Linux isn't hard, but Kali is!

If you need to ask, then Kali Linux is not the right distribution for you.

Kali Linux is a distribution for professional penetration testers who are already very familiar with Linux. It is meant to be used from a USB dongle for penetration testing. It can be installed, but it is not really meant to be. It is not meant for general use (even by professional penetration testers) such as Internet browsing, word processing, gaming, development, etc.

If you aren't already a Linux pro, don't use Kali. Use a distribution for ordinary people, such as Ubuntu, Fedora, elementary OS, Linux Mint, etc.

Even if you want to learn penetration testing, you need to learn the basics first! Do this on a “normal” distribution.

From the official Kali Linux documentation:

(…) Kali is a Linux distribution specifically geared towards professional penetration testers and security specialists, and given its unique nature, it is NOT a recommended distribution if you’re unfamiliar with Linux or are looking for a general-purpose Linux desktop distribution for development, web design, gaming, etc. (…) Even for experienced Linux users, Kali can pose some challenges. (…) While Kali Linux is architected to be highly customizable, don’t expect to be able to add random unrelated packages and repositories that are “out of band” of the regular Kali software sources and have it Just Work. In particular, there is absolutely no support whatsoever for the apt-add-repository command, LaunchPad, or PPAs. Trying to install Steam on your Kali Linux desktop is an experiment that will not end well. Even getting a package as mainstream as NodeJS onto a Kali Linux installation can take a little extra effort and tinkering. If you are unfamiliar with Linux generally, if you do not have at least a basic level of competence in administering a system, if you are looking for a Linux distribution to use as a learning tool to get to know your way around Linux, or if you want a distro that you can use as a general purpose desktop installation, Kali Linux is probably not what you are looking for. (…) If you are looking for a Linux distribution to learn the basics of Linux and need a good starting point, Kali Linux is not the ideal distribution for you. You may want to begin with Ubuntu, Mint, or Debian instead. If you’re interested in getting hands-on with the internals of Linux, take a look the “Linux From Scratch” project.

But why won't people help me?!

Since Kali is for experts, if you ask about Kali, people assume that you're an expert.

If you ask a beginner question about Kali, many people will ignore you. Beginners and Kali are not compatible.

What should I use then?

“Which distribution is best for beginners?” is an endless debate.

If you want a distribution that is designed to be easy for beginners and where beginners can find a lot of help, use Ubuntu. You can ask for help on our sister site Ask Ubuntu or on the Ubuntu forums. (Do NOT ask for help on Ask Ubuntu or the Ubuntu forums if you're using a distribution that is based on Ubuntu, but is not one of the official variants of Ubuntu!)

Elementary OS is another Linux distribution designed to be easy to install and to use for people with no Linux experience. It also has a Stack Exchange site.

With any distribution, even distributions targeted for beginners, you can learn by looking under the hood. The difference is that with easy-to-use distributions, you can install first, and then explore to learn.