Parrot OS

What it is

Parrot OS (also presented as Parrot Security) is a Debian-based GNU/Linux distribution from Parrot Security CIC. It provides a cybersecurity-oriented desktop and tool environment, with separate editions such as Security (penetration testing and red-team style work), Home (daily use, privacy and development), HTB (Hack The Box / CTF-oriented), plus Raspberry Pi, Docker and WSL options.

What it helps with

- Authorised penetration testing and red-team style assessments using the Security Edition tool set.
- Digital forensics and reverse-engineering workflows described for the Security Edition.
- Privacy-minded daily computing and development on the Home Edition without the full pentest metapackage.
- CTF and Hack The Box style practice on the HTB Edition.
- Lightweight or portable deployments via Docker, WSL and Raspberry Pi builds.

Who it's for

Security professionals, digital forensics practitioners, researchers, developers who want a hardened Debian-based desktop, and students practising on systems they are authorised to test.

Worth knowing

Use Parrot OS security tooling only on systems and networks you are explicitly authorised to assess. The Security Edition includes a large pentest metapackage; Home is intentionally lighter and does not ship the full tool set by default. Project components developed by Parrot are generally released under GNU GPL v3 unless another licence is stated; the full OS bundles many third-party packages with their own licences. The project is governed by Parrot Security CIC (UK) and headquartered in Palermo, Italy, per project docs. Listing copy summarises public parrotsec.org and docs pages only and omits download-count or “trusted by” marketing claims.