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Introduction
An operating system is the most essential software that runs on a computer. It manages the computer's processes, memory, hardware, and software. It also enables you to communicate with the computer without knowing the computer's language. A computer is useless without an operating system.
Generally, operating systems come preinstalled on any computer we buy. Most people use the preinstalled operating system, but if we want, we can upgrade or even change the operating system. Many operating systems are in the market; the three most common are macOS, Linux, and Microsoft Windows. But in this article, we will learn about the Kali Operating system, so stay with us till the end!
What is Kali Operating System?
Kali Operating System is an open-source and free Linux-based operating system that information security experts can easily access. It is designed for advanced digital forensics and penetration testing. It is a Debian-derived Linux distribution that is maintained by offensive security. Kali operating system gained its popularity when it was used practically in a series named "Mr.Robot". It was designed to be used by professionals or the ones who know how to operate Kali/Linux.
Earlier, they used the BackTrack operating system for information security. In March 2013, Kali Linux's first version was released(1.0.0). The Kali operating system is funded and supported by Offensive Security. Multiple well-designed tools are included in Kali OS for different information security purposes, including computer forensics, reverse engineering, security research, and penetration testing.
Installation Methods of Kali Operating System
There are multiple ways in which we can run the Kali Operating System on our personal computers; some of the ways are discussed below:
Hard Disk Installation: We can install Kali Operating System on a hard drive, replacing OS or any other data, to ensure permanent changes. On Reboot, user data is removed by the Live boot desktop, but the installation of hard drives makes the changes permanent
Live USB Mode: Kali OS can be flashed onto a USB stick with at least 8 GB of storage. We can sometimes use Live USBs for persistent storage, though such things need additional configuration
Dual-Boot With Windows: In this scenario, Kali OS will be installed alongside rather than replacing pre-existing OS. Many people prefer to keep both operating systems (Kali and Windows) in their system. Therefore, personal and working time distribution is also divided between the two
Virtualization: In a virtual machine, an instance of Kali Linux can be used as the host operating system. The hardware specifications are custom
Features of Kali Operating System
Some of the key features of the Kali Operating System are as follows:
Multilingual OS: Though Penetration tools are mostly designed in English, developers of Kali OS have ensured that it provides proper multilingual support, enabling more users to conduct their work in their own language.
Safe Development Team: The team of the Kali operating system is limited to a small and trusted number of people to provide the packages and communicate with repos, and both of these are done using multiple safety protocols.
Preinstalled tools: Over 600 penetration testing tools, such as Wireshark, Crunch, Nmap, and Aircrack-ng, are preinstalled.
Full Customization Support: Kali Linux can be customized to meet specific needs using metapackages that are tailored to the requirements of security professionals. The ISO modification process is also user-friendly, making creating a custom Kali operating system easy.
Supports a wide range of Wireless Devices: Kali OS can run on various hardware as it is made to work with USB devices and many wireless devices.
Surroundings: Kali OS is ready to help wherever we are. Multiple options include such as ARM, AWS, Docker, bare metal, Windows Subsystem for Linux, and others.
Programs on Windows will not be able to run on the Kali OS
Some software may malfunction on Kali Linux
Kali OS is quite slow compared to other operating systems
As it is based on penetration, it is not suggested for beginners
Files with the .exe extension can't be opened in Kali OS
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kali Linux legal?
Kali Linux is legal to use for ethical hacking and security research purposes. However, using Kali Linux for malicious purposes, such as hacking into computers without permission, is illegal.
What is Kali Linux?
Kali Operating System is an open-source and free Linux-based operating system that information security experts can easily access. It is designed for advanced digital forensics and penetration testing.
What OS is Kali OS built on?
The Kali OS is built on Debian testing; due to this, most of the packages are imported from Debian repositories as it is.
Conclusion
Kali Linux is an important tool for penetration testing and security auditing. This article has discussed its features, advantages, and disadvantages. We hope this article helped you understand Kali Operating System.
To better understand the topic, you can refer to the following articles:
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