When you use the Kali Linux distribution, you sometimes feel like you’re channeling Elliot Alderson from the series Mr. Robot.
This distribution got a massive marketing boost and a surge in popularity after the show. Many people now rely on it and use it.
However, I’m here to stir the pot and tell you I’m against all that hype. In this article, we’ll explore why Kali Linux is actually one of the worst distributions you could ever use for your personal machine.
First, let’s briefly touch on its history.
The Origin of Kali Linux
To understand anything, you have to go back to its history and reason for existence. Kali Linux is one of the many, and most famous, Linux distributions. It’s built on Debian.
For those who don’t understand what “built on Debian” means, we have three main parent distributions:
- Debian
- Arch
- Red Hat
These are among the most prominent and earliest distributions in the Linux world. Many other distributions are built on them. For example, Kali Linux is based on Debian, as is Ubuntu. Fedora is based on Red Hat.
To understand my critique, we must first know why Kali Linux was created.
Built for a Purpose (and It’s Not Your Desktop)
Kali Linux is a product of the company Offensive Security, now often abbreviated as OffSec. To be fair, it’s one of the most powerful companies currently offering certifications in fields like cybersecurity and red teaming. It even works with many official agencies.
The certificate you see here is the OSCP. You’ve probably heard of it. This, my friend, is one of the most powerful and famous certifications in the scene for people wanting to get into cybersecurity or penetration testing.
But this certificate carries another name: PWK. If we look at its full name, it stands for Penetration Testing with Kali Linux.
You should be starting to see what I mean.
This certification fundamentally requires you to learn Kali Linux, not just Linux in general, but Kali Linux specifically. Why? Because they are the ones who created the distribution.
Therefore, the distribution is primarily built to help you learn and practice for their certification, the OSCP or PWK. Naturally, the distribution they provide must be fully equipped with all the tools, systemized to help you pass their exam or learn everything in their curriculum. Even if some of it is useless.
Not for Personal Use
Now we understand that this distribution is not intended for personal use. By personal use, I mean we use Windows or macOS for our work and everything in our lives. There are Linux distributions that do this too, like Ubuntu or Garuda OS.
This distribution is meant to be used only for virtualization. You should use it in programs like VMware or VirtualBox as a virtual machine. Or, you should only use it while preparing for the certification to pass the exam easily.
I can’t even tell you to rely on it completely for a cybersecurity career. It’s very rare to find a cybersecurity company that uses Kali Linux as its primary operating system. Yes, you’ll find some, but they are very few.
Instead, you’ll find these companies using distributions like Ubuntu, Rocky Linux, or Red Hat. They only install the specific tools they need for the job.
- The web security department will work with tools like Burp Suite.
- The network security department will use tools like Nmap or Wireshark.
The Bloat is Real
Kali Linux is literally booby-trapped with a massive number of tools you may or may not have heard of. I’d say 80%, if not 90%, of these tools you will never use in your entire life. It bundles specializations like networking, web, software, reverse engineering, and everything else into one distribution.
If you go to the Kali Linux installer page, you’ll find the basic distribution is only 4GB. But imagine if you want the “everything” version. It’s 12GB. They even tell you it will be downloaded via torrent because there’s no direct download due to its size.
I mean, a distribution like Red Hat or Rocky—heavy distributions for large corporations and institutions, truly heavy and full of essential features with a very strong core—is around 8 or 9GB. With company-added extras, it might reach 10GB at most. But 12GB for a distribution like Kali Linux is just too much.
The Stability Nightmare
You might say, “Fine, I’ll just download the ‘weekly’ or minimal version that only comes with basic system tools, like a normal distro.” But that’s not my main issue.
The problem is that this distribution is one of the most problematic you will ever face. Truly stupid problems.
For instance, in other distributions, we might face issues installing a program like DaVinci Resolve or have driver problems.
But in Kali, you’ll face basic issues just trying to update your system or install a package.
You might have to edit files like .bashrc for no good reason.
These are absurd things that should never be an issue in a distribution like this.
In any official or decent distribution, these things are the basics. But in Kali Linux, you can find them as common problems.
And to not put all the blame on Kali, I mean all similar distributions. Take Parrot OS, for example. It’s very famous and has gained a lot of traction. I’ve downloaded and used this distribution multiple times in different periods and versions. Let me tell you, they have a problem that probably doesn’t exist in any other system in the world. When I wanted to add a second language, Arabic, to my keyboard, I found it was a problem in itself. I had to search Reddit communities to find the command line to fix it. In my early days, the process was incredibly complicated.
Why does this happen? Why is my basic use of the system plagued with such unjustified complexity and problems?
Better Alternatives for Hacking
The examples are numerous. Besides Kali Linux and Parrot OS, you have BlackArch. But with BlackArch, I can respect it more. You can’t really use BlackArch as a primary distribution. You have to use it as a VM because it’s simply a live distribution. Even if you try to install it as a primary OS, remove the flash drive, and restart the machine, it will still be a live session, and nothing will be saved.
So, if you really want to use a penetration testing or hacking distribution, I think BlackArch is the best choice. Especially if you like having a plethora of tools and everything available in one system. Let me tell you, BlackArch is incredibly rich with tools. It makes Kali Linux or Parrot look like nothing.
The distribution itself consists of tools that reach a size of about 23GB or so. Every tool you can or can’t imagine, you’ll find it there in BlackArch. BlackArch is essentially treated as a tool repository. It has become a repository due to the sheer amount of hacking tools it contains.
The Right Path for a Linux Beginner
Right now, I’m speaking to you as a beginner, or someone who wants to love and learn Linux the right way. The way you’ll see it in companies and institutions.
Distributions like Ubuntu, Red Hat, or Fedora are the ones we can actually compare to Windows. You can truly rely on them. You won’t be surprised by a random error or a system crash for no logical reason.
Sure, crashes happen with many distributions, even famous ones. But the problem is usually for a logical reason—you did something, an update broke something. It’s not the basic, default state of the distribution itself.
In my learning journey at the beginning of my career, the first distribution I used was, unfortunately, Kali Linux. Because of it, I grew to hate the idea of Linux. I was disgusted by it and lost hope, all because of Kali Linux and its stupid problems. As a beginner, seeing these things quickly overwhelmed me.
But when I came to my senses and someone guided me to a better path, I started using the truly powerful distributions that are used in real companies. That’s when I truly understood what Linux is.
Final Verdict
I’m not at all against you using this distribution if your specialty is in cybersecurity and the like. There’s nothing wrong with using them. But you should use them as a VM or a virtual system, not as your primary distribution.
For example, I use Garuda OS and have installed all the hacking and penetration testing tools I need, but only what I actually require.
Simply put, Kali Linux is:
- Not stable like Debian, which it’s based on.
- Not lightweight like Arch or its derivatives.
- Not even fast like Pop!_OS or Fedora.
I honestly see no reason for you to use this system as your main OS. Of course, this is my opinion. If you write your opinion in the comments, I will be very understanding.