Discover the highlights from this month’s packed DVD!
On the disc
pen-testingdistro
Kali Linux 2019.1
nce again we have only a single
distribution this month, but this time
we’re not neglecting our 32-bit users,
with64-and 32-bit versions of Kali Linux. It’s
been a while since the last Kali release – the end
of October 2018, in fact – and we like to
encourage our readers to hack all the things
(in a totally legal and responsible way, of course),
so here we are.
The main event in this new release is version
5.0 of Metasploit Framework, released in January
2019, but there’s all sorts other goodies. We’ve
gone for the MATE release this time, because we
like it. This is the full-fat edition with all the tools
ready to go. There’s only so much you can fit on
a DVD, so we’ve got the Xfce-based Kali Light for
32-bit users. This has all the basic tools, and you
can add anything you like (subject to available64-&32-bit
We took away
the installation
options and
added a warning.
We are a cruel
and heartless
bunch.memory) to the live environment with apt.
Speaking of the live environment, you may
notice that those are the only available options
when booting the disc: the installation options
are all conspicuously absent. That’s because we
removed them, much as we did eight issues ago,
because they don’t play nice with our multi/
hybrid booting menu system. Given the choice,
we’d rather have a disc that boots to a nice live
environment than one that offers broken
options, promises and dreams.
Kali Linux is often run straight from a live
medium anyway, but if you do want to install it,
just burn/write the Kali ISO (located in the Kali/
or Kali-light32/ directories on the disc) to a
DVD-R or USB stick. Writing the whole disc
(either using dd or using a program like
Unetbootin or Rufus) won’t work, partly becauses tArt Here
usingtheLXFdVd
Using Linux for the first time can
be very confusing. It’ll be unlike
anything that you’ve likely operated
before, especially if you’re used
to Microsoft Windows or Apple
macOS.
Generally our DVDs are designed
to be run directly, which is to say
that when you first power on your
PC (or Mac) it should ‘boot’ from
the DVD – so before Windows or
macOS even starts to load – with
Linux running directly from the
DVD. This trick is known as a Live
Disc. It enables you to try out the
various versions of Linux without
having to install or change anything
on your PC. Just remove the DVD,
restart your PC and it’ll be exactly
as you left it.
While many systems will boot
from a DVD when it finds one,
many will not. See below for the
standard process for enabling
booting from a DVD on various
desktops and laptop PCs.
The alternative option is to
locate the ISO file on the DVD and
write this to your own USB thumb
drive and attemp to run that. We
recommend using Etcher from
http://www.balena.io/etcher that’s
available for Windows, macOS
and Linux. Good luck!boot the disc
Many PCs should boot
automatically if they’re turned on
with a disc in the drive. If not, many
offer an early Boot Menu accessed
by tapping a key while powering up
from cold: F9 (HP), F12 (Dell,
Lenovo), F8 (Amibios) or F11
(Award BIOS). Alternatively, use
the BIOS/UEFI to adjust the boot
order to start with the optical drive.
Again, this is accessed by tapping a
key during power up, usually Del
but sometimes F1 or F2. Some new
UEFI PCs require access via
Windows:holdingShiftselectits
Restartoption.Ifyou’restillhaving
problemsusingtheDVDvisit:
http://www.linuxformat.com/
dvdsupport
Macowners:HoldtheCkey
whilepoweringonyoursystem
tobootfromthedisc.o
ImportantnotIce!
DefectIveDIscs: For basic help on running the disc or in the unlikely event of your
Linux Format coverdisc being in any way defective, please visit our support site at
http://www.linuxformat.com/dvdsupport. Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer advice on
using the applications, your hardware or the operating system itself.96 LXF249 May 2019 http://www.linuxformat.com