Generic Linux Setup

August 14, 2026 · View on GitHub

This guide covers ordinary Linux distributions such as Ubuntu, Debian, Linux Mint, Pop!_OS, and other Debian-family systems. Kali Linux has a dedicated path: ../../kali/README-kali.md.

Positioning

The core knowledge layer is platform-agnostic. On Linux, what changes is the execution layer:

package manager: usually apt, sometimes distro-specific package managers;
Python isolation: prefer pipx or a venv because modern systems may enforce PEP 668;
GUI apps: BurpSuite, IDA Pro, Ghidra paths differ by installation method;
security tools: distro packages may be old or absent, so GitHub releases are often preferred.

Quick setup baseline

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y \
  git curl wget ca-certificates unzip tar jq \
  python3 python3-venv python3-pip pipx \
  openjdk-17-jdk nodejs npm \
  graphviz plantuml nmap sqlmap ffuf hashcat binwalk

python3 -m pipx ensurepath

Ubuntu repository versions can be old. For Node.js, radare2, jadx, nuclei, and Ghidra, prefer the alternatives below when the distro package is missing or outdated.

Tool installation matrix

Capability	Preferred Linux setup	Alternative	Notes
Java / JDK	`sudo apt install openjdk-17-jdk`	SDKMAN / vendor JDK	Required by jadx, apktool, BurpSuite, Ghidra.
Node.js	NodeSource or `nvm`	distro `nodejs npm`	Distro Node can be old; MCP servers often prefer recent Node.
Python tools	`pipx install <tool>`	project venv	Avoid global `pip install` on PEP 668 systems.
jadx	GitHub release ZIP	custom install under `~/tools/jadx`	Ubuntu apt may not have `jadx`.
apktool	`sudo apt install apktool`	official `apktool.jar` + wrapper	Distro package may be old.
adb	`sudo apt install adb`	official Android platform-tools	Use official platform-tools for latest devices.
Frida	`pipx install frida-tools`	venv + `pip install frida-tools`	Provides `frida`, `frida-ps`, `frida-trace`.
radare2	GitHub release / build from source	distro package when available	Ubuntu 22.04 may not provide a candidate.
Ghidra	GitHub release ZIP	Flatpak / distro package	Java required.
IDA Pro	manual Linux installer	—	Commercial tool; set `IDADIR` or document local path.
BurpSuite	manual installer / jar	distro package if available	Load `burp-mcp-full` extension manually.
jshookmcp	`npx -y @jshookmcp/jshook@0.3.4`	MCP config command	Requires Node/npm/npx.
anything-analyzer	project clone + `pnpm install`	custom local service	Register its MCP endpoint in the Agent client.
nuclei	GitHub release / `go install`	distro package if available	Often absent in Ubuntu apt.
SecLists	`git clone https://github.com/danielmiessler/SecLists ~/tools/SecLists`	distro package if available	Keep path in tool index.

Recommended path layout

~/tools/
├── jadx/
├── ghidra/
├── SecLists/
├── android-platform-tools/
└── anything-analyzer/

~/.local/bin/              # pipx / user scripts
/opt/idapro/               # optional IDA Pro install
/usr/bin/                  # distro packages

Installing common tools

jadx from GitHub release

mkdir -p ~/tools/jadx
curl -L https://github.com/skylot/jadx/releases/latest/download/jadx-1.5.5.zip -o /tmp/jadx.zip
unzip -q /tmp/jadx.zip -d ~/tools/jadx
export PATH="$HOME/tools/jadx/bin:$PATH"
jadx --version

If the release filename changes, download the latest Linux/ZIP asset from https://github.com/skylot/jadx/releases.

Frida via pipx

pipx install frida-tools
frida --version
frida-ps --version

radare2

Prefer the official release or source install when the distro package is absent:

git clone https://github.com/radareorg/radare2 ~/tools/radare2-src
cd ~/tools/radare2-src
sys/install.sh
r2 -v

Ghidra

mkdir -p ~/tools/ghidra
# Download latest release from https://github.com/NationalSecurityAgency/ghidra/releases
# unzip ghidra_*.zip into ~/tools/ghidra

Android platform-tools alternative

mkdir -p ~/tools/android-platform-tools
# Download platform-tools-latest-linux.zip from Android Developers
# unzip into ~/tools/android-platform-tools
export PATH="$HOME/tools/android-platform-tools/platform-tools:$PATH"
adb version

MCP setup notes

BurpSuite MCP

Build the extension:

cd burp-mcp-full
chmod +x build.sh
./build.sh

Then load the generated jar in BurpSuite:

Burp Suite → Extensions → Add → Java → build/libs/burp-mcp-full.jar

MCP stdio bridge example:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "burpsuite": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/reverse-skill/burp-mcp-full/mcp-bridge.js"]
    }
  }
}

jshookmcp

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "jshook": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@jshookmcp/jshook@0.3.4"],
      "env": {
        "JSHOOK_BASE_PROFILE": "search"
      }
    }
  }
}

Bootstrap capabilities and refresh tool index

From the repository root, list all bootstrap capabilities:

bash skills/scripts/bootstrap-reverse.sh --list

Install/configure capabilities with the same core names as the Windows version:

bash skills/scripts/bootstrap-reverse.sh jadx apktool frida
bash skills/scripts/bootstrap-reverse.sh jshookmcp anything-analyzer
bash skills/scripts/bootstrap-reverse.sh idapro --start-services

Refresh the tool index only:

bash skills/scripts/bootstrap-reverse.sh --list
bash skills/scripts/refresh-tool-index.sh

This generates:

skills/tool-index.md
skills/tool-index.json

The bootstrap script installs or configures supported capabilities where possible using the same core capability names as Windows. The refresh script detects common Linux/macOS tools and records install hints. Manual-only tools such as IDA Pro and BurpSuite still require local installation and app-specific setup.

Validation checklist

java -version
python3 --version
node -v
npm -v
npx -v
jadx --version || true
apktool --version || true
adb version || true
frida --version || true
r2 -v || true
ghidraRun 2>/dev/null || true
bash skills/scripts/refresh-tool-index.sh

When to use Kali docs instead

Use ../../kali/README-kali.md when:

the host is actually Kali;
you want Kali-native security tooling and MCP integrations;
you need Metasploit, NetExec, responder, BloodHound, Certipy, HexStrike, or other offensive-security distributions pre-wired.

For Ubuntu / Debian, keep this generic Linux guide as the default and only borrow Kali scripts when the tool is known to exist on your system.