Usage of Virtualized GNU/Linux for Binary Testing Across Multiple Distributions

In this paper, the authors will discuss how they created a test environment using a single high-end test host that implemented multiple test hosts. The test environment enabled the testing of software running on different Linux distributions with different kernel versions. This approach improved test automation, avoided capital expenditures and saved on desktop real-estate. They employed a version of Gentoo Linux with a modified 2.6 kernel, along with multiple instances of different distributions and version of Linux running on User Mode Linux (UML). The particular tests involved are related to the Linux Standards Base, but the concept is applicable to many different environments.