Linux

Installing Kali Linux and Understanding GRUB

2026-04-27

Introduction

Kali Linux is a Debian-based distribution designed specifically for penetration testing, ethical hacking, and security research. It comes preloaded with hundreds of security tools including Nmap, Metasploit, Wireshark, and Burp Suite. This tutorial walks through installing Kali Linux, understanding its GRUB bootloader, and getting the system ready for use.

What You Will Need

Before starting, gather the following.

- A USB drive with at least 8GB of storage

- A computer with at least 20GB of free disk space (50GB or more recommended)

- At least 4GB of RAM (8GB recommended)

- A stable internet connection

- Basic familiarity with Linux is helpful but not required

A Note on Kali Linux

Kali Linux is not recommended as a daily driver operating system for general use. It is purpose-built for security professionals and penetration testers. Running it as your main OS without understanding its tools can be dangerous. If you are new to Linux, consider starting with Ubuntu or Linux Mint first.

Step 1 — Download the Kali Linux ISO

Go to the official Kali Linux website at https://www.kali.org/get-kali and download the Installer image for your architecture. Most modern computers use the 64-bit (amd64) version.

Kali also offers pre-built virtual machine images for VirtualBox and VMware if you prefer to run it in a VM rather than installing it directly on hardware.

Step 2 — Verify the Download (Recommended)

Kali provides SHA256 checksums to verify your download was not corrupted. On Linux or Mac run the following command.

sha256sum kali-linux-*.iso

Compare the output against the checksum listed on the Kali download page. They must match exactly.

Step 3 — Create a Bootable USB Drive

Use Balena Etcher from https://etcher.balena.io to flash the ISO to your USB drive.

Open Etcher, select the Kali ISO, select your USB drive, and click Flash. Wait for the process to complete.

On Windows you can also use Rufus from https://rufus.ie. When using Rufus with Kali, select DD image mode when prompted rather than ISO mode for best compatibility.

Step 4 — Boot from the USB Drive

Insert the USB drive and restart your computer. Enter the boot menu by pressing the appropriate key for your hardware as the computer starts.

F12 works on most Dell and Lenovo machines. F9 works on HP machines. F8 works on some Asus machines. ESC may also bring up a boot selection menu.

Select your USB drive from the boot menu and press Enter.

When Kali boots from USB you will see its GRUB menu with the following options.

Graphical install provides a guided installer with a mouse-friendly interface. This is recommended for most users. Install provides a text-based installer for systems where the graphical one has issues. Live system boots into a live Kali environment without installing anything. This is useful for quick tasks or testing.

Select Graphical install and press Enter.

Step 6 — Language, Location, and Keyboard

The installer will ask you to select your language, country, and keyboard layout. Make your selections and click Continue at each step.

Step 7 — Configure the Network

The installer will attempt to configure your network automatically via DHCP. Enter a hostname for your machine, which is the name it will use on the network. You can leave the domain name blank for a home setup.

Step 8 — Set Up Users and Passwords

Kali will ask you to create a user account. Enter a full name, username, and a strong password. This account will be your primary non-root user.

Unlike older versions of Kali, the current installer creates a regular user account by default rather than logging you in as root. This is a safer approach.

Step 9 — Partition the Disk

The installer offers several partitioning options.

Option A — Guided, Use Entire Disk

This is the simplest option and wipes the entire disk for Kali. Choose this for a dedicated Kali installation.

Select your disk when prompted. Then choose All files in one partition for a straightforward setup. Review the partition summary and select Finish partitioning and write changes to disk. Confirm when prompted.

Option B — Dual Boot Alongside Another OS

If another operating system is already installed, the guided partitioner can shrink it to make room. Select Guided, use the largest continuous free space to install Kali alongside your existing OS.

Option C — Manual Partitioning

For advanced users, manual partitioning gives full control. A typical Kali setup includes a swap partition the size of your RAM and a root partition mounted at / formatted as ext4.

Step 10 — Install the System

The installer will copy files and install the base system. This takes around 10 to 20 minutes depending on your hardware.

Step 11 — Choose Desktop Environment

Kali will ask which desktop environment and tools to install. The default selection is Xfce, which is lightweight and fast. GNOME and KDE Plasma are also available if you prefer a different look.

You can also select which tool collections to install. The default tools collection is a good starting point.

Step 12 — Install GRUB

The installer will ask where to install GRUB. Select Yes to install GRUB to the primary drive. When asked which device to use, select your main disk, typically shown as /dev/sda or /dev/nvme0n1.

Never select a partition here — select the entire disk device.

Step 13 — Complete the Installation

The installer will finish and ask you to reboot. Remove the USB drive when prompted and press Continue.

Understanding GRUB on Kali

GRUB works the same way on Kali as on other Debian-based distributions. After rebooting you will see the GRUB menu with your Kali installation listed. If you dual booted, your other operating system will also appear here.

To edit GRUB settings open the following file.

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

Common settings to adjust are the following.

GRUB_TIMEOUT=10 controls how long GRUB waits before auto-booting. GRUB_DEFAULT=0 sets which entry boots by default.

After saving changes, always regenerate the GRUB configuration.

sudo update-grub

Step 14 — First Boot and Updates

Log in with the username and password you created during installation. Open a terminal and update the system immediately.

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade -y

Kali uses full-upgrade instead of upgrade to ensure all packages including the kernel are properly updated.

Reboot after updating.

sudo reboot

Step 15 — Install Kali Tool Collections

Kali organizes its tools into meta-packages. Install additional tool collections as needed.

sudo apt install kali-tools-top10 -y # the ten most used tools

sudo apt install kali-tools-web -y # web application testing tools

sudo apt install kali-tools-wireless -y # wireless and wifi testing tools

sudo apt install kali-tools-forensics -y # digital forensics tools

Some users prefer to enable root login on Kali for convenience. This is not recommended for security reasons but can be done as follows.

sudo passwd root

Set a root password, then log out and back in as root if needed. Be aware that running as root means any mistake or malicious script has full system access with no restrictions.

Troubleshooting

Black Screen After Boot

Add nomodeset to the GRUB kernel line. In the GRUB menu press E, find the line starting with linux, and add nomodeset before quiet. Press Ctrl+X to boot. Once inside, install the appropriate GPU drivers.

Missing WiFi Adapter

Some wireless cards require non-free firmware. Install it with the following command.

sudo apt install firmware-linux firmware-linux-nonfree -y

Then reboot and check if the adapter is detected.

GRUB Not Showing After Dual Boot

If Windows overwrites GRUB, boot from the Kali USB, open a terminal, and reinstall GRUB. Replace /dev/sda with your actual disk.

sudo mount /dev/sda2 /mnt

sudo grub-install --boot-directory=/mnt/boot /dev/sda