Installation and Configuration of Kali Linux

Introduction

Kali Linux is one of the best security packages for ethical hackers. It includes a vast set of tools categorized for penetration testing, vulnerability analysis, digital forensics, and more. Kali Linux is open-source and can be installed as a standalone operating system or run on a virtual machine.

Official Website of Kali Linux

Step 1: Install Virtual Box

Why use a Virtual Box? A virtual box allows you to run Kali Linux alongside your existing operating system, providing a safe environment for testing without altering your primary OS.

1. Visit the Virtual Box Downloads page and download the appropriate package for your OS.
2. Run the setup and follow the installation steps. Keep the default settings unless you need custom configurations.
3. After installation, open the Virtual Box application to proceed with setting up Kali Linux.

Step 2: Install Kali Linux

1. Download the Kali Linux image from the official website.
2. In Virtual Box, click New and follow these steps:
   • Select a name for your virtual machine and choose the operating system as Linux (Debian 64-bit).
   • Allocate memory and select "Use an existing virtual hard disk file."
   • Browse to the downloaded Kali Linux image and select it.
3. Click Create to finalize the setup.
4. Start the virtual machine. Use the default credentials: Username: root, Password: toor.

Step 3: Update Kali Linux

1. Open the terminal in Kali Linux.
2. Run the following commands to update the tools:

   apt-get update
   apt-get upgrade
   apt-get dist-upgrade
                       

3. Follow the prompts to complete the updates.

Step 4: Laboratory Setup

To test tools in Kali Linux, you can set up a vulnerable machine like Metasploitable.

1. Download Metasploitable from the official Rapid7 page.
2. Set up a new virtual machine in Virtual Box and use the Metasploitable image as the virtual hard disk.
3. Start the machine. The default credentials are:
   • Username: msfadmin
   • Password: msfadmin