Parrot OS 6.3 Released with Enhanced Security, New Tools

Parrot OS 6.3, a security and privacy-focused Linux distro, rolls out with improved performance, new security updates, and the latest tools.

Over three months after its last 6.2 release, Parrot OS, a versatile Debian-based Linux distro designed for security experts, developers, and privacy-conscious users, announced the release of version 6.3.

Relying on MATE desktop environment 1.26, Parrot 6.3 ships with updates to applications like Metasploit (6.4.43), Maltego (4.8.1), and Wireshark (4.0.17), among many others. This release also adds Caido (0.44.1) and Seclists-lite (2024.4), which promise to expand and refine your security toolkit.

On the client applications side, the default installation comes with a solid lineup of preinstalled software, including Firefox 128.6.0 ESR, Tor Browser 14.0.4, qBittorrent 4.5, GIMP 2.10, VLC 3.0.21, VS Code 1.96.4, LibreOffice 24.8, and more.

The distribution now runs Linux kernel 6.11, delivering better hardware support and improved performance. Additionally, issues that plagued Parrot 6.2, such as buggy virtual images in OVA format for VirtualBox, have been resolved.

Moreover, the “parrot-core” and “base-files” packages have seen crucial fixes to address concerns about the $PATH environment variable, alongside an array of library upgrades across the system.

Parrot OS 6.3 security-focused Linux distro.
Parrot OS 6.3 security-focused Linux distro.

For those running Parrot on a Raspberry Pi, kernel version 6.6 enhances performance. This means smoother operation and fewer compatibility hiccups for embedded or IoT projects.

Besides the OS improvements, the Parrot team has been busy upgrading their website with a newer NextJS version and refining its dependencies.

The Rocket project, a tool simplifying running Docker containers, particularly for security tools available in the Parrot repository and beyond, also received minimal updates focusing on code refactoring and general stability tweaks, ensuring a more polished user experience.

For more information, refer to the release announcement. The installation ISO images are available from the project’s download section.

If you’re already using Parrot and want to upgrade to version 6.3, you can do so easily by just running sudo parrot-upgrade in the terminal.

Bobby Borisov

Bobby Borisov

Bobby, an editor-in-chief at Linuxiac, is a Linux professional with over 20 years of experience. With a strong focus on Linux and open-source software, he has worked as a Senior Linux System Administrator, Software Developer, and DevOps Engineer for small and large multinational companies.