Cannot find Kali Linux template on Qubes OS 4.3 - qvm-template returns "not found"

User Support
1

Hi everyone, I am currently on Qubes OS 4.3 and I am trying to install the Kali Linux template. I have tried running qvm-template install kali-linux and qvm-template install --enablerepo=qubes-templates-community kali-linux, but both return ‘not found’.

When I run qvm-template list --available, Kali does not appear in the list. I checked /etc/qubes/repo-templates and the repository definitions are there.

Is the Kali template currently available for the 4.3 repositories, or do I need to build it from source using the Qubes Builder? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

2

you can use a debian-13-xfce template as a base. Clone it as kali-linux.

follow these steps to convert a debian template to a kali one

https://3os.org/penetration-testing/kali-linux/kali-linux/

specifically these steps

apt update
apt install -y gnupg gnupg2 wget
#apt-key is not used anymore
#wget -e use_proxy=yes -e https_proxy=http://127.0.0.1:8082 -q -O - https://archive.kali.org/archive-key.asc | apt-key add
wget -e use_proxy=yes -e https_proxy=http://127.0.0.1:8082 https://archive.kali.org/archive-keyring.gpg -O /usr/share/keyrings/kali-archive-keyring.gpg
#make sure to keep the qubes os repos
rm -rf /etc/apt/sources.list
echo “deb Index of / kali-rolling main contrib non-free” >> /etc/apt/sources.list
apt -y update
apt-cache search kali-linux
apt install -y kali-linux-core
apt-get -y update
apt-get -y dist-upgrade
apt-get -y autoremove

use the qubes proxy for the wget

wget -e use_proxy=yes -e https_proxy=http://127.0.0.1:8082

or download the repo key in another appvm and transfer it to the template

NOTE: I think apt-key is not used anymore and is missing

5 Likes
3

I don’t like this version, is the HVM ISO installation version similar to the kali-template? when the real kali-template is coming out? thanks

4

https://yum.qubes-os.org/r4.3/templates-community/rpm/

5
  1. It is in the testing repository of the release 4.2: Index of /r4.2/templates-community-testing/rpm/
  2. It is called kali-core, not kali-linux
  3. At the moment of writing it is quite old (March 2024), consider contributing an update or using other template - 3rd eye security has parrot and blackarch for 4.2 (last update - March 2025) and parrot for 4.3

FYI I have moved this topic into “User Support” category.

6

thank you, I was searching arch for 4.3, this link has arch but after I install the template I can’t see it in Qube Manager, this is the link Index of /r4.3/templates-community-testing/rpm/, too much testing?