This method is typically used by advanced users who want to install Kali Linux on devices like Raspberry Pi 4/5, Android devices via Linux Deploy, or virtual machines where a pre-built image isn't preferred.
sudo fdisk /dev/sdb # Create a single Linux filesystem partition (type 83) sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdb1 sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/kali kalifsarm64install fulltarxz
# Navigate to your downloads folder cd ~/Downloads # Extract to the mounted root partition sudo tar -xvf kali-linux-202X.X-arm64-full.tar.xz -C /mnt/kali Use code with caution. This method is typically used by advanced users
| Component | Meaning | | :--- | :--- | | | The distribution—Kali Linux (rolling release, Debian-based). | | fs | Filesystem. This indicates a package containing the directory structure ( /bin , /etc , /home , /usr , etc.). | | arm64 | The architecture. ARM 64-bit, also known as AArch64. Used on Raspberry Pi 4/5, NVidia Jetson, AWS Graviton, and M1/M2 Macs. | | install | An instruction to deploy the filesystem to a target block device (SD card, eMMC, or NVMe drive). | | full | Specifies the variant. Contrasts with minimal (base system only) or light . full includes all top-tier Kali tools (Metasploit, Nmap, Burp Suite community, etc.). | | tar.xz | The compression algorithm. xz offers a significantly higher compression ratio than .gz , ideal for distributing a ~700MB rootfs that expands to 5GB+ on disk. | | | fs | Filesystem