August 25, 2015

Kali 2 as a long term everyday Linux #1: why it may be useful to you


This educational tutorial is aimed to who isn't afraid by the command line and wants to upgrade the everyday PC to an easy-to-use,  powerful, security-probing-ready, rolling Linux, backed up by a large active community. The goal here is to ease the upgrade of your current pc to such a powerful tool, with simplicity and  efficacy.

Kali 2.0, formerly Backtrack, has been released august 11, 2015 just before DEFCON-23.



I think it's mature enough to be adopted as an everyday long-term Linux:
  • Based on Debian Jessie stable.
  • Major security probing tools installed and updated.
  • Kernel and drivers already patched for wifi security probing.
  • Security tools updates are monitored and updated from Debian testing or from their own repo.
  • Freedom of choice on windows managers, kali's team choice is Gnome 3.
  • Rolling release, low obsolescence.
  • Runs on many platforms, included Raspberry Pi 1 & 2, Beaglebone, Chromebook, Mac, Galaxy Tab 10.1, and even smart-tv pendrives.
While I appreciate Arch Linux for its fine trimming capabilities, it's a time consuming choice for my work lifestyle. A rolling Debian has the power and flexibility I need, and in the long term it saves me a lot of time compared with other Linux distributions. Debian constraints are acceptable for me. I used Ubuntu, but as a CyberSecurity professional i prefer Kali.
Kali can be installed on a Mac or in a VM, but these specific details are not covered here. For ChromeBook hints please start looking here.

These tutorials are tagged kali-everyday and include:
  1. Download and verify Kali ISO and put Kali into a bootable pendrive.
  2. Backup the old system, using the Kali pendrive as a Digital Forensics tool.
  3. Install Kali from the pendrive.
  4. Housekeeping.
  5. Restore the data from the backup.
  6. Install main productivity tools.
  7. Install other software.
  8. Other tips useful for everyday use.
Proceed with download and verify Kali ISO, then build a bootable pendrive