The minds behind Kali Linux, namely Offensive Security, started the decade with a new update that focuses on improving the user interface, making installation more straightforward, and abandoning the root user model.
If you haven’t heard much about Kali Linux, it makes sense to first introduce it to you all before getting to its latest version details. It is an operating system that is powered by Debian and focuses on penetration testing and ethical hacking.
The OS also saves users from the hassle of installing a bunch of software they will need, as it comes with a wide variety of relevant, pre-installed software, such as Cisco Global Exploiter, John the Ripper, and Wireshark. So, if you feel like Kali Linux has gained your interest, let’s learn more about its latest version in 2020.1.
What’s New in Kali Linux 2020.1
With this update, the developers of Kali Linux have not only focused on improving the user interface of the system but also made changes to the installer image and user permissions.
When users install this update, they are sure to notice a variety of changes in how the operating system looks as the entire theme has been changed. Accordingly, you are going to see that the designers have worked on various icons and shells. Apart from that, users would also get to choose between two different styles for their shells: light and dark.
Kali 2020.1 Dark Theme
Kali 2020.1 Light Theme
There has also been the addition of dozens of new app icons and specific kali category icons. Moreover, if you’re migrating from Windows to Kali, then this update will make it even more seamless as the workspace icons, window headerbars, and terminal look much more like that in Windows.
Now coming to the second most crucial highlight of Kali 2020.1, the development team has decided to go with a single installer image. This means that users will now only have to choose between a network installer image, a live image, and an installer image. Because of this move, the installation procedure will become much more straightforward than before.
The Kali team is aware of the fact that the all-powerful superuser has more authority over tools than other users on the system, and considering this, the operating system has now switched to a default user that is devoid of any privileges. In other words, Kali 2020.1 comes with a user account with regular, unprivileged user privileges.
With that being said, in case you want to work with a superuser, it’s always possible to install the grant tool to go back to the previous root model. The following command should do the trick.
apt update && apt install -y kali-grant-root
Conclusion
The first Kali update of the decade brings a lot of new stuff to the table and is sure to give the user a new look and feel of the system and an overall better experience. We recommend checking out the official news source if you want to learn more about Kali Linux 2020.1.
1 comment
What’s the icon theme name?