Dual-Booting Kali Linux and Manjaro: A Comprehensive Guide

Installing Kali Linux alongside Manjaro, a popular Arch-based Linux distribution, can significantly enhance your security and system administration skills. This guide will walk you through the steps to achieve a dual-boot setup, ensuring compatibility and ease of use.

Prerequisites

Befor embarking on the installation process, it's crucial to ensure you have the necessary preparations in place.

Backup your data: Ensure that you back up any important data on your Manjaro installation.

Create a bootable USB drive: Download the Kali Linux ISO from the official website and use a tool like Rufus Windows or dd Linux to create a bootable USB drive.

Step 1: Prepare Your Disk

Boot into Manjaro and use a partition manager like GParted to prepare your disk for the installation of Kali Linux.

Resize your existing Manjaro partition to free up space for Kali Linux. To do this:

Right-click on the Manjaro partition (usually ext4) and select Create a new partition. In the unallocated space, create a new ext4 partition for Kali Linux.

Step 2: Install Kali Linux

Boot from the Kali Linux USB drive and proceed with the installation process.

Restart your computer and boot from the USB drive. You may need to change the boot order in your BIOS/UEFI settings.

Start the graphical installation interface.

Select your language, location, and keyboard layout.

Set up your network as prompted.

At the partitioning step, choose Manual. Select the ext4 partition you created earlier for Kali and set the mount point to /root.

When prompted, install the GRUB bootloader on your main drive, usually /dev/sda. This will allow you to access both Manjaro and Kali Linux at boot.

Step 3: Complete the Installation

Finish the installation and reboot your computer. You should now see a GRUB menu allowing you to choose between Manjaro and Kali Linux.

Step 4: Post-Installation

Boot into Kali Linux to complete the initial setup and update your system:

bash sudo apt update sudo apt upgrade

For troubleshooting, you may need to repair GRUB using a live USB of either distribution.

Conclusion

You should now have a dual-boot setup with Manjaro and Kali Linux. Be sure to keep both systems updated and back up important data regularly. The community forums for both distributions can be a great resource for troubleshooting.