Today I will walk you through the steps to install the full version of Kali Linux on your Android phone without root. The version of kali that we are going to install on our android device is called Kali NetHunter.
What is Kali Nethunter – Kali NetHunter is an Android-based penetration testing platform that provides an interactive and user-friendly environment to perform a variety of network security-related tasks.
Kali NetHunter is a customized version of Kali Linux which has been pre-installed on an Android device. It includes all the tools present in the Kali Linux distribution, but it supports wireless networks and has been optimized for touchscreen devices.
Download Requirements for Kali NetHunter
Before starting the installation process of Kali Linux on our Android device we will need to first download some requirements that we will need in order to run and install Kali Linux NetHunter.
To download and install Kali Linux NetHunter will need to first install Termux, NetHunter-KeX client, and Hacker’s keyboard.
Here termux is used to download and install Kali Linux NetHunter, NetHunter-KeX is used to run the GUI ( Graphical user interface ) and the hacker’s keyboard is a helpful virtual keyboard containing all the symbols required in the kali terminal.
Download Termux –
To download Termux, first, open your google play store and search for “Termux”, here click on Install to install the Termux app. You can also download and install the termux app from its official website at – https://termux.com.
If you downloaded Termux from the play store then you might get a “repository under maintenance error” which you can fix by changing the repo of termux, just enter the command given below in the terminal –
termux-change-repoThis will display a popup where the main repository will be selected by default, now all you need to do is select all three repositories, main, game, and science. Once done click on “OK” to save it.
After that you will need to select the mirror, the “official repositories” will be selected by default, change it to “Mirrors by Grimler” after that click on OK to save it.
If you are still getting a repository under maintenance error then just download Termux from F-Droid, as the play store version of Termux is not maintained. Get Termux from F-Droid.
Download Kali NetHunter App Store & KEX –
Kali Nethunter App Store is required to install all other things that we will need to install and run Kali NetHunter on our Android device.
Download the Nethunter App store by going to https://store.nethunter.com/ and clicking on “DOWNLOAD STORE APP” which will download the NetHunter app store apk.
Once downloaded, install the app and continue to the next step which is to download NetHunter kex.
Open the NetHunter App Store and at the bottom, you will get a search button, search for Nethunter Kex, click on it and click on Install.
Once the download finishes you might need to allow NetHunter Store to install apps from unknown sources, open settings and allow it, and install NetHunter Kex.
NetHunter kex is required to run Kali Linux Nethunter using the graphical user interface aka GUI. If you want you can also use Kali Linux using just its command line.
Download Hacker’s Keyboard –
You can download Hacker’s Keyboard from Playstore or NetHunter App Store, just search for Hacker’s Keyboard on Play Store or NetHunter Play Store and download it and install it.
After installing it, open it and follow the steps to set it up. NOTE: Hacker’s keyboard is optional, you can also use your default keyboard on Termux or Kali Linux.
Install Kali Linux NetHunter
Okay so now let us see how we can download and install Kali Linux NetHunter on our Android device using termux, to begin first open your termux app and update its packages.
pkg update -y
Now setup the storage of termux using the command below, you might get a popup asking you to allow termux storage permissions, accept it to continue-
termux-setup-storage
After that you will need to download and install wget which we will need to download kali Linux, you can download and install wget on termux using this command –
pkg install wget -y
Once wget is installed, you can now download kali, do note that in order to run and use Kali Linux NetHunter on your Android device you will need at least 10GB of free space, so make sure to have some empty storage for the installation.
wget -O install-nethunter-termux https://offs.ec/2MceZWr Once Kali Linux Nethunter finishes downloading you will need to make the downloaded file executable to install it, use this command to make the downloaded kali Linux file executable –
chmod +x install-nethunter-termuxNow run the script which will download the full version of Kali Linux NetHunter, it will take a few minutes to complete, so keep the termux app in Foreground and wait for the installation to complete.
./install-nethunter-termux
Once Kali Linux NetHunter is fully downloaded and installed it will ask you for input at the end of the installation process, the question will be “ Delete downloaded Rootfs file”, just enter “y” and click enter to finish the installation.
Once done, make sure to update kali packages using the command –
sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade -y
And that’s it, that’s how you can install Kali Linux on your Android device without root, now after the installation finishes, you will be in the command line interface of Kali Linux where you can do anything you want.
Use command “nethunter” to enter the CLI, or use “nethunter -r” to enter root.
Now for users that want a GUI interface instead of using just the command line, you can follow the rest of the steps below.
Run Kali Linux NetHunter GUI
To use Kali Linux NetHunter in GUI mode, you will need to first set a kex password, you can set a kex password by entering the following command –
kex passwdAfter entering the command, you will need to enter a password, verify the password, and once done you will need to type “kex” in the terminal to know your RFB Port.
kex
After entering the kex command, in the terminal, you will get the RFB Port number.
Now go back and open the NetHunter Kex app, here if it asks for storage permissions then allow it, after that on the right side of localhost:1 there will be a port number, you will need to remove the default port number and enter your RFB Port number here.
After that below in the VNC Password, enter the kex password and click on “Connect” at the top right corner.
You will now be in the GUI interface of Kali Linux NetHunter, you can use a mouse or your fingers to control it, it will work just like the Kali Linux PC, it will have everything that is available in the original Kali Linux.
To exit Kali Linux NetHunter, go back to Temux and enter “kex stop” to stop the server. And that’s it, that is how you can use Kali Linux NetHunter in GUI using NetHunter Kex.
Conclusion –
Installing and Running Kali Linux on your Android phone is very easy, it just takes a little bit of time and patience. You just need a good device with plenty of free space if you want to install Kali Linux. Thanks for reading, comment below if you are facing any problems.
Do note that this tutorial is only for educational purposes and does not promote illegal activities that someone can do by following this tutorial. NETMIKO.COM will not be responsible for anything that might happen to your android device and others through this tutorial.
FAQ –
How to Install Termux from F-Droid?
Did you downloaded Termux from the Playstore and is now unable to do anything because of errors? That happens because the play store version of Termux is not maintained anymore, meaning no one is updating it anymore.
To get the latest version of Termux you can use F-Droid, to begin first go to – https://f-droid.org/packages/com.termux/. Here scroll down and in the latest version of Termux click on Download Now.
This will download the latest version of Termux Apk which you can install and use.
