A community-driven Parrot project has released a new point version v4.9 of its security-focused Parrot operating system. Parrot 4.9 looks like a minor release with bug fixes when compared to the previous Parrot 4.8. But it has also received some notable updates on several components. Let’s take a look:
Parrot 4.9: What’s New?
Being built on top of Debian, the new version contains several changes and bug fixes from the upstream provider (Debian). A major highlight is the removal of many Python 2 libraries and tools. Due to the deprecation and lifecycle ending of Python 2, Parrot 4.9 removes many abandoned pentest tools based on Python 2.
Similarly, among the tools, Anonsurf receives important fixes such as DNS bugs and automatic shut down. Additionally, here’s a piece of big news for those who love GUI more than CLI — if you find it difficult using Anonsurf in your terminal, very soon you will be able to use it in a graphical user interface.
Speaking of GUI, the Parrot installer based on Calamers gets easier to use and navigate through the installation process. Furthermore, the login screen also gets design refreshments to look more attractive and appealing.
Coming to the core part that powers any Linux distro, Parrot 4.9 now features the Linux 5.5 upgraded from v5.4. Obviously, it brings more reliable and latest hardware support and security enhancements.
Lastly, here are some updates included in the Parrot Menu:
- Improved menu structure
- Removed redundant launchers
- Fix icon missing in brisk menu
- Fix icons for some security tools
How To Install Or Upgrade To Parrot 4.9?
If you don’t know, Parrot OS is a rolling release distribution. It basically means once you install Parrot, you only need to update your packages to reach new versions.
Hence, if you’re already using Parrot, upgrade your existing system by running the following single command and there you get Parrot 4.9:
sudo parrot-upgrade
or
sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade
Note: Parrot OS highly discourages the use of “apt-get upgrade” command to avoid any problems in your system.
For a fresh installation, you can download ISO images of Parrot 4.9 from here. The images are available in multiple editions: Security, Mate, KDE, Netinstall, Virtual, and Home.
