> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://itsfoss.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Kali Linux 2023.2 Release Adds a New Hyper-V Image and PipeWire to XFCE Variant - URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/kali-linux-2023-2-release/ - Published: 2023-06-01T11:35:23.000Z - Updated: 2023-06-01T11:35:23.000Z - Description: Kali Linux 2023.2 is a good upgrade with new feature additions and enhancements. - Author: Sourav Rudra - Tags: Distribution Releases, News, #Import 2025-11-08 21:15 The [penetration testing-focused](https://itsfoss.com/linux-hacking-penetration-testing/) Kali Linux distro has been around for some time now. Its robust set of tools has made it the de facto choice for many pen testers worldwide. Earlier[ this year](https://itsfoss.com/kali-linux-10-year-anniversary/), they **celebrated their 10th Anniversary** by launching a new '**Kali Purple**' distro. Now they have a new Kali Linux release that promises to offer some exciting improvements. Let's go through it. ## 🆕 Kali Linux 2023.2: What's New? ![a screenshot of the neofetch output on kali linux 2023.2](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2023/06/Kali_Linux_2023.2_1.jpg) Kali Linux 2023.2 is a packed release, with [Linux Kernel 6.1](https://itsfoss.com/linux-kernel-6-1-release/) powering it. Some notable highlights of this release include: - **PipeWire Support** - **Desktop Upgrades** - **Updated App Icons and Menu** ### PipeWire Support ![a screenshot of the pipewire implementation on kali linux 2023.2](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2023/06/Kali_Linux_2023.2_2.jpg) Kali Linux's default desktop, **XFCE, now uses** [**PipeWire**](https://pipewire.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) for handling all the audio and video tasks across the system. But, as you can see, its **implementation is slightly different than usual**. They had to use the compatibility layer '[**pipewire-pulse**](https://docs.pipewire.org/page%5Fman%5Fpipewire%5Fpulse%5F1.html?ref=itsfoss.com)' to make it happen on XFCE, as it does not support it by default. As an end-user, you won't notice anything different except the improvements offered by PipeWire over PulseAudio. ### Desktop Upgrades Kali Linux 2023.2 features some extensive upgrades for the various desktop experiences. **In the case of XFCE**, apart from the PipeWire integration, a pre-installed extension is offered for the file manager called '[GtkHash](https://gtkhash.org/?ref=itsfoss.com)'. This is meant to provide a simple way to **quickly compute checksums**, one has to simply right-click on a file and open the 'Checksums' tab, doing away with the need to open a terminal. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2023/06/Kali_Linux_2023.2_3.jpg) **In the case of GNOME**, this release of Kali Linux now features [GNOME 44](https://itsfoss.com/gnome-44-release/), which will give you access to various new features such as an **improved quick settings menu**, **better file manager**, **file thumbnails,** and more. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2023/06/Kali_Linux_2023.2_7.jpg) That's not all; the devs have also introduced a new extension called '[Tiling Assistant](https://github.com/Leleat/Tiling-Assistant?ref=itsfoss.com)' for the GNOME version of Kali. This extension now puts the GNOME version of Kali on par with the tiling experience found on the likes of KDE and XFCE. The **Kali i3 desktop received a complete rework** with many improvements across the board; a long-time user of i3 and Kali contributor, Arszilla worked on it. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2023/06/Kali_Linux_2023.2_5.jpg) Though, keep in mind that if you want to try this out, the easiest way would be to build a custom installer ISO that has an i3 desktop. You can refer to its [GitHub repo](https://gitlab.com/Arszilla/kali-i3/?ref=itsfoss.com) for more info. **Suggested Read** 📖 [10 Best Linux Distributions for Hacking & Pen Testing \[2023\]The best Linux distros that can help you learn hacking and pentesting.![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/size/w256h256/2022/12/android-chrome-192x192.png)It's FOSSMunif Tanjim![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2023/04/distros-for-hacking-and-penetration-testing.png)](https://itsfoss.com/linux-hacking-penetration-testing/) ### Updated App Icons and Menu ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2023/06/Kali_Linux_2023.2_4.jpg) Starting with this release, the developers of Kali Linux will be updating the app icons for the top 100 tools listed [here](https://www.kali.org/tools/?ref=itsfoss.com), as well as enhancing the menu use experience. ### 🛠️ Other Changes and Improvements Other than the changes mentioned above, here are a few that are worth noting: - **A new Hyper-V image for better performance on virtual machines.** - **Python PIP behavior changes.** - **Various updates to Kali ARM.** - **Kali WSL rootfs build-script has been overhauled.** - **New tools such as Cosign, Eksctl, GoPhish, Trivy and more.** For more details on the newly added tools or the release, you can go through the [release blog](https://www.kali.org/blog/kali-linux-2023-2-release/?ref=itsfoss.com) post. ## 📥 Get Kali Linux 2023.2 You can download the latest release of Kali Linux from its [official website](https://www.kali.org/get-kali/?ref=itsfoss.com). [Kali Linux 2023.2](https://www.kali.org/get-kali/?ref=itsfoss.com) For existing users, you can update your installation by running the following command in the terminal: ``` sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade ``` *💬 What do you think of this release? Will you be giving this a try?*