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Kali Linux


Last Update: 2025-06-13 14:39 UTC


Kali Linux (formerly known as BackTrack) is a Debian-based distribution with a collection of security and forensics tools. It features timely security updates, support for the ARM architecture, a choice of four popular desktop environments, and seamless upgrades to newer versions.



Popularity (hits per day): 12 months: 19 (401), 6 months: 22 (431), 3 months: 22 (425), 4 weeks: 21 (441), 1 week: 39 (327)

Average visitor rating: 9.31/10 from 42 review(s).


Kali Summary
Distribution Kali Linux (formerly BackTrack)
Home Page https://www.kali.org/
Mailing Lists --
User Forums https://forums.kali.org/
Alternative User Forums
Documentation https://www.kali.org/kali-linux-documentation/
Screenshots DistroWatch Gallery
Screencasts
Download Mirrors https://www.kali.org/downloads/DistroWatch Torrent Archive
Bug Tracker https://bugs.kali.org/
Related Websites Offensive SecurityWikipedia
Reviews 2016.x: DistroWatchZDNet
1.0.x: DedoimedoLinuxBSDosZDNetBinary TidesLinuxBSDos
BackTrack: LinuxBSDosADMINUbuntu ManualDedoimedoLinux.comLinux.com
Where To Donate, Buy or Try The Linux Shop

Recent Related News and Releases
  Releases announcements with download links and checksums:
 • 2025-06-13: Distribution Release: Kali Linux 2025.2
 • 2025-03-19: Distribution Release: Kali Linux 2025.1a
 • 2024-12-16: Distribution Release: Kali Linux 2024.4
 • 2024-09-11: Distribution Release: Kali Linux 2024.3
 • 2024-06-05: Distribution Release: Kali Linux 2024.2
 • 2024-02-28: Distribution Release: Kali Linux 2024.1
 • 2023-12-06: Distribution Release: Kali Linux 2023.4
 • 2023-08-24: Distribution Release: Kali Linux 2023.3
 • 2023-03-13: Distribution Release: Kali Linux 2023.1
 • 2022-12-06: Distribution Release: Kali Linux 2022.4
 • 2022-08-09: Distribution Release: Kali Linux 2022.3
 • 2022-05-16: Distribution Release: Kali Linux 2022.2
 • More Kali releases...

  Headlines:
 • 2025-04-28 Kali Linux replaces repository signing key
 • 2021-05-25 Kali team unveils Kaboxer
 • 2020-03-03 Kali publishes updated install media
 • 2019-08-22 Kali reworks meta-packages
 • 2018-09-05 How to customize Kali
 • 2017-01-19 Kali Linux introduces KLCP professional certification
 • More Kali headlines...

Table Notes and Explanations
  • Select view:
  • To compare the software in this project to the software available in other distributions, please see our Compare Packages page.
  • Notes: In case where multiple versions of a package are shipped with a distribution, only the default version appears in the table. For indication about the GNOME version, please check the "nautilus" and "gnome-shell" packages. The Apache web server is listed as "httpd" and the Linux kernel is listed as "linux". The KDE desktop is represented by the "plasma-desktop" package and the Xfce desktop by the "xfdesktop" package.
  • Colour scheme: green text = latest stable version, red text = development or beta version. The function determining beta versions is not 100% reliable due to a wide variety of versioning schemes.
Feature 2025.2 2024.4 2023.4
Release Date 2025-06-13 2024-12-16 2023-12-05
End Of Life      
Price (US$) Free Free Free
Image Size (MB) 600-4300 600-4200 400-4100
Free Download ISO ISO ISO
Installation Graphical Graphical Graphical
Default Desktop Xfce Xfce Xfce
Package Management DEB DEB DEB
Release Model Rolling Rolling Rolling
Office Suite -- -- --
Processor Architecture armel, armhf, x86_64 armel, armhf, x86_64 armel, armhf, i686, x86_64
Init Software systemd systemd systemd
Journaled File Systems ext4, JFS, ReiserFS, XFS ext4, JFS, ReiserFS, XFS Btrfs, ext4, JFS, ReiserFS, XFS
Multilingual      
Asian Language Support -- -- --
Full Package List 2025.2 2024.4 2023.4
alsa-lib (1.2.14) 1.2.14 1.2.12 1.2.10
amdgpu (23.0.0) 23.0.0 23.0.0 22.0.0
apparmor (4.1.1) 4.1.0 3.1.7 3.0.12
apt (3.1.3) 3.0.1 2.9.10 2.7.6
bash (5.3) 5.2.37 5.2.32 5.2.15
bind (9.20.10) -- -- --
chromium (138.0.7204.100) 136.0.7103.113 130.0.6723.116 --
cinnamon (6.4.10) -- -- --
cups (2.4.12) 2.4.10 2.4.7 2.4.7
e2fsprogs (1.47.3) 1.47.2 1.47.1 1.47.0
ffmpeg (7.1.1) -- -- --
firefox (140.0.4) 128.10.1 128.4.0 115.5.0
flatpak (1.16.1) -- -- --
freetype (2.13.3) 2.13.3 2.13.3 2.13.2
gcc (15.1.0) 14.2.0 14.2.0 13.2.0
gimp (3.0.4) -- -- --
git (2.50.1) 2.47.2 2.45.2 2.42.0
glibc (2.41) 2.41 2.40 2.37
gnome-shell (48.3) 48.1 47.1 45.0
grub (2.12) 2.12 2.12 2.06
gtk (4.18.6) 4.18.5 4.16.5 4.12.3
httpd (2.4.64) 2.4.63 2.4.62 2.4.58
inkscape (1.4.2) -- -- --
kmod (34.2) 34.2 33 30
krita (5.2.11) -- -- --
LibreOffice (25.2.4) -- -- --
libselinux (3.8.1) 3.8.1 3.7 3.5
linux (6.15.6) 6.12.25 6.11.2 6.5.6
mariadb (11.8.2) 11.8.1 11.4.3 10.11.2
mate-desktop (1.28.2) -- -- --
mesa (25.1.5) 25.0.5 24.2.7 23.2.1
mysql (9.3.0) -- -- --
nautilus (48.3) 48.1 47.0 44.2.1
NVIDIA (575.64.03) -- -- --
openjdk (24.0.1) 21.0.7 23.0.1 17.0.9
openssh (10.0p1) 10.0p1 9.9p1 9.4p1
openssl (3.5.1) 3.5.0 3.3.2 3.0.11
perl (5.42.0) 5.40.1 5.40.0 5.36.0
php (8.4.10) 8.4.6 8.2.24 8.2.10
plasma-desktop (6.4.3) 6.3.4 5.27.11 5.27.9
postfix (3.10.3) -- -- --
postgresql (17.5) 17.5 17.0 16.1
Python (3.13.5) 3.13.3 3.12.6 3.11.4
qt (6.9.1) 6.8.2 6.7.2 6.4.2
samba (4.22.3) 4.22.1 4.21.1 4.19.2
systemd (257.7) 257.5 256.6 254.5
thunderbird (140.0.1) -- -- --
vim (9.1) 9.1 9.1 9.0
vlc (3.0.21) -- 3.0.21 3.0.20
wayland (1.24.0) 1.23.1 1.23.0 1.22.0
xfdesktop (4.20.1) 4.20.1 4.18.1 4.18.1
xorg-server (21.1.18) 21.1.16 21.1.13 21.1.9


Reader Ratings
Reader supplied reviews for Kali Linux

Average rating
9.3
from 42 review(s)



What are your thoughts on Kali Linux?
Please include a few pros and a few cons, along with your overall impression of the operating system.
Our FAQ page has tips on writing a good mini-review.

Version:

Rating:    out of 10

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Past reviews - sort by:

Version: 2025.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-07-10
Votes: 1


Kali Linux is not like your regular Windows or macOS—it’s built specifically for ethical hacking and cybersecurity tasks. It comes with hundreds of pre-installed security tools that allow users to test networks, find vulnerabilities, and protect systems from attacks.
One of the biggest advantages of Kali Linux is its portability—you can install it on a computer, run it from a USB drive, or even use it inside a virtual machine. This makes it easy for cybersecurity professionals, students, and researchers to practice ethical hacking safely without affecting their main system.
i like kali :-))


Was this review helpful? Yes No
Version: 2025.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-07-08
Votes: 7


Kali Linux focuses on various information security tasks, such as penetration testing, security research, and computer forensics. While it’s one of the top choices in terms of security, it’s primarily focused on safety testing rather than general-purpose computing. Kali Linux may not be favorable to mainstream users but it’s still a perfect choice for cybersecurity professionals, researchers, and those willing to spend countless hours trying to understand the ins and outs of network elements and computer science.


Was this review helpful? Yes No
Version: 2025.2
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-07-03
Votes: 1


This is a great OS. I love that it comes preloaded with a lot of the necessary tools and can be bootable from just a flash drive. It is so lightweight and a great utility. I have used it pretty extensively in school in labs for a “CTF” competition and various other projects. I have also used it professionally to test some of our security measures.

pros:

+Lightweight

+Bootable from flash drive (no install)

+All the tools and utilities loaded with it

cons:

+ Zero = (0)

i like kali-linux and is very good for cyber-security-students :-))




Was this review helpful? Yes No

See all 42 reader reviews of Kali Linux...


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