Kali Linux was developed by Mati Aharoni and Devon Kearns of Offensive Security through the rewrite of BackTrack, their previous forensics Linux distribution based on Ubuntu.

If you want to try Kali Linux without having to install it, the portable versions are the way to go.

If your system is 64-bit and you want to have a permanent installation, the Kali Linux ISO 64-bit is your choice. First, you have to establish your system's architecture.

What version of Kali Linux should I download?Įach version of Kali Linux is optimized for a specific purpose or platform. Most packages Kali uses are imported from the Debian repositories. What Linux distribution is Kali Linux based on? It is a supported platform of the Metasploit Project's Metasploit Framework, a tool for developing and executing security exploits. Kali Linux can run natively when installed on a PC, can be booted from a live CD or live USB, or it can run within a virtual machine. This was primarily added because the development team found they needed to do a lot of wireless assessments. Kali also has a custom-built kernel that is patched for injection. Kali Linux is developed in a secure location with only a small number of trusted people that are allowed to commit packages, with each package being signed by the developer.

Kali Linux is preinstalled with over 600 penetration-testing programs, including nmap (a port scanner), Wireshark (a packet analyzer), John the Ripper (a password cracker), Aircrack-ng (a software suite for penetration-testing wireless LANs), Burp suite and OWASP ZAP (both web application security scanners). Kali Linux became mainstream popular thanks to the TV Series Mr. Kali is a popular distro among the security community due to its design, it incorporates tools oriented towards penetration testing, security research, computer forensics and reverse engineering.

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