2019-05-01_Linux_Format

the install options still won’t be there but mostly
because you’ll have just added a new layer of
filesystem abstraction to things. Use a program
like Etcher (www.balena.io/etcher) if you want
to do things graphically, or use dd if you prefer
the old fashioned way:
$ sudo dd if=/media/LXFDVD249/Kali/kali-
linux-mate-2019.1-amd64.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4K
status=progress
The forementioned Unetbootin and Rufus
probably work on the Kali ISOs too, but we
haven’t tested that and we like Etcher.
Having a Kali USB stick avails you of its
persistence features (we left those options on
the DVD menu just to pique your interest). This
means you can carry around a customised Kali
Linux that you can boot anywhere without
touching the host machine.
Perhaps you’ll be working on database
dumps and need to save intermediate files
before getting an hour’s sleep and moving to the
next safehouse; maybe your coworker stole your
last USB stick (what, me?–Ed) and you just need
somewhere to save the cat GIFs du jour; maybe
you just really want to install Kali Linux (it’s
based on Debian and uses the same installer) –
it’sallpossible.

nothing if not persistent
A small amount of further setup is needed to
use Kali’s persistence features. Mostly we need
to create our data partition in the extra space on
the USB stick. The Kali live partition occupies
about 3GB (actually 3214MB), so the difference
can be used to store data. We need to specify
the partition boundaries to create the partition;
the following worked for us with a 16GB stick:

Adding a

partition to

a USB stick

from a funky

terminal. (There

is absolutely

no need to

update fstab.)

AndMore!

$ sudo parted /dev/sdX mkpart primary 3214

15.5gb

You may have to decrease the end boundary if

it refuses or if you have a smaller capacity USB

stick – remember the usable capacity of these

things is never quite as advertised. You can

specify a value in megabytes (as in the start

boundary) or use the gb suffix for metric

gigabytes. You may also get some warnings

about not being able to use the exact start

values, or about the partition placement not

being ‘optimal’. These can be safely ignored

and the values it suggests are generally sensible.

Once that’s done, we can make our

filesystem. We’re a bit short of space here, so

we won’t cover setting up a LUKS-encrypted

volume here (you’ll find the details at https://

kali.org/prst), but adding an ext3 filesystem is

just a matter of

$ sudo mkfs.ext3 -L persistence /dev/sdX3

In order to use it, we need to create a config

file that tells Kali to use this partition for

persistent storage. That file should reside in the

root directory of the persistence volume and be

called persistence.conf. All it needs to contain

is the text:

/ union

Check the previous link if you need more details.

The Bookshelf is also back this month, and as

well as everything listed in that column over

yonder we’ve managed to find space for Kali

Linux Revealed, Offensive Security’s official 341-

page guide to the distro. This covers much more

than we could fit in this magazine, let alone

these two pages. The root password is ‘toor’ –

everything in Kali is done with root.

ReadingmatteR

Advanced Bash

Scripting Guide

Gofurtherwithshellscripting.

Bash Guide for Beginners

Get to grips with the basics

ofBashscripting.

Bourne Shell Scripting

Firststepsinshellscripting.

The Cathedral and

the Bazaar

Eric S. Raymond’s classic text

explains the advantages of

opendevelopment.

The Debian Book

Essentialguideforsysadmins.

Dive Into Python

Everythingyouneedtoknow.

Introduction to Linux

A handy guide full of pointers

fornewLinuxusers.

Linux Dictionary

The A-Z of everything to do

withLinux.

Linux Kernel in a Nutshell

An introduction to the kernel

written by master hacker

GregKroah-Hartman.

The Linux System

Administrator’s Guide

Takecontrolofyoursystem.

Tools Summary

OverviewofGNUtools.

GNU Emacs Manual

Six hundred pages of

essentialinformation!

Producing Open Source

Software

Everythingyouneedtoknow.

Programming from the

Ground Up

Take your first steps.

downLoAd

yourdVd

iMAges!

GetcodeandDVDimagesat:

http://www.linuxformat.com

/archives

newtoLInux?starthere...

NeverusedLinuxbefore?Herearesomehandyresources:

Readourquick-installguidehttp://bit.ly/LXFinstall

Lookingforananswer?https://askubuntu.com

Want to delve more deeply? https://linuxjourney.com

http://www.techradar.com/pro/linux May 2019 LXF249 97