The latest version of Kali Linux shows that developers like to kick back and have fun while developing powerful hacking tools.
Offensive Security, the developers of Kali Linux, has released the latest version of the penetration-testing-and-security focused distribution, Kali Linux 2022.2. The new release comes with many improvements and shows off the project’s humorous side with a screensaver homage to famous hacking scenes from Hollywood.
What’s New in Kali Linux 2022.2?
The new version of Kali Linux was announced in an official blog post. The developers also took to Twitter to announce the new release:
As is standard in many updates to distro releases, the most noticeable changes in the Debian-based Kali LInux are to its desktop environments. Kali offers the user a choice of multiple defaults: GNOME, KDE, and Xfce.
Kali’s chief attraction is that it offers a number of popular security and network tools, including the Nmap port scanner, installed by default. There are several new tools making their debut in 2022.2. This includes the BruteShark network forensic analysis tool.
Kali Linux 2022.2 includes the latest versions of GNOME and KDE, while adding their own tweaks. The version of GNOME is 42, which debuts two new apps, the Console terminal emulator, as well as the imaginatively named text editor, Text Editor. It also has an enhanced dark mode. They also smoothed out the experience of the KDE environment and XFCE. They also fixed many bugs.
Users running Kali Linux as a VirtualBox guest can now make use of the shared folders feature more easily, as it adds user accounts to the right group permissions.
Interested users can download the latest version for their hardware, including ARM and mobile devices, from Kali Linux’s download page.
Kali Linux 2022.2 Shows Off a Playful Side With Hollywood Hacking Screensaver
In addition to the new updates, the developers have chosen to show off a playful side to their efforts. They’ve introduced an optional screensaver, “Hollywood Activate,” that recreates classic hacking computer screens in TV and movies. One of them is the scene from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” where the titular high school slacker hacks into his school’s computer system to reduce his number of absences while Dean of Students Ed Rooney watches helplessly:
The idea evolved out of an April Fools’ Day joke and exemplifies the way Linux and other open-source developers can have fun with their work. The developers are also repaying Hollywood for having Kali Linux show up in the media, including in the show, “Mr. Robot,” according to their announcement:
Hacking as shown in popular media, has ranged from really fun to completely absurd, so we saw the opportunity to do a tribute to some of our favourite instances (and get a little nostalgic).
It’s this kind of playfulness that’s endeared Kali Linux, and Linux more broadly, to the hearts of its users.
Kali Linux 2022.2 is an Easy Entry Into Security and Ethical Hacking
With the inclusion of many popular Linux security and hacking tools, Kali Linux offers an easy introduction to the world of security research and ethical hacking. On the Raspberry Pi, it’s an almost irresistibly cheap and simple option.
