Kali Linux — A Beginner's Deep Course¶

A from-zero course in using Kali Linux for ethical hacking, built for someone who has never opened a terminal. It starts with "what is Linux" and walks you all the way to attacking (and defending) a full Active Directory lab — one small, explained step at a time.

This is the deep course. The top-level ../KALI-TUTORIAL.md is the condensed one-page reference; come here to actually learn each piece. Each file assumes you've read the ones before it.

⚖️ Rules that never bend. Everything here runs against your own isolated lab or systems you have written permission to test. Kali's tools are real weapons — using them on anything else is a crime. If you're unsure whether something is allowed, it isn't.

Who this is for¶

You can use a computer but have little or no Linux / command-line / networking experience.
You want to understand why, not just paste commands.
You're studying for CEH v13 (each chapter links to the matching module) or just want real, hands-on skills.

How to use this course¶

Set up the lab first (../labs/README.md) — you'll practice on Kali 192.168.56.10, Metasploitable2 192.168.56.20, a Windows DC 192.168.56.30, and Docker web apps on localhost:8081–8084.
Read in order. Don't skip the foundations — most beginner frustration comes from missing Linux/networking basics, not from the hacking tools.
Type every command yourself (don't copy-paste blindly) and read the expected output notes. Typing builds memory.
Do the "Practice task" at the end of each chapter before moving on.
Keep a notes file open (see 15 — Notes & reporting).

The learning path¶

flowchart TD
    subgraph F["Foundations — do NOT skip"]
        A["00 Getting started"] --> B["01 Linux essentials"] --> C["02 Terminal power"] --> D["03 Networking basics"]
    end
    subgraph H["The hacking phases"]
        E["04 Recon / OSINT"] --> G["05 Nmap scanning"] --> I["06 Enumeration"]
        I --> J["07 Vulnerability analysis"] --> K["08 Web hacking"]
        K --> L["09 Metasploit"] --> M["10 Password attacks"]
        M --> N["11 Active Directory"] --> O["12 Sniffing & MITM"]
        O --> P["13 Wireless"] --> Q["14 Post-exploitation & pivoting"]
    end
    D --> E
    Q --> R["15 Notes & reporting"]

Chapters¶

Foundations (start here) | # | Chapter | You'll learn | |---|---|---| | 00 | Getting started with Kali | Install Kali as a VM, first boot, updating, sudo, the desktop | | 01 | Linux essentials | Files, folders, permissions, users, processes, installing tools | | 02 | Terminal power | The shell, pipes, grep/find, tmux, tiny scripts | | 03 | Networking basics | IP, ports, protocols, DNS — the language every tool speaks |

The hacking phases | # | Chapter | Main tools | CEH module | |---|---|---|---| | 04 | Recon & OSINT | whois, dig, theHarvester, recon-ng, amass | 02 | | 05 | Scanning with Nmap | nmap (deep), netdiscover, masscan | 03 | | 06 | Enumeration | nxc/NetExec, enum4linux-ng, snmpwalk, ldapsearch | 04 | | 07 | Vulnerability analysis | nikto, searchsploit, wpscan, OpenVAS | 05 | | 08 | Web application hacking | Burp Suite, ffuf, sqlmap, whatweb | 13–15 | | 09 | Metasploit Framework | msfconsole, msfvenom, Meterpreter | 06 | | 10 | Password attacks | hydra, hashcat, john, wordlists | 06 | | 11 | Active Directory | Impacket, BloodHound, Certipy, evil-winrm | 04–06 | | 12 | Sniffing & MITM | Wireshark, tcpdump, bettercap, Responder | 08 | | 13 | Wireless | aircrack-ng suite, wifite | 16 | | 14 | Post-exploitation & pivoting | Meterpreter, PEASS, chisel, proxychains | 06 | | 15 | Notes & reporting | tmux, note-taking, writing findings | 05 |

Appendix - Running Kali on a Linux host (KVM / Docker) + Claude Code — native options when your PC runs Linux - Troubleshooting — common beginner errors & fixes

The mindset (read before you start)¶

Enumerate before you exploit. Beginners rush to "hack"; pros spend most of their time understanding the target first. The scans and questions in chapters 04–06 are where engagements are actually won.
Every attack has a defense. This course links each technique to the control that stops it (../defender-pam/). Learning both makes you better at each.
Break things in the lab, not in the world. You will crash a service or lock an account while learning — that's fine on Metasploitable, catastrophic on a real network.
Go deeper when ready: ../resources/deep-references.md points to HackTricks, The Hacker Recipes, and the rest of the canon.

Sources¶

Kali Linux official docs — https://www.kali.org/docs/
Kali Tools directory — https://www.kali.org/tools/
The Linux Command Line (free book, W. Shotts) — https://linuxcommand.org/tlcl.php