Is kali linux a hacking distro?
 

I know very little of kali linux and all I know is it was formerly blacktrack and it is debian based. Is this a specialty distro and can it be used like a regular linux distribution like mint?

Kali Linux is used by Certified Professionals for Digital Forensics, Reverse Engineering and Penetration Testing.

Yes, Kali is a specialty distribution that is not really for everyday home use.

The Kali maintainers recommend running Kali from a Live CD or USB stick.

They recommend against installing it to the HDD and trying to use it for other than what it is intended for, that is, pen(etration) testing.

theoretically almost any distribution can be used like a 'regular' distribution, since it is based on debian it probably can use debian packages and with some configuration, debian repositories, however just because something can be done doesn't mean it should or is desirable to do so, as sometimes it just plain takes more effort than it's worth and/or there won't be the type of support for said distro that you might need when a problem arises.

"Hacking" is not a good description of any distro or of any set of software.

It best describes a combination of intelligence, knowledge, technical skills and ethics.

The person who possesses these may apply their knowledge and skills through the hardware/software at hand, Neo

okee dokee folks :hattip:

Did we cover your questions?

Hi guys,

Basically why we use kali linux?. Can any one point out one or two examples?

Well, ahem... to repeat from above...

That is three examples, but I think that just about covers it.

@Serverpoint.com, As a tester, I am using it to find a flaw in our application. If we found anything, we escalate it to developer and get it fix.

For Me, kali is part of Security testing.

While Kali is based on Debian, it is not compatible with it. Mixing in the Debian repositories will eventually bork your system.

indeed, can != should

I thought that as well. Anyway, the kali docs shows which repositories belong in the sources.list
http://docs.kali.org/general-use/kal...t-repositories

I was surprised that Debian wasn't part of it.

@ Ztcoracat

You made it clear to me that kali linux is a forensics, reverse engineering and penetration testing distro, but on youtube it has videos on using kali linux to do nefarious things as well. I guess kali linux is a little of both. BTW, I'm no hacker nor do I want to learn that skill. The though of going to jail because of hacking/cracking scares the sh*t out of me.

Kali is a pentesting distro, designed to be ran off a liveCD. Default user is root so one must be careful if installing.

Penetration testing IS nefarious stuff, the difference between penn testing and nefarious hacking often boils down to who is doing it and why, but both involve attempting to gain unauthorized access to a computer system, one is done with the permission of the owner/manager for the purpose of testing security, one is done with well.. nefarious goals.

Kali is a collection of tools, just as TNT can be used for demolition of a vacant building, it can also be used to do that demolition job while there are still occupants, it all depends on who holds the tools.