More than five months after its last major 6.0 release, Parrot OS, a versatile operating system designed for security experts, developers, and privacy-conscious users, announced the release of version 6.1.
Launched on the same day as the new release of the other leading security distro, Kali 2024.2, Parrot 6.1 comes loaded with updated tools for penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, computer forensics, and anonymous web browsing. Let’s look at what’s new.
Key Updates in Parrot OS 6.1
Powered by Linux kernel 6.5, Parrot 6.1 boasts a variety of upgraded tools essential for security and development tasks:
- Anonsurf 4.2: Enhances user anonymity with improved stability and launcher script fixes.
- Parrot-updater: Reintroduces update reminders to help users keep their systems up-to-date effortlessly.
- Security Tools: Updates include nmap, burpsuite, sqlmap, and metasploit, which have received critical patches and enhancements to boost their effectiveness.
- Browser Security: Both Chromium and Firefox have been updated with the latest security patches, ensuring safe browsing.
- System Utilities: Updates to utilities like woeusb-ng and volatility3 improve usability in creating bootable USB drives and conducting memory forensics.
Apart from these, the new version brings performance improvements to the PipeWire audio server and enhancements in the GRUB bootloader functionality. Office suite applications haven’t been left behind either, with LibreOffice receiving an update to version 24.2.3 for better features and security.
Moreover, the distro extends its support to the Raspberry Pi 5 with updated drivers and kernel improvements, ensuring better device compatibility and performance, especially noted improvements in WiFi connectivity on the Raspberry Pi 400.
It should also be mentioned that the distro’s website has been redesigned with a “guided” download page, making it easier for users to select the edition that best fits their needs. Documentation and virtual machines have been updated to improve user access and education on using Parrot OS.
For existing users, upgrading to Parrot OS 6.1 can be achieved through one of the following two APT commands:
sudo parrot-upgrade
sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgradeHowever, the developers recommend backing up data and considering a fresh installation for a cleaner and more stable update, especially when upgrading from a much older version.
The release notes provide detailed information about all changes in Parrot 6.1. The installation ISO images are available from the project’s download section.
There, you can choose from three options in the Live section, but you’ll likely be most interested in two of them. The Security edition includes all the tools you need for penetration testing. The Home edition, however, lacks these tools and is designed for regular, everyday computer use. Your choice should depend on what you plan to use it for.
