This post will walk you through update and upgrade Kali Linux 2023.1. This will apply to any version of Kali Linux you want to update. The steps will also work on a standalone PC and a virtual machine, such as VirtualBox or VMware workstation Pro if you run Kali Linux in that environment.
Check the version of Kali Linux
Before the upgrade of Kali Linux, you can check the current version that you are running. Open up the terminal window. At the prompt type in the below command
cat /etc/os-releaseYou should see an output listed below.
In my case, I am running the last release, which is Kali Linux 2022.4.
Update the Operating System
Before we upgrade the operating system, we want to ensure the current installation is updated.
sudo apt updateOnce the update is complete, you can head to the next step.
Upgrade Kali Linux
Next, we will run the command to upgrade Kali Linux
sudo apt full-upgrade -yRunning this task may take a few minutes as it downloads all the required packages and installs them. The length of this process will vary and depends on your internet connection speed. You may notice that the background may change and the screen may flicker a few times. This is all normal and part of the process. Once the upgrade is complete, restarting your computer is a good idea. You can do that by selecting the menu in the top right corner and selecting ‘restart.’
When you are back in, you can return to the terminal and re-enter the below command to check that you have the latest version.
cat /etc/os-releaseOnce you have confirmed this, you have completed the upgrade of Kali Linux.
If you are looking for a virtual installation, you can try the Kali Linux VirtualBox method. This is a great way to test out the operating system with out having to dedicate your PC.
