After installing Kali Linux, either to a dedicated system or a virtual
machine, there are tools that need to be installed to make hacking life a
bit easier.
This post will discuss the applications that I install after a clean Kali Linux installation. It won't cover how to do the initial installation, since there are numerous videos and blogs that already explain that process.
Terminator
In my quest to find the right terminal emulator, I was impressed with Terminator. It's been around for quite awhile and works really well.
Features include the ability to split a console window into several panes, create several tabs of multiple panes, configuration profiles, custom layouts, custom key-binding and more. I haven't used all the cool features of Terminator, but what I have used works efficiently for me.
Install:
root@kali:~# apt-get -y install terminator
xrdp
In the past, I've tried VNC server programs for remote desktop access but overall, I haven't been flattered. The VNC protocol has it's place but I have to admit, Microsoft did a pretty good job with the RDP protocol. It's efficient, light on the network, provides resource redirection option for disk and USB drives, sound, clipboard and it's fairly easy to use. The only drawback is that it's a one-to-one protocol and multi-user access would be a really welcome feature that would knock it out of the park.
So, you'd think that accessing Linux desktops via RDP would be sketchy, since Linux and Windows can be oil and water with compatibility. Not so much when using xrdp. After installation, I'm able to connect to my Kali Linux desktop almost right away with minimal configuration. I like when it just works.
The only gotcha to remember is that the user account that is being used to access the desktop via RDP needs to be logged out of the X windows environment on the local console. Other than that, easy, peasy.
Install:
root@kali:~# apt-get -y install xrdp
htop/iftop
The next two tools I install are local system monitoring programs - htop and iftop. When doing scanning, attacks or other activities, applications may be running but not provide progress output on the command line. A quick look at two terminals open with htop and iftop tells me that the application is indeed doing its thing, since I can see the processes and network connections in real time. It also helps to see the used system resources to determine if I need to add memory or CPUs, which may be contributing to slowness. These tools are lightweight, so I have no qualms about letting them run continually.
Install:
root@kali:~# apt-get -y install htop iftop