Kali Linux is a popular hacker-distro used by security professionals and ethical hackers all over the world. It is packed with a lot of security and privacy tools that you can use for vulnerability scanning, network and penetration testing. It is the most preferable operating system that includes all the things needed to become your ultimate weapon for protecting your system from cyber threats.
You can install Kali Linux as a stand-alone operating system, on VirtualBox, VMWare, on a Live USB and more. Besides that, you can also use built-in Kali Linux docker images to run the Kali Linux system on any environment either Windows, Linux or Mac. The advantage of using the Kali Linux docker images is that you don’t have to manually install the operating system from scratch.
In this guide, you will learn:
- How to Use Kali Linux Docker Images
- How to Resume Existing Docker Container
- How to Remove Docker Container
- Conclusion
How to Use Kali Linux Docker Images
To learn how to use Kali Linux docker images, follow the below-given steps:
Step 1: Install Docker on a System
To run Kali Linux docker images on a system, you must install docker on your system. The official repository of the Linux system has included the docker packages that makes it easy for you to install docker on your system. However, before that, it is recommended to update your Linux repository using:
After that, issue the below command for installing docker on your system:
To ensure docker is successfully installed on a Linux system, run the below-given command:
You can also install docker on a Linux system by first adding the following Linux repository:
sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker-ce.list
Then adding the GPG key to verify the authenticity of the added repository:
sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/docker-ce-archive-keyring.gpg
Once done, update your repository through the below-given command to ensure the docker repository is successfully added to your system:
After updating the repository, the docker can be installed on the system along with additional command-line tools using the following command:
Step 2: Enable Docker on a System
After completing the docker installation on a system, you can enable it on your Linux system from the below command:
Step 3: Add Docker to sudo group
By default, the docker commands can be run with sudo privileges, however, you can run it without sudo by adding the docker user to a sudo group from the provided command:
Replace $USER in the above command with the username you want to add to the sudo group.
Note: The Windows users can use docker commands on a system by installing the Docker Desktop App. After that, open Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell and execute the docker commands given below to use Kali Linux docker images on Windows.
Here, we are using Kali Linux as a base system for running the commands. But, you can use the commands to run Kali Linux docker images on any Linux or Windows distribution where docker is installed.
Step 4: Pull the Kali Linux Docker Image
After adding the user to a sudo group, you can run the following command to pull the official Kali Linux rolling docker image on your Linux system:
Note: In case you experienced permission denied error, this could be because you have skipped Step 3 and to avoid it, use sudo with the docker command.
Step 5: Run the Kali Linux Docker File
Once the pulling is completed, you can run the below-given command to run the Kali Linux docker images on your system:
The above command will enable and run the Kali Linux environment on your system.
Step 6: Update Kali Linux Repository
You can update the Kali Linux repository to ensure the installation is completed, this can be done from the below command:
Step 7: Install Kali Linux Headless
The Kali Linux system docker image doesn’t include penetration testing or other advanced tools. Instead, it allows you to install only basic packages on your system. For that purpose, you have to install a specific meta-package called kali-linux-headless on your system using the following command:
During the installation, you will be asked for some onscreen choices that you have to choose from to complete the setup.
Note: Further, you can also install other Kali Linux meta-packages that offer a wide range of tools that allows you to kick-start your ethical hacking journey. You can get help to install different Kali Linux meta-packages by navigating to the official website.
How to Resume Existing Docker Container
If you have logged out your device or close the terminal accidentally, you can resume the existing docker container. It is possible by first running the following command to check for the docker containers list:
Then run the docker start command followed by the container ID to start the container on the system:
Once the docker container is started, simply run the docker attach command followed by the container ID to resume it on your system:
How to Remove Docker Container
If you want to remove the docker container from the list, you have to first stop the docker container by using the docker stop command with the container ID:
Then use docker rm command followed by the container ID you want to remove from the list:
Conclusion
Kali Linux docker images allows you to run the Kali Linux environment on any operating system. To use Kali Linux docker images on a Linux system, you must ensure docker is installed on your system. If you are using Windows, you can install Docker Desktop and use docker commands. For Linux systems, docker can be installed from the official Linux repository or adding docker repository and installing it from apt command. We have provided the necessary steps to use Kali Linux docker images on any system. We have also provided the methods to run docker containers, resume existing docker containers and remove the docker container from the system.
By day, I am an engineer and researcher, building bridges and figuring out how the universe works. But when the clock strikes five, I turn into a wordsmith!
I write about my adventures on my blog, sharing tips and tricks to help others join the tech fun. I have worked on Raspberry Pi, Ubuntu, Debian, and Laptops. Right now, I have accepted the challenge of working on the Kali Linux system, and with my vast expertise in Linux systems, I will help users overcome the challenges through my blogs.