Booting Kali

Booting Kali is fortunately a pretty easy and painless process if you have created a USB or SD card for the image of the distro.

Rationale

Kali is a Linux distro, offering those interested in computer security a well-designed and convenient operating system prepackaged with many of the essential pen-testing tools.

Installing Kali to a USB stick allows a pentester to keep handy a suite of tools for exploration separate from their day to day operating system.

What you will need

• A copy of Kali Linux.
  • Best obtained from the official Kali website.
• Etcher, a multiplatform USB and SD card burner.
  • Get it here.
• A USB drive or SD Card.
  • 8GB or more!

Installation

1. Open Etcher.
2. Click “Select Image.”
3. Navigate to where you downloaded Kali, and select the image.
4. Click “Select drive.”
   • Note: This should be easy, as Etcher should not allow you to select an operating drive, but always make sure to double check.
5. Hit “Flash.”
6. Have a cup of tea.
7. Have another cup of tea.
8. Hopefully by now its done. Flashing an image can take a long time.
9. Remove the USB or SD card from your device.

Steps to Boot (TLDR)

1. Power down your computer.
2. Insert USB or SD card containing an image for Kali.
3. Power on your PC.
4. Mash whatever buttons you need to get to your boot device screen. Usually the button needed will pop up when your bios does.
5. After Kali pops up, select live boot.
6. Congrats! You’re in!