If you are new to Kali Linux world, check out the list of all available Kali Linux commands for both newbies and advance users to ease up with Terminal.
Kali Linux is a Debian-derived Linux distribution designed for digital forensics and penetration testing. It is maintained and funded by Offensive Security Ltd. Mati Aharoni, Devon Kearns, and Raphaël Hertzog are the core developers.
As we all know Kali Linux is one of the most used operating systems by hackers and security experts. It’s nothing like any other Linux based operating systems when it comes on features and functionality.
But knowing the basics of Linux kernel and Terminal will give a headstart to any newbie who likes to try this operating system. And for them, here is your Kali Linux commands cheat sheet, take a copy of the Kali commands pdf along with this article for your reference in future.
Kali Linux is preinstalled with over 600 penetration-testing programs, including nmap (a port scanner), Wireshark (a packet analyzer), John the Ripper (a password cracker), Aircrack-ng (a software suite for penetration-testing wireless LANs), Burp suite and OWASP ZAP (both web application security scanners). So some app-based commands are not mentioned in this list.
Kali Linux can run natively when installed on a computer’s hard disk, can be booted from a live CD or live USB, or it can run within a virtual machine. You can also dual boot Kali Linux with Windows 10 — check out our detailed tutorial.
A-Z Kali Linux Commands:
Here below we are listing A-Z Kali Linux commands which will help you to ease of flow in work.
| All Kali Linux commands | Function |
|---|---|
| A | |
| apropos | Search Help manual pages (man -k) |
| apt-get | Search for and install software packages (Debian) |
| aptitude | Search for and install software packages (Debian) |
| aspell | Spell Checker |
| awk | Find and Replace text, database sort/validate/index |
| B | |
| basename | Strip directory and suffix from filenames |
| bash | GNU Bourne-Again Shell |
| bc | Arbitrary precision calculator language |
| bg | Send to background |
| break | Exit from a loop |
| builtin | Run a shell builtin |
| bzip2 | Compress or decompress named files |
| C | |
| cal | Display a calendar |
| case | Conditionally perform a command |
| cat | Concatenate and print (display) the content of files |
| cd | Change Directory |
| cfdisk | Partition table manipulator for Linux |
| chgrp | Change group ownership |
| chmod | Change access permissions |
| chown | Change file owner and group |
| chroot | Run a command with a different root directory |
| chkconfig | System services (runlevel) |
| cksum | Print CRC checksum and byte counts |
| clear | Clear terminal screen |
| cmp | Compare two files |
| comm | Compare two sorted files line by line |
| command | Run a command – ignoring shell functions |
| continue | Resume the next iteration of a loop |
| cp | Copy one or more files to another location |
| cron | Daemon to execute scheduled commands |
| crontab | Schedule a command to run at a later time |
| csplit | Split a file into context-determined pieces |
| cut | Divide a file into several parts |
| D | |
| date | Display or change the date and time |
| dc | Desk Calculator |
| dd | Convert and copy a file, write disk headers, boot records |
| ddrescue | Data recovery tool |
| declare | Declare variables and give them attributes |
| df | Display free disk space |
| diff | Display the differences between two files |
| diff3 | Show differences among three files |
| dig | DNS lookup |
| dir | Briefly list directory contents |
| dircolors | Colour setup for `ls’ |
| dirname | Convert a full pathname to just a path |
| dirs | Display list of remembered directories |
| dmesg | Print kernel & driver messages |
| du | Estimate file space usage |
| E | |
| echo | Display message on screen |
| egrep | Search files for lines that match an extended expression |
| eject | Eject removable media |
| enable | Enable and disable builtin shell commands |
| env | Environment variables |
| ethtool | Ethernet card settings |
| eval | Evaluate several commands/arguments |
| exec | Execute a command |
| exit | Exit the shell |
| expect | Automate arbitrary applications accessed over a terminal |
| expand | Convert tabs to spaces |
| export | Set an environment variable |
| expr | Evaluate expressions |
| F | |
| false | Do nothing, unsuccessfully |
| fdformat | Low-level format a floppy disk |
| fdisk | Partition table manipulator for Linux |
| fg | Send job to foreground |
| fgrep | Search files for lines that match a fixed string |
| file | Determine file type |
| find | Search for files that meet a desired criteria |
| fmt | Reformat paragraph text |
| fold | Wrap text to fit a specified width |
| for | Expand words, and execute commands |
| format | Format disks or tapes |
| free | Display memory usage |
| fsck | File system consistency check and repair |
| ftp | File Transfer Protocol |
| function | Define Function Macros |
| fuser | Identify/kill the process that is accessing a file |
| G | |
| gawk | Find and Replace text within files |
| getopts | Parse positional parameters |
| grep | Search files for lines that match a given pattern |
| groupadd | Add a user security group |
| groupdel | Delete a group |
| groupmod | Modify a group |
| groups | Print group names a user is in |
| gzip | Compress or decompress named files |
| H | |
| hash | Remember the full pathname of a name argument |
| head | Output the first part of files |
| help | Display help for a built-in command |
| history | Command History |
| hostname | Print or set system name |
| I | |
| iconv | Convert the character set of a file |
| id | Print user and group id’s |
| if | Conditionally perform a command |
| ifconfig | Configure a network interface |
| ifdown | Stop a network interface |
| ifup | Start a network interface up |
| import | Capture an X server screen and save the image to file |
| install | Copy files and set attributes |
| J | |
| jobs | List active jobs |
| join | Join lines on a common field |
| K | |
| kill | Stop a process from running |
| killall | Kill processes by name |
| L | |
| less | Display output one screen at a time |
| let | Perform arithmetic on shell variables |
| ln | Create a symbolic link to a file |
| local | Create variables |
| locate | Find files |
| logname | Print current login name |
| logout | Exit a login shell |
| look | Display lines beginning with a given string |
| lpc | Line printer control program |
| lpr | Off line print |
| lprint | Print a file |
| lprintd | Abort a print job |
| lprintq | List the print queue |
| lprm | Remove jobs from the print queue |
| ls | List information about files |
| lsof | List open files |
| M | |
| make | Recompile a group of programs |
| man | Help manual |
| mkdir | Create new folders |
| mkfifo | Make FIFOs (named pipes) |
| mkisofs | Create an hybrid ISO9660/JOLIET/HFS filesystem |
| mknod | Make block or character special files |
| more | Display output one screen at a time |
| mount | Mount a file system |
| mtools | Manipulate MS-DOS files |
| mtr | Network diagnostics (traceroute/ping) |
| mv | Move or rename files or directories |
| mmv | Mass Move and rename files |
| N | |
| netstat | Networking information |
| nice | Set the priority of a command or job |
| nl | Number lines and write files |
| nohup | Run a command immune to hangups |
| notify-send | Send desktop notifications |
| nslookup | Query Internet name servers interactively |
| O | |
| open | Open a file in its default application |
| op | Operator access |
| P | |
| passwd | Modify a user password |
| paste | Merge lines of files |
| pathchk | Check file name portability |
| ping | Test a network connection |
| pkill | Stop processes from running |
| popd | Restore the previous value of the current directory |
| pr | Prepare files for printing |
| printcap | Printer capability database |
| printenv | Print environment variables |
| printf | Format and print data |
| ps | Process status |
| pushd | Save and then change the current directory |
| pwd | Print Working Directory |
| Q | |
| quota | Display disk usage and limits |
| quotacheck | Scan a file system for disk usage |
| quotactl | Set disk quotas |
| R | |
| ram | ram disk device |
| rcp | Copy files between two machines |
| read | Read a line from standard input |
| readarray | Read from stdin into an array variable |
| readonly | Mark variables/functions as readonly |
| reboot | Reboot the system |
| rename | Rename files |
| renice | Alter priority of running processes |
| remsync | Synchronize remote files via email |
| return | Exit a shell function |
| rev | Reverse lines of a file |
| rm | Remove files |
| rmdir | Remove folders |
| rsync | Remote file copy (Synchronize file trees) |
| S | |
| screen | Multiplex terminal, run remote shells via ssh |
| scp | Secure copy (remote file copy) |
| sdiff | Merge two files interactively |
| sed | Stream Editor |
| select | Accept keyboard input |
| seq | Print numeric sequences |
| set | Manipulate shell variables and functions |
| sftp | Secure File Transfer Program |
| shift | Shift positional parameters |
| shopt | Shell Options |
| shutdown | Shutdown or restart linux |
| sleep | Delay for a specified time |
| slocate | Find files |
| sort | Sort text files |
| source | Run commands from a file |
| split | Split a file into fixed-size pieces |
| ssh | Secure Shell client (remote login program) |
| strace | Trace system calls and signals |
| su | Substitute user identity |
| sudo | Execute a command as another user |
| sum | Print a checksum for a file |
| suspend | Suspend execution of this shell |
| symlink | Make a new name for a file |
| sync | Synchronize data on disk with memory |
| T | |
| tail | Output the last part of file |
| tar | Tape Archiver |
| tee | Redirect output to multiple files |
| test | Evaluate a conditional expression |
| time | Measure Program running time |
| times | User and system times |
| touch | Change file timestamps |
| top | List processes running on the system |
| traceroute | Trace Route to Host |
| trap | Run a command when a signal is set(bourne) |
| tr | Translate, squeeze, and/or delete characters |
| true | Do nothing, successfully |
| tsort | Topological sort |
| tty | Print filename of terminal on stdin |
| type | Describe a command |
| U | |
| ulimit | Limit user resources |
| umask | Users file creation mask |
| umount | Unmount a device |
| unalias | Remove an alias |
| uname | Print system information |
| unexpand | Convert spaces to tabs |
| uniq | Uniquify files |
| units | Convert units from one scale to another |
| unset | Remove variable or function names |
| unshar | Unpack shell archive scripts |
| until | Execute commands (until error) |
| uptime | Show uptime |
| useradd | Create new user account |
| usermod | Modify user account |
| users | List users currently logged in |
| uuencode | Encode a binary file |
| uudecode | Decode a file created by uuencode |
| V | |
| v | Verbosely list directory contents (`ls -l -b’) |
| vdir | Verbosely list directory contents (`ls -l -b’) |
| vi | Text Editor |
| vmstat | Report virtual memory statistics |
| W | |
| wait | Wait for a process to complete |
| watch | Execute/display a program periodically |
| wc | Print byte, word, and line counts |
| whereis | Search the user’s $path, man pages and source files for a program |
| which | Search the user’s $path for a program file |
| while | Execute commands |
| who | Print all usernames currently logged in |
| whoami | Print the current user id and name (`id -un’) |
| wget | Retrieve web pages or files via HTTP, HTTPS or FTP |
| write | Send a message to another user |
| X | |
| xargs | Execute utility, passing constructed argument lists |
| xdg-open | Open a file or URL in the user’s preferred application |
| Y | |
| yes | Print a string until interrupted |
Now you know all Kali Linux commands and for future reference, we also included a Kali commands PDF for you. Print it out to guide through Kali Linux while your offline.
Also, check out our list of other commands:
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of priceless Information.
its very useful
thank you so much…took a print out copy
hey thank you man
Happy to know you find this post useful. Cheers!
It is helpful to me….thanks.
This is really nice awesome
Thanks for sharing
hi .. thanks for the post , its really useful and plz provide some video tutorials if possible .
hi
can you provide some commands for Ubuntu also , as i am using having Ubuntu , please update thanks in advance .
I hate this form of deception. Look ar what @Aryan is asking: What about Ubuntu commands?
As far as I can tell these commands apply to all Debian-based distroes, and (other than apt-commands) to most distroes in general!
Don’t get me wrong, I also PDF’d the page, but WHY call it Kali specific when it ain’t???
Thanks for the info. Examples and how to apply them will be really helpful too.
i print and copy your post
Hello i am new her i want learn kali linux but i don’t know wher i start i need your please share me any kali linux learning link.
yo man the stuff for which i was looking
I just skimmed it so far, but is this every command?
I have a hard time finding a good manual for anything these days and I want a complete reference. Found they do still exist when I got the manual for the python pandas module (5000+ pages). I thought maybe good references were dead till I found that, but it gave me hope. (Especially since google has become worthless – how am I supposed to find anything if you only give me 5 pages of results? What happened to the endless results when I was a teenager? I could go on for hours about it, but thats only slightly on topic…..)
kk
I love it