Kali Linux vs Linux

Overview

Kali Linux

Stacks259

Followers381

Votes25

Linux

Stacks3.1K

Followers2.5K

Votes46

Kali Linux vs Linux: What are the differences?

Kali Linux and Linux, both stemming from the open-source Linux kernel, cater to distinct needs. While Linux is a versatile OS, Kali Linux specializes in cybersecurity. Let's explore the key differences between these two Linux-based platforms.

1. Kernel Modifications: Kali Linux has specialized modifications to its kernel that make it more suitable for penetration testing and security auditing. These modifications include features like IP spoofing and packet sniffing, which are not present in a standard Linux distribution.

2. Pre-installed Tools: Unlike Linux, Kali Linux comes with a wide range of pre-installed tools for advanced security testing and forensics. These tools include network analyzers, password crackers, and vulnerability assessment scanners, which are specifically designed to aid ethical hackers and security professionals.

3. Purpose and Target Audience: Linux is a general-purpose operating system that caters to a wide range of users and use cases. On the other hand, Kali Linux is tailored specifically for cybersecurity professionals and enthusiasts who require specialized tools and features for security testing and pen-testing tasks.

4. Release Cycle and Stability: Linux is known for its stable releases and long-term support (LTS) versions that prioritize reliability and backward compatibility. In contrast, Kali Linux follows a rolling release model, where updates are continuously added, making it more cutting-edge and providing access to the latest tools, but potentially sacrificing stability.

5. Documentation and Support: Linux, being a more widely used operating system, has a vast community and extensive documentation available, catering to a wide range of user needs. Kali Linux, being a niche distribution, has a smaller but dedicated community and specialized documentation focused on security testing and penetration testing.

6. Default Configuration and User Interface: Linux distributions typically have user-friendly interfaces and configurations suitable for general users. In contrast, Kali Linux has a more minimalistic and streamlined user interface, optimized for efficient use of security tools and applications, which may require more technical expertise to operate effectively.

In summary, Kali Linux and Linux, despite a shared kernel, serve unique purposes. Linux is a versatile OS, while Kali Linux is tailored for cybersecurity.

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

Advice on Kali Linux, Linux

Jennifer

Mar 16, 2020

Needs advice

Netdata introduces Linux eBPF (Extended Berkeley Packet Filter) monitoring. With this enabled, monitor real-time metrics of Linux kernel functions and actions from the very same monitoring and troubleshooting dashboard used for watching entire systems, or even entire infrastructures.

This collector uses eBPF to monitor system calls inside your operating system’s kernel. For now, the main goal of this plugin is to monitor IO and process management on the host where it is running.

67.2k views67.2k

Comments

Justin

Open Source Program Manager at Reblaze

Aug 15, 2019

Review

If you have a file (demo.txt) that has 3 columns:

Column-1    Column-2    Column-3
Row-1a      Row-2a      Row-3a         
Row-1b      Row-2b      Row-3b
Row-1c      Row-2c      Row-3c
Row-1d      Row-2d      Row-3d
Row-1e      Row-2e      Row-3e

and you want to only view the first column of the file in your CLI, run the following:

awk {'print $1'} demo.txt

Column-1
Row-1a
Row-1b
Row-1c
Row-1d
Row-1e

If you want to print the second column of demo.txt, just replace $1 with $2

96.4k views96.4k

Comments

Detailed Comparison

Kali Linux	Linux
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.	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.
Advanced Penetration Testing Distribution; More than 600 penetration testing tools included; FHS compliant; Custom kernel, patched for injection	Portable(Multiplatform); Multitasking; Multi User; Multiprocessor SMP Support; Multithreading Support; Virtual Memory; Hierarchical File System; Graphical User Interface (X Window System)
Statistics
Stacks 259	Stacks 3.1K
Followers 381	Followers 2.5K
Votes 25	Votes 46
Pros & Cons
Pros 8 Penetration testing tools are pre-installed 8 Has many penetration testing tools 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 Packages are too large in size as compare to alpine 3 Wireless driver issues on some systems 2 Root GUI setup is a potential security hole	Pros 19 Open Source 12 Free 9 Reliability 6 Safe
Integrations
VirtualBox MySQL Slack	No integrations available

What are some alternatives to Kali Linux, 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.

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.

Manjaro

It is an accessible, friendly, open-source Linux distribution and community. Based on Arch Linux, it provides all the benefits of cutting-edge software combined with a focus on getting started quickly, automated tools to require less manual intervention, and help readily available when needed.

Related Comparisons

Kali Linux vs Linux: What are the differences?

In summary, Kali Linux and Linux, despite a shared kernel, serve unique purposes. Linux is a versatile OS, while Kali Linux is tailored for cybersecurity.

Kali Linux vs Linux

Overview