After the basics of Linux, it is time to learn the package management system of a Debian-based
distribution. In such distributions, including Kali, the Debian package is the canonical way to
make software available to end-users. Understanding the package management system will give
you a great deal of insight into how Kali is structured, enable you to more effectively troubleshoot
issues, and help you quickly locate help and documentation for the wide array of tools and utilities
included in Kali Linux.
In this chapter, we will introduce the Debian package management system and introduce
dpkg
and
the APT suite of tools. One of the primary strengths of Kali Linux lies in the flexibility of its package
management system, which leverages these tools to provide near-seamless installation, upgrades,
removal, and manipulation of application software, and even of the base operating system itself.
It is critical that you understand how this system works to get the most out of Kali and streamline
your efforts. The days of painful compilations, disastrous upgrades, debugging
gcc
,
make
, and
configure
problems are long gone, however, the number of available applications has exploded
and you need to understand the tools designed to take advantage of them. This is also a critical
skill because there are a number of security tools that, due to licensing or other issues, cannot be
included in Kali but have Debian packages available for download. It is important that you know
how to process and install these packages and how they impact the system, especially when things
do not go as expected.
We will begin with some basic overviews of APT, describe the structure and contents of binary and
source packages, take a look at some basic tools and scenarios, and then dig deeper to help you
wring every ounce of utility from this spectacular package system and suite of tools.
