How to Install Kali Linux 2026 — Complete Beginner Guide

Always download Kali Linux from the official source: kali.org/get-kali. Never use third-party mirrors or torrents you can't verify. Kali offers several image types — choose the right one for your use case.

• 1
  Download the ISO and the matching SHA256SUMS and SHA256SUMS.gpg files from the same Kali download page
• 2
  Import the Kali Linux official GPG signing key: gpg --keyserver hkps://keys.openpgp.org --recv-key 827C8569F2518CC677FECA1AED65462EC8D5E4C5
• 3
  Verify the signature: gpg --verify SHA256SUMS.gpg SHA256SUMS — look for "Good signature from Kali Linux Development Team"
• 4
  Verify the ISO hash matches: sha256sum -c SHA256SUMS --ignore-missing

You need a USB drive with at least 8 GB capacity. All data on the USB will be erased. Use a USB 3.0 drive for faster boot and install speeds.

To boot from your Kali USB you need to either access the boot menu at startup or change the boot order in BIOS/UEFI settings. On most systems, Secure Boot also needs to be disabled.

• 1
  Insert the bootable USB drive and power on or restart your system
• 2
  Rapidly press the BIOS key (see table above) before the OS loads — timing is critical, press repeatedly
• 3
  In BIOS: navigate to Security or Boot tab → find Secure Boot → set to Disabled
• 4
  Navigate to Boot Order or Boot Priority → move USB to first position (or select it one-time via boot menu)
• 5
  Save changes: usually F10 → Confirm "Yes" → system reboots and boots from USB

The graphical installer guides you through the full installation. Full disk install erases everything on the selected drive — ideal for a dedicated Kali machine or VM. This uses the modern graphical installer available since Kali 2023+.

• 1
  Boot from USB → select Graphical Install from the Kali boot menu
• 2
  Language / Location / Keyboard — select your region and keyboard layout
• 3
  Hostname — set a hostname (e.g. kali or redteam). Leave domain name blank
• 4
  User Account — enter your full name, username, and password. Use a strong password — Kali runs many privileged tools
• 5
  Disk Partitioning — select Guided — use entire disk then choose your target drive. For most users: select All files in one partition
• 6
  Confirm the partition changes → select Finish partitioning and write changes to disk → Yes to confirm (this is destructive)
• 7
  Software Selection — default selection includes XFCE desktop + top 10 tools. Select additional metapackages if needed
• 8
  GRUB bootloader — install GRUB to the primary drive (e.g. /dev/sda or /dev/nvme0n1)
• 9
  Installation completes → Remove USB when prompted → click Continue to reboot
• 10
  System boots into Kali Linux XFCE desktop — log in with the credentials you created

Dual booting lets you keep Windows and have a native Kali installation. The key preparation step is shrinking the Windows partition to create free space for Kali, done inside Windows before booting the Kali installer.

• 1
  In Windows: press Win + X → Disk Management
• 2
  Right-click the C: drive partition → Shrink Volume
• 3
  Enter the amount to shrink — minimum 40,000 MB (40 GB) recommended for Kali, 80+ GB if you plan to store tools and data
• 4
  Click Shrink — the free unallocated space appears on the disk map. This is where Kali will install
• 5
  Disable Fast Startup in Windows: Settings → System → Power → Additional power settings → Choose what the power buttons do → uncheck "Turn on fast startup"

• 1
  Boot from Kali USB → select Graphical Install
• 2
  At partitioning: select Manual partitioning
• 3
  Select the FREE SPACE unallocated partition → Create new partition
• 4
  Create: root partition (/) using most of the space, and a swap partition (equal to your RAM, max 8 GB)
• 5
  Continue installation — GRUB will detect Windows and add it to the boot menu automatically
• 6
  On reboot, GRUB menu shows both Kali and Windows — select with arrow keys

Installing Kali in a VM is the safest method for beginners — it requires no partitioning or BIOS changes and runs inside your existing OS. The pre-built OVA image available from kali.org is the fastest way to get started.

• 1
  Install VirtualBox from virtualbox.org — also install the VirtualBox Extension Pack for USB 3.0 and full-screen support
• 2
  Download the Kali VirtualBox OVA from kali.org/get-kali/#kali-virtual-machines (look for VirtualBox 64-bit)
• 3
  In VirtualBox: File → Import Appliance → select the OVA file → click Next → Import
• 4
  Select the imported VM → click Settings: allocate at least 4 GB RAM and 2+ CPU cores under System
• 5
  Click Start — Kali boots with default credentials: username kali, password kali
• 6
  Immediately change the default password: open terminal → passwd
• 7
  Install VirtualBox Guest Additions for clipboard sharing and drag-and-drop: sudo apt install virtualbox-guest-x11 -y → reboot

WSL2 lets you run Kali Linux directly inside Windows with a real Linux kernel. It's excellent for command-line security tools but doesn't support full GUI desktop by default, and some tools requiring raw socket access or kernel modules won't work.

A fresh Kali installation needs several configuration steps before it's ready for security work. Run these immediately after first boot.