Introduction

Kali Linux, or simply Kali, is the newest Linux distribution from Offensive Security. It is the successor to the BackTrack Linux distribution. Unlike most Linux distributions, Kali Linux is used for the purposes of penetration testing. Penetration testing is a way of evaluating the security of a computer system or network by simulating an attack. Throughout this book, we will further explore some of the many tools that Kali Linux has made available.

This chapter covers the installation and setup of Kali Linux in different scenarios, from inserting the Kali Linux DVD to configuring the network.

For all the recipes in this and the following chapters, we will use Kali Linux using GNOME 64-bit as the Window Manager (WM) flavor and architecture (http://www.Kali.org/downloads/). The use of KDE as the WM is not covered in this book; however, you should be able to follow the recipes without much trouble.