Tag Archives: ova file

Install Kali Linux in virtualbox (using ova file)

This is how I installed Kali Linux in virtualbox using the ova file method in my windows 10 PC along with its screenshots.

Requirements:

  1. Kali Linux 2019.1 Preinstalled ImageDownload Link (Torrent)  (~3.2 GB) [Updated link o latest Kali Version]
  2. VirtualBox: Download Link (~200 MB)
  3. CPU that supports Virtualization.
  4. Atleast 8GB of free disk space
  5. 7-zip: Download Link (~1.4 MB) [ Note: Winrar is another alternative you could use instead of 7-zip.]
  6. Virtual Box Extension Pack: Download Link (~22 MB) [Optional]

Installation Procedure:

The first thing you need to do is go ahead download and install Virtualbox in your system. Then download the Kali Linux ova file mentioned above and extract it using 7-zip or Winrar. The extracted file would be a .ova file format which is a pre-installed Kali Linux machine. Using a pre-installed file saves us a lot of time as we don’t have to go through the whole installation process.

Now, open VirtualBox:

open virtualbox

Then click on “File” and then click on “Import Appliance“.

click file import appliance

Click on the folder icon as shown below.

import ova file window

Now, browse to and select the extract .ova Kali Linux image file and click on “Open“.

select kali linux ova file

You would now see a window called “Appliance settings” where you can configure stuff like the name of your VM, the amount of RAM to be allocated to your Kali Linux VM etc.

kali linux appliance settings

If you want to change the name of the VM, simply click on the text and you can change it according to your will.

changing vm name

Finally, click on “Import” and wait for a few moments to import the Kali Linux Appliance.

click import to load kali linux appliance

importing kali linux appliance progress bar

Now, right click on your Kali Linux Virtual machine as shown below and click on “Settings“.

open kali linux virtual machine Settings

If you need to adjust the amount of RAM, click on “System” and you can move the slider accordingly. I would suggest atleast a minimum of 2048 MB (2GB) of RAM.

select ram for your Kali Linux VM

Now, click on “Network” as shown below and select “Bridged Adapter” and then click on “OK“.

Select Kali Linux network mode to Bridged Adapter

Click on your Kali Linux VM and then click on Start as shown below.

start kali linux in virtualbox

You should now be able to see the grub menu. Hit “Enter” in your keyboard.

kali linux grub menu

Now, login to your Kali Linux machine with the default username as root and password toor.

Note: If you are using newer Kali versions (from year 2020 ), the username and password is “kali”.

Ref: https://www.kali.org/docs/introduction/default-credentials/

kali username

kali password

You should now be booted into your Kali Linux desktop.

kali linux logged in

Customize Kali (Optional): 

I would like to make some minor changes to make sure the VM is not interrupted during pen testing. This section is purely optional, you can skip to the next section if you don’t want to customize it.

Click on the triangle pointing downwards in the upper right corner and then click on the “Settings” icon.

Kali Linux drop down menu

This will bring you the “All Settings” window as shown below. Click on “Date & Time“.

all settings menu

You can change the time zone to your time zone.

change time zone

Now, go back to the “All Settings” window and then click on “Privacy“.

select privacy in all setting menu

You would see a screen similar to the one below:

default privacy settings

Now, disable “Automatic Screen Lock” by moving the slider.

disable auto screen lock

Go back to “All Settings“, then click on “Power“.

click on power in all settings

Now, select Blank Screen option as “Never” and turn off  “Automatic Suspend” as shown below.

disable blank screen and automatic suspend

Update Kali Linux:

Open the terminal window by clicking on the icon as shown below:

open terminal

This is what the terminal window would look like in a Kali Linux system.

Kali Linux Terminal

Enter the following commands in the terminal to update your Kali Linux system.

apt-get clean && apt-get update -y
apt-get upgrade -y && apt-get dist-upgrade -y

This may take a while depending on your internet connection for the update to complete.

And that is it for setting up Kali Linux in virtualbox to get started with pentesting (only for ethical hacking and for purely educational purposes).

If you have any sort of queries regarding this installation, just leave a comment and will get back to you. I will be posting some ethical hacking tutorials in the future, so stay tuned.