A to Z Kali Linux Commands

Kali Linux is a distribution derived from Debian. The distribution comes with 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) all pre installed. The distribution can be run on a virtual machine or natively if installed on the computer’s hard drive. It can be booted using a CD or a live USB. It is a supported platform of the Metasploit Project’s Metasploit Framework, a tool for developing and executing security exploits.

Kali Linux Commands

Following is a list of all known Kali Linux Commands. We have sequenced it in an alphabetic order for the ease of search.

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

Do mention in the comments below if we have missed any Kali Linux Commands that you may know