Parrot Security a bird colored Linux system for pentesters
 |
Parrot Os Vmware KDE Tools 4.9 Download
In addition to Kali Linux, Parrot Security, one of several editions of the Linux distribution Parrot OS, has made a name as a live system with a carefully equipped toolbox of sniffers, penetration testing programs and forensic tools. The advantage of live systems of this type is the preparatory work carried out by the developers, which saves users the time of compiling special tools or searching for dependent libraries.
We took a look at the latest Parrot Security version 4.9 and finally also at Parrot OS Home, a Parrot OS edition for the regular desktop use. Both are available with either MATE or KDE Plasma as desktop.
Parrot OS 4.9 Security und Home (8 Bilder)
The searchable application menu is a great advantage of the KDE plasma output. In the MATE version, a manually added Brisk menu helps.
As with most Linux distributions and live systems, the ISOLINUX menu in BIOS mode is more generous in its options than under UEFI.
Parrot Security: The eye sniffs with Parrot Security, like Kali Linux, promises to turn a suitable x86 system or virtual machine into a nice pentesting package with few manipulations. Like Kali, Parrot is made up of the package sources of Debian testing as well as its own repositories and saw its first release in 2013.
So far, so much. But there are some distinct differences with Kali Linux: Parrot Security went to the start as a new Linux live system and did not grow like Kali Linux from the Knoppix variant backtrack. The Parrot Security team, with nine developers, is also smaller and focused on the Linux system, while the makers of Kali Linux themselves also offer pentests and security assessments as well as various courses in collaboration with the service provider Offensive Security.
While Kali Linux is simple and functional, the Parrot systems want to stand out on the desktop with their own bird-colored aesthetics - including the mandatory green font in the terminal that perfectly matches casual hoodie looks and colorful notebooks.
MATE and KDE Plasma for choice
Parrot Security is available in two major versions for X86-64, one with MATE (currently version 1.24) as the desktop and another with KDE Plasma (version 5.17), with the Parrot systems with MATE desktop as the primary output. There are also OVA images as Vms and experimental Netinst images in Debian style. The main outputs boot into a detailed ISOLINUX start menu or alternatively into a simple UEFI menu with Grub 2, the former also allowing the selection of keyboard layouts.
The MATE desktop is tidy and shows the categorized (UN) security tools and sniffers in the application menu under "Pentesting". which, according to the author of this article, are almost the most important tools for penetration testing against websites.
The MATE menu is not searchable and it is recommended to use the "Brisk menu" instead of right-clicking on the panel. This is different in the KDE Plasma issue of Parrot Security, which provides a search function from the start.
At first glance, the selection of pre-installed tools appears to be similar to Kali Linux, but it is up to the users, especially with regard to their individual requirements for the system, in the context of a test installation itself. Parrot Security’s documentation tells little about the existing functionality.
Parrot OS Home: Es rollt (noch) nicht rund
The desktops of Parrot OS with MATE and KDE have received some attention with their colourful presentation and careful software composition, regardless of their use as a pentesting system. As a result, the developers have created two Parrot editions for the more universal desktop application, which are also available with MATE or optionally with KDE Plasma. No selection of security-specific programs is pre-installed in them, wherein the respective packets can easily be retrofitted via the already preconfigured repository of Parrot Security.
The desktop versions of Parrot OS are also designed as an installable live system, making it easy and fast to use. A shortcoming of the two desktop versions results from the Debian testing base. Because in testing, as in other rolling releases, sometimes a few more moves are needed for system upgrades. This also affects Parrot Home: For a complete system upgrade, the script "parrot-upgrade" is provided in the shell to help update all packages with "apt-get dist-upgrade".
However, this does not always work without user intervention and experience in resolving package conflicts. For example, from an upgrade from Parrot 4.8 to Parrot 4.9, it is necessary to manually delete the firmware files of the Broadcom b43 driver that conflicts with newer packages.
Living Linux Security distribution with potential
As a live system with relevant tools, Parrot Security presents itself as a serious alternative to Kali Linux, which is worth trying out in every case, even if it is not as easy as the competitor on the basis of testing.
The use of Parrot OS as a Linux desktop system ("Home Edition") is a nice idea as a stand-alone feature and delimitation of Kali Linux. At the moment, however, Parrot OS Home is not quite "flying": a desktop Linux system that has been stable for years should not be expected in view of possible updates and Debian testing.
- Shero King
Thanks Visit Channel Guide Officially Web Portal.
