Kali vs Parrot OS: which one is powerful for penetration testing or which operating system has the best tools to work with but before starting discussing both of them, I just want you to know about penetration testing because both operating systems are developed for penetration testing or pen-testing. Let’s start with a general overview of penetration testing and then we will discuss both the operating system and Kali vs Parrot OS.
What is a penetration Testing Distribution?
A penetration test, also known as a pen test, is a parallel or simulated cyberattack against your computer system to check for exploitable vulnerabilities or an isolated setting in which the research team is unable to carry other machines into the target environment or provide network connections in or out. Created the first penetration Testing Distribution In order to complete the task. In simple terms, a penetration test is a process of testing the security weaknesses of an application, network, or system. In other words, we try to find out how secure our application, network, or system are and what are the chances or possibilities of our applications being hacked or attacked.
A brief discussion on both the operating system
Parrot Operating System is similar to Kali Linux and is an open-source Debian-based operating system. Debian is a freely available and popular computer operating system that uses the Linux kernel and other program components to be obtained from the GNU project. The GNU Linux project created a Unix-like OS(Operating System) developed with source code that could be copied, modified, and redistributed. In this, we will discuss what Kali Linux is, what parrot os is, and kali vs. Parrot OS.
What is Kali Linux?
Kali Linux is a Linux distribution based on Debian. This operating system is designed especially for network analysts and penetration testers. Kali is transformed into an ethical hacker’s Swiss-knife thanks to the abundance of software that comes pre-installed. Kali Linux contains many tools aimed at various information security activities, including penetration testing, security analysis, computer forensics, and reverse engineering. Offensive Security, leading information security training organization, developed, supported, and maintains Kali Linux.
Some features of Kali Linux
- Free of Cost: Kali Linux Operating System is completely free to use, just like its predecessor BackTrack. BackTrack was a Linux distribution targeted at digital forensics and penetration testing built on the Knoppix Linux distribution.
- Multi-language support: About the fact that the majority of software and tools are written in English, Kali Linux supports several languages. This allows users to use these tools in their native language and customize them for their own needs.
- Customizable: Kali has a minor flaw in that it was not designed to look good but rather to work well. As a result, consumers must customize to make things look and sound better when using them.
- Open source: It is available on an open-source platform. As this belongs to the Linux family, Their development tree is open to the public on Github, and all of the code is accessible for you to tweak.
What is a Parrot OS?
Parrot OS is a version of Linux similar to Kali Linux and is known for its penetration testing capabilities and extensive toolkit. It is similar to Kali Linux in that it adheres to Debian standards, with all code segments adhering to a set of specifications designed for security professionals, developers, and privacy-conscious audiences. It was first released in april 2013. Parrot is a collection of penetration testing software designed to help with threat prevention, security analysis, forensics, and threat assessment. Penetration checking, risk assessment and prevention, digital forensics, and anonymous web surfing are possible.
Some Features of the Parrot operating system.
- Open Source: Parrot OS is entirely free and built by the open-source community, allowing users to configure it according to their preferences.
- Secure: Parrot OS provides regular updates to stay ahead of the competition while still ensuring that it is fully sandboxed.
- Light-weight or requires less space to install: Parrot OS is extremely light and performs admirably on older hardware with limited resources.
- System Specification: It is built on Debian 9, uses MATE desktop and Lightdm view manager, and operates on a custom rugged Linux 4.5 kernel.
- Cryptography: Parrot OS comes with custom Anti-Forensic tools, as well as GPG and cryptsetup interfaces. It also works with an encryption software like LUKS, Truecrypt, and VeraCrypt.
Kali vs Parrot OS
| Kali Linux OS | Parrot OS |
| 1. It requires more ram, around one GB. | 1. While it requires lesser RAM, about 320 MB. |
| 2. It takes a graphics card in terms of GPU, and it requires graphic acceleration. | 2. There is no need for a graphics card since it does not require graphical acceleration. |
| 3. It needs 20 GB for installation. | 3. It requires around 15 GB for installation. |
| 4. It does not come with built-in compilers or IDEs. | 4. It comes with a number of compilers and IDEs pre-installed. |
| 5. It has hefty specifications and is a little sluggish. | 5. It’s very light and doesn’t lag much, so it’s a good choice. |
| 6. It comes with all of the required hacking tools. | 6.While it includes all of the techniques used in Kali, it also incorporates its own. AnonSurf, Wifiphisher, and Airgeddon are only a few examples. |
| 7. It has a more straightforward user interface. | 7. It does, though, have a much-improved user interface. |
| 8. Its user interface is based on the Gnome desktop environment. | 8. The Ubuntu-Mate-Desktop-Environment is used to build its GUI. |
In the discussion of Kali vs Parrot OS, there are also some applications that are pre-installed in the Parrot Operating system, but not in Kali Linux.
- AnonSurf
- Kayak – The Car Hacking Tool
- Ricochet
- Nikto
- SQLMap
- CUPP
- macchanger
- Electrum Bitcoin Wallet
- TOR (The Onion Routers)
- OnionShare
Is Kali Linux or Parrot OS, designed for a normal user?
Kali and Parrot OS aren’t suitable for everyone. It’s not a standard Linux distribution that you can install on your desktop and think you’re smart because you’re using a “hacker OS.” You’re running a highly unstable device if you do so. Kali is made to be run as a root. It isn’t as stable or optimized as a standard Linux distribution. It’s an offensive rather than a defensive weapon.
Quick Links
After discussing Kali vs Parrot OS, Now the question arises: Which Is Better for Beginners?
The biggest concern now is which of these two distributions is more suitable for beginners. It should be remembered that none of these distributions is Designed to aim at beginners. In my opinion, if you want to learn about Linux as an operating system, Ubuntu is a good place to start. At first, this is very necessary to be familiar with Linux. Choosing an operating system for penetration testing, as described in this Kali vs Parrot OS article, is solely dependent on personal preference, customization, and system specifications. I will personally advise potential peoples to look into Parrot OS because of the many benefits it offers to consumers, learners, and the community as a whole.
