Home / Distros / Kali Linux

Kali Linux

The industry-standard penetration testing distribution.

Hacking Advanced

Overview

Based onDebian (Testing)
Package managerAPT
Package format.deb
Release modelRolling release (based on Debian Testing)
Default DEXFCE
Maintained byOffSec (Offensive Security)
Websitekali.org

What Kali Is (and Isn't)

Kali is a specialized tool for security professionals, penetration testers, and security researchers. It is not a general-purpose daily-driver desktop distribution.

Important: Kali is designed for authorized security testing only. Using these tools against systems you don't own or have explicit permission to test is illegal. Kali is a scalpel, not a sledgehammer.

Pre-installed Tool Categories

Kali ships with 600+ security tools organized by category:

Installation Options

Package Management

# Update and upgrade
sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

# Install a tool metapackage
sudo apt install kali-tools-web        # Web testing tools
sudo apt install kali-tools-wireless   # Wireless tools
sudo apt install kali-tools-forensics  # Forensics tools
sudo apt install kali-linux-everything # All tools (large download)

# Install individual tools
sudo apt install metasploit-framework
sudo apt install burpsuite

# Search available tools
apt search kali-tools

Tips

Alternatives