HOWTO : Rebuild Kali Linux 1.0.1 for Xfce 4 Desktop

This article has been deleted for several days due to this reason. However, more than 2 readers request this article back. Thus, it is back, enjoy!



To rebuild Kali Linux for Xfce 4 takes time but it worths to process if you want to have a Xfce 4 desktop interface.



Step 0 :



Download the Kali Linux 1.0.1 and install to the hard drive. Make sure you enable the "mirror" when asked. Otherwise, your Kali will not working properly.



If you don't, please append the following to the /etc/apt/sources.list :



deb http://http.kali.org/kali kali main non-free contrib

deb-src http://http.kali.org/kali kali main non-free contrib



Then, do the following may fix the problem :



apt-get update && apt-get dist-upgrade



Make sure you DO NOT edit the GNOME/Xfce menu yourself as it will mess the Kali Menu. However, if you messed the Kali menu, you can do the following to fix :



rm ~/.config/menus



Step 1 :



To prepare your Kali box to be capable to rebuild the Kali iso files :



apt-get install git live-build cdebootstrap kali-archive-keyring apt-cacher-ng



Step 2 :



touch standard.list.chroot



Append some package name to the file in order to tell the maker to include such package to the .iso file.



Or copy and paste to the file namely "standard.list.chroot" to /root/ which includes some useful packages instead (you may edit this file) :



! Packages Priority standard

gedit

radiotray

preload

gtk-recordmydesktop

galculator

synaptic

axel

cpuid

network-manager-pptp

network-manager-pptp-gnome

network-manager-openvpn

network-manager-openvpn-gnome

network-manager-vpnc

network-manager-vpnc-gnome

isomaster

xchat-common

xchat

libreoffice

shutter

bluez-gstreamer

bluez-compat

bluez-alsa

bluez-cups



Step 3 :



Copy and paste to file "update-kali" to your /root/ directory :



apt-get update

apt-get -y dist-upgrade

apt-get --purge -y autoclean

apt-get --purge -y autoremove



Make it execuatable :



chmod +x update-kali



Step 4 :



rm -R /root/live-build-config



git clone git://git.kali.org/live-build-config.git



cp /root/standard.list.chroot /root/live-build-config/config/package-lists/

cp /root/update-kali /root/live-build-config/config/includes.chroot/root/



cd live-build-config



Step 5 :



nano config/package-lists/kali.list.chroot



To locate the following section in the file and make it looks like the following :



# Graphical desktops depending on the architecture

#

# You can replace all the remaining lines with a list of the

# packages required to install your preferred graphical desktop

# or you can just comment everything except the package of your

# preferred desktop.



#if ARCHITECTURES i386 amd64

# *** GNOME DESKTOP ***

iceweasel

alsa-base

alsa-firmware-loaders

gstreamer0.10-alsa

gnome-alsamixer

gir1.2-gstreamer-0.10

gstreamer0.10-pulseaudio

gstreamer0.10-nice

gstreamer0.10-ffmpeg

gstreamer0.10-x

gstreamer0.10-gconf

gstreamer0.10-plugins-base

gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly

libgstreamer0.10-0

libclutter-gst-1.0-0

gir1.2-clutter-gst-1.0

libgstreamer-plugins-bad0.10-0

libgstreamer-plugins-base0.10-0

gstreamer0.10-plugins-good

gir1.2-gst-plugins-base-0.10

gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad

kali-defaults

kali-root-login

desktop-base

network-manager-gnome

network-manager

xfce4

#endif



Step 6 :



/etc/init.d/apt-cacher-ng restart

export http_proxy=http://localhost:3142/



./build_all.sh



The rebuilt amd64.iso and i386.iso are located at /root/live-build-config/images. The process will take 4 to 6 or more hours to complete. Please be patient.



Bouns #1



If your CPU is too old that does not support PAE, you need to rebuild your Kali Linux.



Follow Step 1 to Step 5 as above.



cd live-build-config

cd auto

nano config



Locate the following :



lb_opts="--debian-installer live --linux-flavours 686-pae"



and replaces with :



lb_opts="--debian-installer live --linux-flavours 486"



Save it and exit.



cd ..



or



cd /root/live-build-config



/etc/init.d/apt-cacher-ng restart

export http_proxy=http://localhost:3142/



lb config --architecture i386

lb build



That's all! See you.