FreeBSD vs Kali Linux

Overview

FreeBSD

Stacks250

Followers196

Votes28

Kali Linux

Stacks259

Followers381

Votes25

FreeBSD vs Kali Linux: What are the differences?

Introduction:

This Markdown code provides a comparison between FreeBSD and Kali Linux, highlighting their key differences. FreeBSD and Kali Linux are both operating systems, but they have different purposes and characteristics.

Purpose: FreeBSD is a general-purpose operating system known for its stability, security, and scalability. It is commonly used as a server operating system. On the other hand, Kali Linux is a specialized operating system designed for digital forensics and penetration testing. It comes bundled with various tools and utilities specifically aimed at cybersecurity professionals.
Default Packages: FreeBSD comes with a minimal set of pre-installed packages, giving users the flexibility to choose and install only the required packages. In contrast, Kali Linux comes with a comprehensive set of pre-installed penetration testing tools and utilities, making it convenient for security professionals to start their work without the need for additional installations.
Software Updates: FreeBSD follows a stable release model prioritizing stability and reliability. It provides infrequent major releases, focusing more on security and bug fixes rather than introducing new features. Kali Linux, on the other hand, follows a rolling release model where updates and new features are constantly added. This ensures that Kali Linux users always have access to the latest security tools and techniques.
Community and Support: FreeBSD has a dedicated and active community of users and developers that provide support, documentation, and regular updates. It provides a wealth of resources and a mature ecosystem. Kali Linux also has a supportive community, but it is mainly focused on cybersecurity professionals. The Kali website offers extensive documentation and forums specific to their target audience.
Default Desktop Environment: FreeBSD does not have a default desktop environment, allowing users to choose their preferred one during installation. It provides compatibility with various desktop environments like GNOME, KDE, Xfce, etc. On the other hand, Kali Linux comes with a customized version of the GNOME desktop environment, optimized for better user experience during penetration testing activities.
Target Users: FreeBSD is suitable for a wide range of users, including server administrators, developers, and those who require stability and performance. It is often used in production environments, where security and reliability are of utmost importance. Kali Linux, on the other hand, is designed specifically for cybersecurity professionals, including penetration testers, ethical hackers, and digital forensic investigators.

In summary, FreeBSD and Kali Linux differ in terms of their purpose, default packages, software update models, community support, default desktop environment, and target users. FreeBSD is a versatile operating system known for its stability and scalability, while Kali Linux is a specialized OS tailored for cybersecurity professionals.

Share your Stack

Help developers discover the tools you use. Get visibility for your team's tech choices and contribute to the community's knowledge.

View Docs

CLI (Node.js)

Manual

Detailed Comparison

FreeBSD	Kali Linux
An operating system for a variety of platforms which focuses on features, speed, and stability. It is derived from BSD, the version of UNIX® developed at the University of California, Berkeley. It is developed and maintained by a large community.	It is a Debian-based Linux distribution aimed at advanced Penetration Testing and Security Auditing. It contains several hundred tools which are geared towards various information security tasks, such as Penetration Testing, Security research, Computer Forensics and Reverse Engineering.
KMS And New drm2 Video Drivers; Capsicum Enabled By Default; New Binary Packaging System; Unmapped I/O	Advanced Penetration Testing Distribution; More than 600 penetration testing tools included; FHS compliant; Custom kernel, patched for injection
Statistics
Stacks 250	Stacks 259
Followers 196	Followers 381
Votes 28	Votes 25
Pros & Cons
Pros 8 Excellent as Server 6 Very Stable 4 Helpful community 2 Ports and packages system is mature and well-supported 2 Extremely simple updates and compiles of kernel and use Cons 1 Poor support for laptops, especially wireless cards 1 Slower to adopt non-server hardware than Linux	Pros 8 Has many penetration testing tools 8 Penetration testing tools are pre-installed 5 Runs on both x86 and ARM platforms 3 Its just debian so it has better support 1 There's no restrictions Cons 3 Outdated versions of common packages 3 Wireless driver issues on some systems 3 Packages are too large in size as compare to alpine 2 Root GUI setup is a potential security hole
Integrations
No integrations available	VirtualBox MySQL Slack

What are some alternatives to FreeBSD, Kali Linux?

Ubuntu

Ubuntu is an ancient African word meaning ‘humanity to others’. It also means ‘I am what I am because of who we all are’. The Ubuntu operating system brings the spirit of Ubuntu to the world of computers.

Debian

Debian systems currently use the Linux kernel or the FreeBSD kernel. Linux is a piece of software started by Linus Torvalds and supported by thousands of programmers worldwide. FreeBSD is an operating system including a kernel and other software.

Arch Linux

A lightweight and flexible Linux distribution that tries to Keep It Simple.

Fedora

Fedora is a Linux-based operating system that provides users with access to the latest free and open source software, in a stable, secure and easy to manage form. Fedora is the largest of many free software creations of the Fedora Project. Because of its predominance, the word "Fedora" is often used interchangeably to mean both the Fedora Project and the Fedora operating system.

Linux Mint

The purpose of Linux Mint is to produce a modern, elegant and comfortable operating system which is both powerful and easy to use.

CentOS

The CentOS Project is a community-driven free software effort focused on delivering a robust open source ecosystem. For users, we offer a consistent manageable platform that suits a wide variety of deployments. For open source communities, we offer a solid, predictable base to build upon, along with extensive resources to build, test, release, and maintain their code.

Linux

A clone of the operating system Unix, written from scratch by Linus Torvalds with assistance from a loosely-knit team of hackers across the Net. It aims towards POSIX and Single UNIX Specification compliance.

CoreOS

It is designed for security, consistency, and reliability. Instead of installing packages via yum or apt, it uses Linux containers to manage your services at a higher level of abstraction. A single service's code and all dependencies are packaged within a container that can be run on one or many machines.

Gentoo Linux

It is a free operating system based on either Linux or FreeBSD that can be automatically optimized and customized for just about any application or need.

Alpine Linux

Alpine Linux is a security-oriented, lightweight Linux distribution based on musl libc and busybox.

Related Comparisons

FreeBSD vs Kali Linux: What are the differences?

Introduction:

Purpose: FreeBSD is a general-purpose operating system known for its stability, security, and scalability. It is commonly used as a server operating system. On the other hand, Kali Linux is a specialized operating system designed for digital forensics and penetration testing. It comes bundled with various tools and utilities specifically aimed at cybersecurity professionals.
Default Packages: FreeBSD comes with a minimal set of pre-installed packages, giving users the flexibility to choose and install only the required packages. In contrast, Kali Linux comes with a comprehensive set of pre-installed penetration testing tools and utilities, making it convenient for security professionals to start their work without the need for additional installations.
Software Updates: FreeBSD follows a stable release model prioritizing stability and reliability. It provides infrequent major releases, focusing more on security and bug fixes rather than introducing new features. Kali Linux, on the other hand, follows a rolling release model where updates and new features are constantly added. This ensures that Kali Linux users always have access to the latest security tools and techniques.
Community and Support: FreeBSD has a dedicated and active community of users and developers that provide support, documentation, and regular updates. It provides a wealth of resources and a mature ecosystem. Kali Linux also has a supportive community, but it is mainly focused on cybersecurity professionals. The Kali website offers extensive documentation and forums specific to their target audience.
Default Desktop Environment: FreeBSD does not have a default desktop environment, allowing users to choose their preferred one during installation. It provides compatibility with various desktop environments like GNOME, KDE, Xfce, etc. On the other hand, Kali Linux comes with a customized version of the GNOME desktop environment, optimized for better user experience during penetration testing activities.
Target Users: FreeBSD is suitable for a wide range of users, including server administrators, developers, and those who require stability and performance. It is often used in production environments, where security and reliability are of utmost importance. Kali Linux, on the other hand, is designed specifically for cybersecurity professionals, including penetration testers, ethical hackers, and digital forensic investigators.

FreeBSD vs Kali Linux

Overview