Ok, I've tried the hubzero virtual machine and would like to now try a full install and share with  it my colleagues.

(FYI: i used VirtualBox instead of VMware and it worked fine. .. you should indicate that the vmdk can be used with Vbox too)

In any case my questions now are:

1) Should I go with Redhat as my base OS or stick w/ Debian for now?

2)What about using CentOS instead of Redhat?

3) If my colleagues like it and start adopting it how easy will it be to archive/backup/reinstall my hub onto a more powerful machine than the one I'm using for this initial test drive?

4) I found tools that other groups developed and would like to use/adopt them for my hub.... is it easy to "fork" their effort for use in my hub or do I even have to do that?  Can my hub merely link to the tool in their hub? Is there a list of all available tools someplace? What is considered proper etiquette: ask then fork, just take what i need, something in between? 

Thanks in advance,

TOm