Parrot Linux (also called Parrot OS or simply Parrot) is a free, open-source operating system based on Debian. It is built for penetration testing, digital forensics, privacy and software development, but it also works as an everyday desktop. The current 7.x series is based on Debian 13 and uses KDE Plasma as its default desktop.
Parrot in one paragraph
Parrot takes a stable Debian base, adds its own software repository with hundreds of security tools, hardens the system with sandboxing and conservative defaults, and packages the result in several editions: a full toolkit for security work, a lighter desktop for daily use, and images for virtual machines, containers and Raspberry Pi boards. Updates come from the Parrot repositories and are applied with a single command, sudo parrot-upgrade.
A short history
- 2013: first public release, started by Lorenzo Faletra, who still leads development.
- Up to 4.x: based on Debian Testing, with MATE as the main desktop.
- 5.0 (2022): moved to Debian Stable for a more predictable system, and introduced new editions.
- 6.0 (2024): rebased on Debian 12.
- 7.0 (2025): rebased on Debian 13 with KDE Plasma 6 as the default desktop.
The release notes list what changed in each version.
Editions
| Edition | For |
|---|---|
| Security Edition | Penetration testing, red teaming and forensics, with the toolset preinstalled |
| Home Edition | Daily use, development and privacy, without the pentesting tools |
| Hack The Box Edition | Security Edition with Hack The Box theming, for HTB labs |
| Minimal / Core | A base system you build up yourself |
| Raspberry Pi | ARM64 boards |
| Servers and containers | Docker images, VM disk images and Vagrant boxes |
Not sure which one to pick? See which Parrot edition to download.
What makes Parrot different
Compared with general-purpose distributions
Parrot does not hide what the system is doing. The updater, for example, shows the full APT output instead of a progress bar. Network services that come preinstalled are disabled until you start them, which keeps memory use low and avoids exposing services on networks you are testing.
Compared with other pentesting distributions
Many pentesting systems ship only tools and run everything with full privileges. Parrot keeps normal desktop software (office suite, editors, communication tools) so you can test, write the report and talk to your team from the same machine, and it keeps a regular user account with sudo instead of logging in as root. For a detailed comparison see Parrot OS vs Kali Linux.
Security and privacy by default
- Sandboxing: AppArmor profiles and Firejail: Sandbox Applications limit what browsers, media players and document readers can do if they are compromised.
- Anonymity: AnonSurf routes all traffic through Tor with one command.
- Forensics-friendly: drives are not mounted automatically when connected, so evidence is not changed by accident. A hardware write blocker is still the right tool for real casework.
Software
The Parrot repository contains the Debian archive plus tools Debian does not package. Everything is installed with APT; see software management. Flatpak can be added from the repository, and Wine runs many Windows programs.
Who uses Parrot
- Penetration testers, red teams and bug bounty hunters
- Digital forensics and incident response analysts
- Students learning security, networking or Linux, and CTF players
- Developers who want a Debian system with security tools close at hand
- Journalists, activists and anyone who wants stronger privacy defaults
Should you use Parrot?
Parrot is a good fit if you want security tools and privacy features on a system you can also use every day. If you only need a general desktop, the Home Edition gives you Parrot’s privacy defaults without the toolset. If you are new to Linux, start in a virtual machine before installing on your main computer.
FAQ
Is Parrot OS free?
Yes. It is free to download and use, and its source code is open.
Is Parrot OS legal to use?
Yes. Installing and using it is legal. What matters is how you use the tools: only test systems you own or have written permission to assess.
Is Parrot OS good for beginners?
It is friendlier than many security distributions thanks to its full desktop and normal user account, but some Linux knowledge helps. The introduction and the command cheat sheet are good starting points.
What are the system requirements?
A 64-bit CPU, 2 GB of RAM (4 GB recommended) and 40 GB of disk for the Security Edition. Details are on the system requirements page.