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A-Z Kali Linux Commands —

Also Included Kali Commands
PDF
By Sabarinath Last updated Aug 1, 2019 13

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.

Kali Linux commands Function

 Search Help manual

 apropos
pages (man -k)

 Search for and install

 apt-get software packages

(Debian)

 Search for and install

 aptitude software packages

(Debian)

 aspell  Spell Checker

 Find and Replace text,

 awk database sort/validate

/index
 B

 Strip directory and suffix

 basename
from filenames

 bash  GNU Bourne-Again Shell

 Arbitrary precision
 bc
calculator language

 bg  Send to background

 break  Exit from a loop

 builtin  Run a shell builtin

 Compress or
 bzip2
decompress named files

 cal  Display a calendar

 Conditionally perform a
 case
command

 Concatenate and print

 cat (display) the content of

files

 cd  Change Directory

  Partition table
 cfdisk
manipulator for Linux

 chgrp  Change group ownership

 Change access
 chmod
permissions

 Change file owner and

 chown
group

 Run a command with a

 chroot
different root directory

 System services
 chkconfig
(runlevel)

 Print CRC checksum and

 cksum
byte counts

 clear  Clear terminal screen

 cmp  Compare two files

 Compare two sorted files

 comm
line by line

 Run a command –
 command
ignoring shell functions
  Resume the next
 continue
iteration of a loop

 Copy one or more files to

 cp
another location

 Daemon to execute
 cron
scheduled commands

 Schedule a command to
 crontab
run at a later time

 Split a file into context-

 csplit
determined pieces

 Divide a file into several

 cut
parts

 Display or change the

 date
date and time

 dc  Desk Calculator

 Convert and copy a file,

 dd write disk headers, boot

records

 ddrescue  Data recovery tool

  Declare variables and
 declare
give them attributes

 df  Display free disk space

 Display the differences

 diff
between two files

 Show differences among

 diff3
three files

 dig  DNS lookup

 Briefly list directory

 dir
contents

 dircolors  Colour setup for `ls’

 Convert a full pathname

 dirname
to just a path

 Display list of
 dirs
remembered directories

 Print kernel & driver

 dmesg
messages

 Estimate file space

 du
usage
 E

 Display message on
 echo
screen

 Search files for lines that

 egrep match an extended

expression

 eject  Eject removable media

 Enable and disable builtin

 enable
shell commands

 env  Environment variables

 ethtool  Ethernet card settings

 Evaluate several
 eval
commands/arguments

 exec  Execute a command

 exit  Exit the shell

 Automate arbitrary

 expect applications accessed

over a terminal

 expand  Convert tabs to spaces

  Set an environment
 export
variable

 expr  Evaluate expressions

 Do nothing,
 false
unsuccessfully

 Low-level format a floppy

 fdformat
disk

 Partition table
 fdisk
manipulator for Linux

 fg  Send job to foreground

 Search files for lines that

 fgrep
match a fixed string

 file  Determine file type

 Search for files that meet

 find
a desired criteria

 fmt  Reformat paragraph text

 Wrap text to fit a

 fold
specified width
  Expand words, and
 for
execute commands

 format  Format disks or tapes

 free  Display memory usage

 File system consistency

 fsck
check and repair

 ftp  File Transfer Protocol

 function  Define Function Macros

 Identify/kill the process

 fuser
that is accessing a file

 Find and Replace text

 gawk
within files

 Parse positional
 getopts
parameters

 Search files for lines that

 grep
match a given pattern

 Add a user security

 groupadd
group
 groupdel  Delete a group

 groupmod  Modify a group

 Print group names a user

 groups
is in

 Compress or
 gzip
decompress named files

 Remember the full

 hash pathname of a name

argument

 Output the first part of

 head
files

 Display help for a built-in

 help
command

 history  Command History

 hostname  Print or set system name

 Convert the character set

 iconv
of a file
 id  Print user and group id’s

 Conditionally perform a
 if
command

 Configure a network
 ifconfig
interface

 ifdown  Stop a network interface

 Start a network interface

 ifup
up

 Capture an X server

 import screen and save the

image to file

 Copy files and set

 install
attributes

 jobs  List active jobs

 Join lines on a common

 join
field

 Stop a process from

 kill
running
 killall  Kill processes by name

 Display output one

 less
screen at a time

 Perform arithmetic on
 let
shell variables

 Create a symbolic link to

 ln
a file

 local  Create variables

locate  Find files

 logname  Print current login name

 logout  Exit a login shell

 Display lines beginning

 look
with a given string

 Line printer control

 lpc
program

 lpr  Off line print

 lprint  Print a file

 lprintd  Abort a print job

 lprintq  List the print queue

 Remove jobs from the

 lprm
print queue

 List information about

 ls
files

 lsof  List open files

 Recompile a group of
 make
programs

 man  Help manual

 mkdir  Create new folders

 Make FIFOs (named

 mkfifo
pipes)

 Create an hybrid

 mkisofs ISO9660/JOLIET/HFS

filesystem

 Make block or character

 mknod
special files
  Display output one
 more
screen at a time

 mount  Mount a file system

 mtools  Manipulate MS-DOS files

 Network diagnostics
 mtr
(traceroute/ping)

 Move or rename files or

 mv
directories

 Mass Move and rename

 mmv
files

 netstat  Networking information

 Set the priority of a

 nice
command or job

 Number lines and write

 nl
files

 Run a command immune

 nohup
to hangups
  Send desktop
 notify-send
notifications

 Query Internet name

 nslookup
servers interactively

 Open a file in its default

 open
application

 op  Operator access

 passwd  Modify a user password

 paste  Merge lines of files

 Check file name

 pathchk
portability

 Test a network
 ping
connection

 Stop processes from

 pkill
running

 Restore the previous

 popd value of the current

directory
 pr  Prepare files for printing

 Printer capability
 printcap
database

 Print environment
 printenv
variables

 printf  Format and print data

 ps  Process status

 Save and then change

 pushd
the current directory

 pwd  Print Working Directory

 Display disk usage and

 quota
limits

 Scan a file system for

 quotacheck
disk usage

 quotactl  Set disk quotas

 ram  ram disk device

  Copy files between two
 rcp
machines

 Read a line from

 read
standard input

 Read from stdin into an

 readarray
array variable

 Mark variables/functions
 readonly
as readonly

 reboot  Reboot the system

 rename  Rename files

 Alter priority of running

 renice
processes

 Synchronize remote files

 remsync
via email

 return  Exit a shell function

 rev  Reverse lines of a file

 rm  Remove files

 rmdir  Remove folders

  Remote file copy
 rsync
(Synchronize file trees)

 Multiplex terminal, run

 screen
remote shells via ssh

 Secure copy (remote file

 scp
copy)

 Merge two files

 sdiff
interactively

 sed  Stream Editor

 select  Accept keyboard input

 seq  Print numeric sequences

 Manipulate shell
 set
variables and functions

 Secure File Transfer

 sftp
Program

 Shift positional
 shift
parameters

 shopt  Shell Options

 shutdown  Shutdown or restart linux

 sleep  Delay for a specified time

 slocate  Find files

 sort  Sort text files

 Run commands from a

 source
file

 Split a file into fixed-size

 split
pieces

 Secure Shell client

 ssh
(remote login program)

 Trace system calls and

 strace
signals

 su  Substitute user identity

 Execute a command as
 sudo
another user

 Print a checksum for a

 sum
file

 Suspend execution of
 suspend
this shell
  Make a new name for a
 symlink
file

 Synchronize data on disk

 sync
with memory

 Output the last part of

 tail
file

 tar  Tape Archiver

 Redirect output to
 tee
multiple files

 Evaluate a conditional
 test
expression

 Measure Program
 time
running time

 times  User and system times

 touch  Change file timestamps

 List processes running

 top
on the system

 traceroute  Trace Route to Host

  Run a command when a
 trap
signal is set(bourne)

 Translate, squeeze,
 tr
and/or delete characters

 true  Do nothing, successfully

 tsort  Topological sort

 Print filename of terminal

 tty
on stdin

 type  Describe a command

 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

  Convert units from one
 units
scale to another

 Remove variable or
 unset
function names

 Unpack shell archive

 unshar
scripts

 Execute commands (until

 until
error)

 uptime  Show uptime

 useradd  Create new user account

 usermod  Modify user account

 List users currently

 users
logged in

 uuencode  Encode a binary file

 Decode a file created by

 uudecode
uuencode

 Verbosely list directory

 v
contents (`ls -l -b’)
  Verbosely list directory
 vdir
contents (`ls -l -b’)

 vi  Text Editor

 Report virtual memory

 vmstat
statistics

 Wait for a process to

 wait
complete

 Execute/display a
 watch
program periodically

 Print byte, word, and line

 wc
counts

 Search the user’s $path,

 whereis man pages and source

files for a program

 Search the user’s $path

 which
for a program file

 while  Execute commands

 Print all usernames

 who
currently logged in
  Print the current user id
 whoami
and name (`id -un’)

 Retrieve web pages or

 wget files via HTTP, HTTPS or

FTP

 Send a message to
 write
another user

 Execute utility, passing

 xargs constructed argument

lists

 Open a file or URL in the

 xdg-open user’s preferred

application

  Print a string until

 yes
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.

List of Kali commands PDF

Also, check out our list of other commands:

A-Z List Of Windows CMD Commands

A-Z Bash Command Line For Linux

Basic Ubuntu Commands

Sabarinath
Founder and Editor-in-chief of TechLog360, who mainly
publishes posts related to new technologies, gadgets and open-
source world. His main hobbies are web designing, blogging,
search engine optimization and making friends.

13 Comments

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of priceless Information.

Kentten Says 3 years ago

its very useful

Vijayant Says 3 years ago

thank you so much…took a print out copy

$Su Says 3 years ago

hey thank you man

Devops Online Training Says 3 years ago

Happy to know you find this post useful. Cheers!

Mmd Says 2 years ago

It is helpful to me….thanks.

Shobhag Singh Meena Says 2 years ago

This is really nice awesome

Ghani Bhai Says 2 years ago

Thanks for sharing

Aakash Karn Says 2 years ago

hi .. thanks for the post , its really useful and plz provide some video
tutorials if possible .

Aryan Says 2 years ago

hi
can you provide some commands for Ubuntu also , as i am using having
Ubuntu , please update thanks in advance .

NitroNills Says 2 years ago

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???
 Dabolisher Says 2 years ago

Thanks for the info. Examples and how to apply them will be really helpful
too.

Govind Chhimpa Says 1 year ago

i print and copy your post

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