6.2. Kali Linux Communities
There are many Kali Linux communities around the world using many different tools to commu-
nicate (forums, real-time chat and social networks, for example). In this section, we will only
present two official Kali Linux communities.
6.2.1. Forums on forums.kali.org
The official community forums for the Kali Linux project are located at
forums.kali.org
2
. Like
every web-based forum, you must create an account to be able to post and the system remembers
what posts you have already seen, making it easy to follow conversations on a regular basis.
Before posting, you should read the forum rules:
è
https://www.kali.org/docs/community/kali-linux-community-forums/
2
https://forums.kali.org/
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Kali Linux Revealed
We won’t copy them here but it is worth noting that you are not allowed to speak about illegal ac-
tivities such as breaking into other people’s networks. You must be respectful of other community
members so as to create a welcoming community. Advertising is banned and off-topic discussions
are to be avoided. There are enough categories to cover everything that you would like to discuss
about Kali Linux.
6.2.2. #kali-linux IRC Channel on Freenode
IRC is a real-time chat system. Discussions happen in chat rooms that are called channels and are
usually centered around a particular topic or community. The Kali Linux project uses the #kali-
linux channel on the
Freenode
3
network (you can use chat.freenode.net as IRC server, on port 6667
for a TLS-encrypted connection or port 6666 for a clear-text connection).
To join the discussions on IRC, you have to use an IRC client such as
hexchat
(in graphical mode)
or
irssi
(in console mode). There is also a web-based client available on
webchat.freenode.net
4
.
While it is really easy to join the conversation, you should be aware that IRC channels have their
own rules and that there are channel operators (their nickname is prefixed with @ when using
the
HexChat
5
IRC client) who can enforce the rules: they can kick you out of the channel (or even
ban you if you continue to disobey the rules). The #kali-linux channel is no exception. The rules
have been documented here:
è
https://www.kali.org/docs/community/kali-linux-irc-channel/
To summarize the rules: you have to be friendly, tolerant, and reasonable. You should avoid off-
topic discussions. In particular, discussions about illegal activities, pirated software, politics, and
religions are forbidden. Keep in mind that your IP address will be available to others by default.
If you want to ask for help, follow the recommendations listed in “
How to Avoid RTFM Answers
”
[page 128]: do your research first and share the results. When you are asked for supplementary
information, please provide it accurately (if you must provide some verbose output, don’t paste it
in the channel directly, instead use a service like
Pastebin
6
and post only the Pastebin URL).
Do not expect an immediate answer. Even though IRC is a real-time communication platform,
participants log in from all over the world, so time zones and work schedules vary. It may take
a few minutes or hours for someone to respond to your question. However, when others include
your nickname in a reply, your nickname will be highlighted and most IRC clients will notify you,
so leave your client connected and be patient.
3
https://freenode.net/
4
https://webchat.freenode.net/
5
https://hexchat.github.io/
6
https://pastebin.com/
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Chapter 6 — Helping Yourself and Getting Help
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