedora, Rosa, Alma, Rocky, Adelie), aria2 (for PopOS)QEMUxz for guix, bzip2 for minix, zip for haiku & reactos, and, finally 7z for kolibri.
sudo pacman -S html2text aria2 p7zip xz bzip2 qemu
sudo ap-get install html2text aria2 p7zip xz-utils bzip2 qemu
If you can't find your favourite linux distro in here, please create a github issue with details about it or add support for it yourself and do a pull request.
Arch-based: DEB-based: RPM-based: Other: Source-based: Containers and DCs: BSD, NAS, Firewall: Not linux:
0 = archlinux 17 = debian 35 = fedora 52 = alpine 69 = gentoo 77 = rancheros 85 = freebsd 99 = openindiana
1 = manjaro 18 = ubuntu 36 = centos 53 = tinycore 70 = sabayon 78 = k3os 86 = netbsd 100 = minix
2 = arcolinux 19 = linuxmint 37 = opensuse 54 = porteus 71 = calculate 79 = flatcar 87 = openbsd 101 = haiku
3 = archbang 20 = zorinos 38 = rosa 55 = slitaz 72 = nixos 80 = silverblue 88 = ghostbsd 102 = menuetos
4 = parabola 21 = popos 39 = altlinux 56 = pclinuxos 73 = guix 81 = photon 89 = hellosystem 103 = kolibri
5 = endeavour 22 = deepin 40 = mandriva 57 = void 74 = crux 82 = coreos 90 = dragonflybsd 104 = reactos
6 = artix 23 = mxlinux 41 = mageia 58 = fourmlinux 75 = gobolinux 83 = dcos 91 = pfsense 105 = freedos
7 = arco 24 = knoppix 42 = clearos 59 = kaos 76 = easyos 84 = proxmox 92 = opnsense
8 = garuda 25 = kali 43 = alma 60 = clearlinux 93 = midnightbsd
9 = rebornos 26 = puppy 44 = rocky 61 = dragora 94 = truenas
10 = archlabs 27 = pureos 45 = qubes 62 = slackware 95 = nomadbsd
11 = namib 28 = elementary 46 = nobara 63 = adelie 96 = hardenedbsd
12 = obarun 29 = backbox 47 = ultramarine 64 = plop 97 = xigmanas
13 = archcraft 30 = devuan 48 = springdale 65 = solus 98 = clonos
14 = peux 31 = jingos 49 = berry 66 = peropesis
15 = bluestar 32 = cutefishos 50 = risios 67 = openmamba
16 = xerolinux 33 = parrot 51 = eurolinux 68 = pisi
34 = tailsosgit clone https://github.com/sxiii/linux-downloadercd linux-downloader./download.sh
If you manually pick distros (opt. one or two) you will be prompted about launching a VM for test spin for each distro.
Multiple values are also supported:
This script verified as working correctly on the following OSes:
Clone the repo, if you hadn't already, and enter the resuling folder:
git clone https://github.com/sxiii/linux-downloader && cd linux-downloaderOpen file "download.sh" with your favourite text editor. In the according row of "Categories", add the name of your distro in the end of the array.
In the same file, little bit down further, add your distro variable (array) like this: (the order is the same as in "Categories")
distroname=("Full Distro Name" "arch" "releasename" "distronameurl")Here is the real example to make it more obvious:
obarun=("Obarun" "amd64" "rolling" "obarunurl")Save & close the "download.sh" file. Now, open "distrofunctions.sh" file. This is more tricky. We need to AUTOMATICALLY get the URL of the most recent distribution (fixed-links are forbidden as they will destroy the idea behind this script of always get the recent release). So you need to find a way to get the recent release full download URL. For example, if we want to download from Sourceforge.net, make a new function like this:
distronameurl () {
mirror="https://sourceforge.net/projects/SF-Project-Name/files/latest/download"
new="$mirror"
output="distroname.iso"
checkfile $1
}Here you will need to edit: function name (distronameurl), mirror address (in this example we're downloading project "SF-Project-Name" from sourceforge), output file name. Checkfile is the function that checks if file exists and downloads the file if not, so don't touch it. If you are going to download not from sourceforge, but from some other website, please check the other distributions for examples - there are plenty of examples of how to parse websites to get the recent download links automatically. In the end, you need to supply "new" variable with full ISO URL, as well as "output" var with filename (and mirror variable is there for cleaniness of the code and code consistancy). Other than that, you can use "grep, awk, xargs" or other classic UNIX tools to parse the HTML (or several files) and get the actual download link. If you'll create temporary files, please don't forget to remove them in the end of the function. You can as well parse file listings like HTTP or FTP server mirror hosts. If you can't write the correct code, feel free to create an issue and ask me for help.
Now, save the "distrofunctions.sh" file. Run the ./download.sh script, type-in number of your distribution, and check, that it's downloaded correctly.
Last but very important, please create a pull request, so I could check and add distribution of your choice.
Thank you!
"Work-in-progress". To do:
Feel free to do a pull request or ask me to add your favourite distro in the issues. NB: I prefer the distros updated at least during the last 2-3 years (ideally, 1 year). Exceptions can be historically important releases and rare/special operating systems.