Kali Linux 2020.1 (Non-Root Single Installer, & NetHunter rootless)

Kali Linux 2020.1 is our first major release in a decade. You can immediately .

Here’s a quick summary of the features in this release.

Non-Root

The default credentials for Kali and its , Whoppix, and WHAX have always been root/toor. It is now over. Kali 2020 no longer uses root as the default superuser account. Now, the default account is a .

You can read more about the reason behind this change in our . This is an enormous change with a lot of history. If you have any concerns, let us know via the .

Root/toor are dead. Kali is here to stay.

Your Main OS is Kali

This leaves the question: Should Kali be your primary OS or daily driver? You can decide. You didn’t have to do anything before. We just don’t recommend it. We still don’t. It is a helper for those who know enough about Kali.

We don’t recommend this. We are not able to test this usage pattern, and don’t want all the bug reports. To make it more stable, you might consider switching the if you’re brave enough.

Kali Single Installer Image

Kali usage was examined closely. We looked at how images were downloaded and used. We took this data and decided to completely redesign the images that we released. We will soon have an image for the installer, live, and network images.

This will allow you to choose the best image and increase flexibility for installation. It should also reduce download size.

Our Installer Image

• We recommend this for users who want Kali to be installed on their systems
• The default package selection doesn’t need a network connection.
• You can now choose the desktop environment you want to install.
• You can choose the tools you want to use at installation time
• This image cannot be used for booting a live system. This image is intended to be used as an installer.
• Filename:
  • 
kali-linux-2020.1-installer-.iso


No longer are we offering different images for each desktop environment (DE) We now offer one image and the ability to choose your DE when installing. There is no download link available for Xfce, which is the default choice since ), MATE, GNOME or LXDE des. One image is all that’s needed to make them all work.

You can with Kali at install time (or no at all). You have more control of what you need. Kali may come with more tools than others, but some users have their preferred tools. They can now install Kali with no metapackages. This gives them the freedom to choose which tools they need, rather than in groups.

This default image includes the Kali-desktop xfce , Kali-tools-default package and Kali-desktop xfce . It allows for offline Kali installation (as it has always been). Any non-default tool will need a network connection.

This image does not include “Kali Live”. You will need to have the live image if you want live mode.

Install Image

• Download the smallest image
• To install this, you will need a network connection
• It will automatically download all the most recent packages each time it is used during setup
• You can choose the desktop environment you want to install
• You can choose the tools you want to use
• This image cannot be used for booting a live system. This image is intended to be used as an installer.
• Filename:
  • 
kali-linux-2020.1-installer-netinst-.iso


This is a small image that only contains enough information to install the base system. However, it behaves exactly as the full installer picture, so you can install all of Kali’s features provided you enable network connectivity.

Live image

• Its main purpose is to allow Kali to be run on the computer without having to install it.
• It also includes an installer that behaves like the Network Install Image described above
• Filename:
  • 
kali-linux-2020.1-live-.iso


Kali Live hasn’t disappeared – it’s been reimagined. You can use this image to test Kali, without having to install it. It is also ideal for using a USB stick. This image can be used to install Kali, but it requires a network connection. We recommend the standalone install image instead.

You can if you prefer another desktop environment to our default Xfce. You don’t have to do it as difficult as you think!

Images of ARM

The ARM images will likely show a slight change starting with 2020.1’s release. Some images are not available to download due to hardware and manpower constraints. These scripts can still be updated. If an image is not available for the machine that you are using, you’ll need to make it. To do this, run the from a Kali computer.

Images for 2020.1 will continue to run by default as root.

Unfortunately, the news many people did not want to hear was that the 2020.1 update does not include an image of the Pinebook Pro. It is still being worked on, but we’ll post it as soon as possible.

NetHunter Images

Kali NetHunter mobile pen-testing platform has received some improvements. Kali NetHunter is now available without the need to root your smartphone. However, this comes with limitations.

Kali NetHunter is now available in three versions to suit everyone’s requirements:

• NetHunter: Rooted devices must have custom recovery, and a patched kernel. There are no restrictions. .
• NetHunter light: Requires root devices that have custom recovery, but not a custom kernel. Minor restrictions: no WiFi injection or HID support. .
• NetHunter rootless is available for all standard stock devices that are not modified by Termux. There are some limitations like no Metasploit db support and no root permissions. .

A more thorough comparison is available on the . Every NetHunter edition includes both root and the “new” kali user. KeX supports multiple sessions, so that you can run your pentest and write a report simultaneously in different versions.

You should note that Samsung Galaxy phones are not able to run Sudo. Instead, they require you to use su-c.

A unique feature of NetHunter Rootless is the fact that the default user, who is not root, has nearly full privileges within the chroot because of how proot container work.

Theming

We made a significant change to GNOME and Xfce with our latest release. We didn’t stop there; we continue to work on the design and will keep you updated:

GNOME A new theme has been released for GNOME users. It also includes a dark and light theme.

Tools Let us give the tools you love a makeover! Slowly, we are updating our collection and adding new icons.

Menu Some users who are keen-eyed may notice that the icons in the menu’s menu have been removed.

Install If you choose to use the graphic installer of Kali it has also been updated . (Before-after shots)

Kali-Undercover

The overwhelming community response to Kali-undercover was something we didn’t expect. Moving on with , Kali undercover feels more like Windows and blends in.

Get New Packages

Kali Linux, a rolling distribution of Linux, receives updates whenever they become available. It is not dependent on waiting until the next release. We have had the usual tool updates since the previous release as well as some new tools such as cloud-enum and emailharvester.

We have a few new (kali-community-wallpapers) and old (kali-legacy-wallpapers) wallpapers to offer up if you want to customize or are feeling a little a little nostalgic.

Python 2: End of Life

January 1, 2020. This means that Python 2 is being removed from all tools. Why? They aren’t being updated, are no longer maintained and need to be replaced. Pentesting is an ever-changing field. We must keep pace. We’ll do our best to locate alternatives actively being worked on.

Give a helping hand

You can . Please share your ideas and areas of interest. If you are interested in helping but have no idea where to begin, please visit the docs page . You can suggest a feature by posting it to the .

The bug tracker can only be used for . This is not the place for support or help – it’s only meant to be used as a forum .

Download Kali Linux 2020.1

New images What are you waiting for? Get started now

Existing Upgrades If you already have an existing Kali installation, remember you can always do a quick update:

[email protected]:~$ echo "deb http://http.kali.org/kali kali-rolling main non-free contrib" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list [email protected]:~$ [email protected]:~$ sudo apt update && sudo apt -y full-upgrade [email protected]:~$ [email protected]:~$ [ -f /var/run/reboot-required ] && sudo reboot -f [email protected]:~$

Now, you should be using Kali Linux 2020. We can do a quick check by doing:

[email protected]:~$ grep VERSION /etc/os-release VERSION="2020.1" VERSION_ID="2020.1" VERSION_CODENAME="kali-rolling" [email protected]:~$ [email protected]:~$ uname -v #1 SMP Debian 5.4.13-1kali1 (2020-01-20) [email protected]:~$ [email protected]:~$ uname -r 5.4.0-kali3-amd64 [email protected]:~$

NOTE: can have different outputs.

If you find any bugs in Kali as usual, please report them to our . It is impossible to repair what we do not know.