La The latest version of ParrotOS, 6.4, is now available and comes loaded with important new features, introduces structural improvements that pave the way for the next big leap: Parrot 7 and includes the update to the latest versions of many of its tools.
Based on Debian 12, this distribution continues to consolidate itself as one of the most robust options for those working in cybersecurity, forensics, and reverse engineering.
Main novelties of Parrot OS 6.4
Key improvements include: Linux kernel update to version 6.12.32, along with other essential components such as systemd, mesa, and busybox. Additionally, updates have been introduced to several tools critical to security professionals, including new versions of Metasploit, Airgeddon, Beef-XSS, PowerShell Empire, and Starkiller, to name a few.
One of the strategic decisions of the Parrot team was officially integrate utilities developed by Microsoftt, which includes the Support for PowerShell 7.5 and the .NET environment, from version 5 to 9All of this is available directly from the project's standard repositories, making installation and integration with other environments easy.
Another new feature in Parrot OS 6.4 is the Incorporation of "Rocket" into the repository, which allows running isolated applications within Docker containers. Thanks to this functionality, tools like Caido, John the Ripper, Katana, Subfinder, and WPScan can now be used in even more controlled environments, without sacrificing performance or flexibility.
The main menu The system has also received improvements, as it now New shortcuts have been added, such as Sliver and Rocket, and part of the structure has been reorganized to facilitate access to the available tools. The parrot-tools suite, meanwhile, has been expanded with new utilities such as netcat-openbsd, goshs, dbd, and starkiller, enriching the arsenal of tools that ParrotOS offers by default.
Improvements to Firefox, scripts, and user experience
Another important point is thethe update of the parrot-firefox-profiles package, now adapted to the ESR 140 branch of Firefox. Since Mozilla has changed the way it handles distribution.ini and policies.json files, the Parrot team developed a solution that allows you to maintain custom settings without them being overwritten with each update. Additionally, Several build scripts have been rewritten and optimized, improving system efficiency and laying the groundwork for future automation processes that are being prepared for future releases.
Also Details related to system paths have been fixed, especially those associated with the $HOME directory and autocompletion. Furthermore, access to the /root directory has been restricted by default to improve system privacy and security.
Parrot 6.4 the path to Debian 13 and Parrot 7
Last but not least, it is worth mentioning that This edition marks a milestone as probably the last major release in the 6.x series, before making a complete transition to Debian 13. The development team is already actively working on Parrot 7.0, which will bring significant new features such as support for RISC-V architectures and new variants of the desktop environment. Although all the details have not yet been revealed, expectations are high.
It also highlights the specific update for Raspberry Pi, which now features kernel 6.12.34, which improves compatibility and performance on these devices. In parallel, the project website has been revamped using updated versions of NextJS, React, and MUI, ensuring a smoother and more modern experience for users accessing documentation and downloads.
Finally, if you are interested in knowing more about this new release, you can consult the details In the following link.
Download and update Parrot OS
If you want to get this new version of this Linux distribution You just have to go to its official website and in the download section you can get the link to download this new version.
Furthermore, if you already have a previous version of Parrot OS installed (the 6.x branch) you can get the new version of Parrot 6.0 without having to reinstall the system on your computer. The only thing you have to do is Open a terminal and run the following command to update.
As always and before, we usually make the recommendation to make a backup and a new installation when a major version of the system is released.
sudo parrot-upgrade
It is also recommended to update packages by:
sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade
At the end you will only have to restart your computer.