Kali Linux Interview Questions

Checkout Vskills Interview questions with answers in Kali Linux to prepare for your next job role. The questions are submitted by professionals to help you to prepare for the Interview.

Q.1 What is Kali Linux?

Kali Linux is a Debian-based Linux distribution designed for penetration testing and cybersecurity purposes.

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Q.2 Who maintains Kali Linux?

Kali Linux is maintained and funded by Offensive Security.

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Q.3 What are the primary use cases for Kali Linux?

Kali Linux is primarily used for penetration testing, ethical hacking, and security auditing.

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Q.4 How can you install Kali Linux?

You can install Kali Linux by downloading the ISO image and either creating a bootable USB or using a virtual machine.

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Q.5 What are the minimum system requirements for Kali Linux?

Minimum requirements include a 1GHz CPU, 1GB RAM, 20GB of hard disk space, and a bootable media.

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Q.6 What is the default username and password in Kali Linux?

The default username is "kali," and the default password is "kali".

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Q.7 How can you change the default password in Kali Linux?

You can change the default password using the passwd command.

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Q.8 What is the Kali Linux package manager?

Kali Linux uses the APT (Advanced Package Tool) package manager for software installation and updates.

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Q.9 How do you update the package repository in Kali Linux?

You can update the package repository using the sudo apt update command.

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Q.10 How do you upgrade installed packages in Kali Linux?

Use the sudo apt upgrade command to upgrade installed packages.

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Q.11 What is the difference between "apt-get" and "apt"?

apt is a simplified command that combines various functionalities of "apt-get" into a single command.

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Q.12 How do you install a package in Kali Linux?

You can install a package using the sudo apt install command followed by the package name.

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Q.13 How can you remove a package in Kali Linux?

Use the sudo apt remove or sudo apt purge command followed by the package name to remove a package.

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Q.14 What is the root user in Kali Linux?

The root user has superuser privileges and can perform administrative tasks.

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Q.15 How do you switch to the root user in Kali Linux?

You can switch to the root user by using the sudo -i or su command and providing the root password.

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Q.16 What is the default shell in Kali Linux?

The default shell in Kali Linux is "bash" (Bourne Again Shell).

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Q.17 How can you check the IP address of a Kali Linux system?

You can use the ifconfig or ip addr command to view the IP address of a Kali Linux system.

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Q.18 What is the purpose of the "ifconfig" command?

The "ifconfig" command is used to configure and display information about network interfaces.

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Q.19 How do you change the IP address in Kali Linux?

You can change the IP address using the ifconfig or ip addr commands along with appropriate parameters.

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Q.20 What is the purpose of the "ping" command?

The "ping" command is used to test network connectivity by sending ICMP echo requests to a target host.

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Q.21 How can you install additional tools in Kali Linux?

You can install additional tools using the apt package manager or by downloading and compiling from source.

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Q.22 What is the Kali Linux default desktop environment?

The default desktop environment in Kali Linux is GNOME.

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Q.23 How can you start the GUI in Kali Linux?

You can start the GUI by running the startx command or by rebooting into the graphical mode.

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Q.24 What is the purpose of "sudo" in Kali Linux?

sudo is used to execute commands with superuser privileges while retaining individual user permissions.

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Q.25 How do you add a user in Kali Linux?

Use the sudo useradd command to add a new user to Kali Linux.

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Q.26 How do you add a user to the sudo group?

You can add a user to the sudo group using the sudo usermod -aG sudo username command.

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Q.27 How do you list all users in Kali Linux?

The cat /etc/passwd command lists all users in Kali Linux.

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Q.28 How can you remove a user in Kali Linux?

Use the sudo userdel command to remove a user, along with the -r option to delete the user's home directory.

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Q.29 How do you change the password for a user in Kali Linux?

You can change a user's password using the sudo passwd username command.

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Q.30 What is a terminal emulator in Kali Linux?

A terminal emulator is a graphical program that allows users to interact with the command-line interface.

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Q.31 How can you open a terminal in Kali Linux?

You can open a terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T or by searching for "Terminal" in the applications menu.

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Q.32 How do you check the disk space in Kali Linux?

Use the df command to check disk space usage in Kali Linux.

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Q.33 What is the purpose of the "du" command?

The "du" command is used to estimate file and directory space usage.

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Q.34 How do you navigate the file system in Kali Linux?

Use the cd command to change directories and the ls command to list files and directories.

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Q.35 How do you create a directory in Kali Linux?

Use the mkdir command followed by the directory name to create a directory.

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Q.36 How can you delete a file in Kali Linux?

You can delete a file using the rm command followed by the file name.

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Q.37 How do you copy files and directories in Kali Linux?

Use the cp command to copy files and directories to a specified destination.

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Q.38 How do you move files and directories in Kali Linux?

Use the mv command to move files and directories to a new location.

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Q.39 What is a symbolic link (symlink) in Kali Linux?

A symbolic link is a reference to another file or directory and acts as a shortcut or alias.

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Q.40 How do you create a symlink in Kali Linux?

You can create a symlink using the ln -s command followed by the source and target.

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Q.41 What is the purpose of the "grep" command?

The "grep" command is used to search for patterns or text within files or command output.

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Q.42 How can you find files in Kali Linux?

Use the find command to search for files and directories based on various criteria.

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Q.43 What is the purpose of the "tar" command?

The "tar" command is used to archive and compress files and directories.

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Q.44 How do you extract files from a tarball in Kali Linux?

You can extract files from a tarball using the tar -xvf command followed by the file name.

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Q.45 How can you compress files using gzip in Kali Linux?

Use the gzip command to compress files, and the gunzip command to decompress them.

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Q.46 What is SSH in Kali Linux?

SSH (Secure Shell) is a cryptographic network protocol used for secure remote access to systems.

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Q.47 How do you SSH into a remote server in Kali Linux?

Use the ssh command followed by the remote server's IP address or hostname and your username.

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Q.48 What is the purpose of the "scp" command?

The "scp" command is used to securely copy files between local and remote systems over SSH.

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Q.49 How do you transfer files using "scp" in Kali Linux?

Use the scp command followed by the source file and destination in the format [user@]host:file.

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Q.50 How can you check system information in Kali Linux?

You can use the uname and lsb_release commands to check system information.

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Q.51 What is a package repository in Kali Linux?

A package repository is a collection of software packages and metadata used for software installation and updates.

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Q.52 How can you add a custom repository in Kali Linux?

You can add a custom repository by editing the /etc/apt/sources.list file or creating a .list file in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/.

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Q.53 How do you enable and disable services in Kali Linux?

Use the systemctl enable and systemctl disable commands to manage services.

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Q.54 What is the purpose of the "netstat" command?

The "netstat" command is used to display network statistics and connections.

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Q.55 How can you list open ports in Kali Linux?

Use the netstat -tuln or ss -tuln command to list open ports.

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Q.56 How do you start and stop services in Kali Linux?

Use the systemctl start and systemctl stop commands followed by the service name.

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Q.57 What is a firewall in Kali Linux?

A firewall is a network security device or software that filters and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic.

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Q.58 How can you configure the firewall in Kali Linux?

You can configure the firewall using tools like ufw (Uncomplicated Firewall) or iptables.

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Q.59 How do you check the firewall status in Kali Linux?

Use the ufw status or iptables -L command to check the firewall status.

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Q.60 What is the purpose of the "cron" system in Kali Linux?

The "cron" system is used for scheduling and automating tasks at specific times or intervals.

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Q.61 How can you create a cron job in Kali Linux?

You can create a cron job using the crontab -e command to edit the user's cron table.

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Q.62 What is the purpose of the "chmod" command?

The "chmod" command is used to change file and directory permissions in Kali Linux.

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Q.63 How do you change file permissions in Kali Linux?

Use the chmod command followed by the desired permission settings and the file name.

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Q.64 What are file permissions in Kali Linux?

File permissions specify who can read, write, or execute a file, and they are represented as three sets of three characters (e.g., rwxr-xr-x).

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Q.65 What is a shell script in Kali Linux?

A shell script is a text file containing a series of commands that can be executed in a shell.

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Q.66 How do you run a shell script in Kali Linux?

You can run a shell script using the ./script.sh command, provided the script is executable.

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Q.67 What is the purpose of the "ps" command?

The "ps" command is used to list currently running processes in Kali Linux.

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Q.68 How can you find and terminate a process in Kali Linux?

Use the ps command to find the process ID (PID), and then use the kill command to terminate it.

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Q.69 What is a package in Kali Linux?

A package is a software bundle that includes executable files, libraries, and configuration files.

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Q.70 What is the purpose of the "ls" command?

The "ls" command is used to list files and directories in a directory.

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Q.71 How do you list hidden files in Kali Linux?

Use the ls -a command to list hidden files and directories (those starting with a dot).

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Q.72 What is the "sudoers" file in Kali Linux?

The "sudoers" file contains rules that define which users or groups can execute commands with "sudo" privileges.

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Q.73 How do you edit the "sudoers" file in Kali Linux?

You can edit the "sudoers" file using the sudo visudo command to ensure proper syntax checking.

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Q.74 What is the purpose of the "df" command?

The "df" command is used to display disk space usage statistics in Kali Linux.

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Q.75 How can you check the size of a directory in Kali Linux?

Use the du -sh command followed by the directory path to check the size of a directory.

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Q.76 What is the purpose of the "lsof" command?

The "lsof" command is used to list open files and processes that have them open in Kali Linux.

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Q.77 How can you view the contents of a file in Kali Linux?

Use the cat, less, or more commands to view the contents of a file in the terminal.

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Q.78 What is the purpose of the "top" command?

The "top" command is used to display real-time system resource usage and running processes.

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Q.79 How can you exit the "top" command in Kali Linux?

Press the q key to exit the "top" command in Kali Linux.

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Q.80 What is a kernel in Kali Linux?

The kernel is the core component of the operating system responsible for managing hardware and system resources.

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Q.81 How can you check the kernel version in Kali Linux?

Use the uname -r command to display the kernel version in Kali Linux.

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Q.82 What is the purpose of the "dmesg" command?

The "dmesg" command displays kernel-related messages and logs.

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Q.83 How can you view the contents of a text file page by page in Kali Linux?

You can use the less or more command followed by the file name to view the contents page by page.

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Q.84 What is a package manager in Kali Linux?

A package manager is a tool that automates the installation, removal, and management of software packages.

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Q.85 How do you check the package version in Kali Linux?

Use the `dpkg -l command.

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Q.86 What is the purpose of the "chown" command?

The "chown" command is used to change the ownership of files and directories in Kali Linux.

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Q.87 How do you change the owner and group of a file in Kali Linux?

Use the chown command followed by the new owner and group, and the file or directory name.

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Q.88 What is a text editor in Kali Linux?

A text editor is a software application used to create and edit text files.

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Q.89 How can you open and edit a text file in Kali Linux?

You can use text editors like "nano," "vim," or "gedit" to open and edit text files.

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Q.90 What is the purpose of the "who" command in Kali Linux?

The "who" command is used to display information about currently logged-in users.

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Q.91 How can you check the system uptime in Kali Linux?

Use the uptime command to display the system's uptime.

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Q.92 What is the "PATH" environment variable in Kali Linux?

The "PATH" variable specifies the directories where the system looks for executable files when you enter a command.

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Q.93 How can you add a directory to the "PATH" in Kali Linux?

You can add a directory to the "PATH" by editing the .bashrc or .bash_profile file and appending the directory path.

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Q.94 What is the purpose of the "history" command?

The "history" command is used to display a list of previously executed commands.

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Q.95 How do you clear the command history in Kali Linux?

Use the history -c command to clear the command history in Kali Linux.

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Q.96 What is the purpose of the "echo" command?

The "echo" command is used to print text or variables to the terminal.

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Q.97 How can you create and edit environment variables in Kali Linux?

You can use the export command to create and edit environment variables.

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Q.98 What is a symbolic link (symlink) in Kali Linux?

A symbolic link is a reference to another file or directory and acts as a shortcut or alias.

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Q.99 How do you create a symlink in Kali Linux?

You can create a symlink using the ln -s command followed by the source and target.

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Q.100 What is the purpose of the "alias" command in Kali Linux?

The "alias" command is used to create shortcuts or abbreviations for longer commands.

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Q.101 How can you create aliases in Kali Linux?

You can create aliases by adding them to the .bashrc or .bash_aliases file in your home directory.

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Q.102 What is the purpose of the "grep" command?

The "grep" command is used to search for patterns or text within files or command output.

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Q.103 How do you search for text within files in Kali Linux?

Use the grep command followed by the search pattern and the file name or directory to search within.

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Q.104 What is the "sudoers" file in Kali Linux?

The "sudoers" file contains rules that define which users or groups can execute commands with "sudo" privileges.

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Q.105 How do you edit the "sudoers" file in Kali Linux?

You can edit the "sudoers" file using the sudo visudo command to ensure proper syntax checking.

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Q.106 What is the purpose of the "chmod" command?

The "chmod" command is used to change file and directory permissions in Kali Linux.

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Q.107 How do you change file permissions in Kali Linux?

Use the chmod command followed by the desired permission settings and the file name.

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Q.108 What are file permissions in Kali Linux?

File permissions specify who can read, write, or execute a file, and they are represented as three sets of three characters (e.g., rwxr-xr-x).

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Q.109 What is a shell script in Kali Linux?

A shell script is a text file containing a series of commands that can be executed in a shell.

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Q.110 How do you run a shell script in Kali Linux?

You can run a shell script using the ./script.sh command, provided the script is executable.

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