During May and June of 2018, I worked on a really difficult project, namely attempting to create a custom Kali Linux ISO for unattended installation (and Live if necessary). While strictly speaking this is a work-related project, the paucity of working, current guides on the internet lead me to believe that people will benefit from a full run-down of how I got an unattended install to work.
Please note - This is a work in progress. As such, there's a lot of things commented out or left in because I worked on an incremental basis. Since this project was several months ago, some of the detailed explanations are unlikely to be completed.
Prelude: I was tasked with creating a custom ISO build of Kali Linux, such that it can be installed on a laptop (presumably using a live USB), or installed on a Virtual Machine. The idea is that you plug in the USB and boot from it, select “Automated Install” for instance, and have a complete install be performed on your behalf with the least amount of interaction possible.
I was directed to a link such as this one: https://docs.kali.org/development/live-build-a-custom-kali-iso. As you can see, a custom script and folder structure can be obtained for a live build from git://git.kali.org/live-build-config.git. It’s based on Debian’s own Live Build command, but makes things comparatively simpler for the end-user, e.g. all you, the user, needs to do is run “./build.sh –verbose”.
However, all of the documentation I found on using the Kali Live Build script was outdated, incomplete, or simply wrong, and wasted many hours of my time. Most of Debian’s documentation is only helpful for minutiae.
Examples:
https://docs.kali.org/development/live-build-a-custom-kali-iso - Cursory information, no details
https://docs.kali.org/kali-dojo/02-mastering-live-build - the one line about adding a preseed file to an arbitrary “debian-installer” folder that is not used anywhere within the build script threw me way off. Even if you follow this guide you won’t get a working unattended install.
https://www.offensive-security.com/kali-linux/kali-rolling-iso-of-doom/ - the preseed has errors and will not perform an unattended install.
https://kali.training/topic/building-custom-kali-live-iso-images/ - Most useful, but still not enough information about how to create a valid preseed file or what live build hooks really do.
So, through many hours of trial and error, I came up with a build process that reliably works for VMware. This may not work for Virtualbox.
Google Docs Link here
Maybe later I will upload a ready-to-go live build version to my site and provide a link.
Please note - This is a work in progress. As such, there's a lot of things commented out or left in because I worked on an incremental basis. Since this project was several months ago, some of the detailed explanations are unlikely to be completed.
Prelude: I was tasked with creating a custom ISO build of Kali Linux, such that it can be installed on a laptop (presumably using a live USB), or installed on a Virtual Machine. The idea is that you plug in the USB and boot from it, select “Automated Install” for instance, and have a complete install be performed on your behalf with the least amount of interaction possible.
I was directed to a link such as this one: https://docs.kali.org/development/live-build-a-custom-kali-iso. As you can see, a custom script and folder structure can be obtained for a live build from git://git.kali.org/live-build-config.git. It’s based on Debian’s own Live Build command, but makes things comparatively simpler for the end-user, e.g. all you, the user, needs to do is run “./build.sh –verbose”.
However, all of the documentation I found on using the Kali Live Build script was outdated, incomplete, or simply wrong, and wasted many hours of my time. Most of Debian’s documentation is only helpful for minutiae.
Examples:
https://docs.kali.org/development/live-build-a-custom-kali-iso - Cursory information, no details
https://docs.kali.org/kali-dojo/02-mastering-live-build - the one line about adding a preseed file to an arbitrary “debian-installer” folder that is not used anywhere within the build script threw me way off. Even if you follow this guide you won’t get a working unattended install.
https://www.offensive-security.com/kali-linux/kali-rolling-iso-of-doom/ - the preseed has errors and will not perform an unattended install.
https://kali.training/topic/building-custom-kali-live-iso-images/ - Most useful, but still not enough information about how to create a valid preseed file or what live build hooks really do.
So, through many hours of trial and error, I came up with a build process that reliably works for VMware. This may not work for Virtualbox.
Google Docs Link here
Maybe later I will upload a ready-to-go live build version to my site and provide a link.
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