One-command Kali Linux + XFCE4 desktop for Termux — Zero configuration, fully automated.

Screenshot coming soon — submit one via PR!

Open Termux and run:

curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/highoncomputers/pocket-kali/main/install.sh | bash

Install Termux from F-Droid, not Google Play. The Play Store version is outdated.

The installer automatically:

1. Checks system compatibility
2. Installs required Termux packages (proot-distro, termux-x11-nightly, pulseaudio, axel)
3. Downloads the official Kali Nethunter rootfs (Kali Linux for ARM64/mobile)
4. Extracts and configures it as a proot-distro container
5. Installs kali-desktop-xfce + core tools (nmap, git, python3, firefox-esr, etc.)
6. Configures XFCE4 with Kali-dark theme, disables compositing for performance
7. Disables kali-motd and unnecessary services for faster operation
8. Creates kali and kali-gui launcher commands

kali

Enters the Kali Linux proot environment as root. Type exit to return to Termux.

kali-gui

Launches a full XFCE4 desktop via Termux X11 with the Kali dragon wallpaper.

• proot-distro — Container management
• termux-x11-nightly — X11 server
• pulseaudio — Audio server (TCP forwarding)
• axel — Accelerated downloads

• kali-desktop-xfce — XFCE4 desktop with Kali theming
• sudo, curl, wget, git — System essentials
• nmap, netcat-openbsd — Network tools
• python3, python3-pip — Scripting
• firefox-esr — Web browser
• openssh-server — Remote access
• neovim — Text editor

• Compositing is disabled in XFCE4 — significantly improves responsiveness on proot
• kali-motd is disabled — no neofetch on login, faster terminal startup
• Single workspace — reduces XFCE4 memory overhead
• Battery optimization: Go to Settings > Apps > Termux > Battery > Unrestricted to prevent Android from killing the background session

Q: Do I need root (su) to run this?

A: No. pocket-kali runs entirely inside Termux's sandboxed environment.

Q: Why does the installer use F-Droid Termux and not Google Play?

A: The Google Play version of Termux is outdated and lacks features like termux-x11. Always use F-Droid.

Q: Can I install additional tools after the setup?

A: Yes — run kali and then apt-get install <package> as usual.

Q: What if the download fails?

A: The installer retries up to 3 times with axel. If it still fails, check your internet connection and try again.

Q: How do I uninstall pocket-kali?

A: Remove the Kali proot container with proot-distro remove kali and delete ~/.pocket-kali/.

Q: Does this work on 32-bit (armv7l) devices?

A: The Kali Nethunter rootfs is ARM64 only. 32-bit devices are not supported.

Q: Will this work on non-Android Linux (e.g., ChromeOS Linux container)?

A: No — the installer checks for Termux's /data/data/com.termux directory and will exit if not found.

Run source ~/.bashrc or restart Termux. If it persists, check ~/bin/ was created:

ls -la ~/bin/kali

1. Make sure Termux-X11 APK is installed — download from the releases page.
2. Set Termux battery to Unrestricted — Settings > Apps > Termux > Battery > Unrestricted.
3. Run killall termux-x11 2>/dev/null; killall pulseaudio 2>/dev/null then try kali-gui again.
4. If still broken, check the log: cat ~/pocket-kali.log | tail -50.

The rootfs tarball is ~300 MB. On slow connections this can take 10+ minutes. Check ~/pocket-kali.log for download progress. If it truly hangs, cancel (Ctrl+C) and re-run — the installer is idempotent.

Restart PulseAudio:

pulseaudio --kill 2>/dev/null; pulseaudio --start

Then do kali-gui again. Inside the Kali session, verify PulseAudio is connecting:

pactl info

Kali rootfs + XFCE4 takes ~1.5 GB after installation. Run kali then apt-get clean to clear package cache.

See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines on reporting bugs, suggesting features, and submitting pull requests.

See SECURITY.md for our security policy and vulnerability reporting process.

See CHANGELOG.md for release history.

Built on the Kali Nethunter rootfs — the official Kali Linux distribution for mobile devices.

GNU General Public License v3.0 — see LICENSE.