Editing BackTrack (section)

== Legacy and Transition to Kali Linux ==

The final release of BackTrack was '''BackTrack 5 R3''' in 2012.

In March 2013, the Offensive Security team announced that BackTrack would be completely rebuilt and re-released under a new name: '''Kali Linux'''.

The transition was not merely a rebranding but a significant technical overhaul:
* '''Base Change:''' The new distribution moved its core base from Ubuntu back to '''Debian''', providing a more stable and cleaner foundation.
* '''FHS Compliance:''' The new architecture followed the Linux Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS), eliminating the traditional `/pentest` folder structure and integrating all tools into the system's `$PATH`.
* '''Update Model:''' Kali Linux adopted a rolling-release model, addressing BackTrack’s prior sporadic release schedule and allowing tools to be updated continuously.

BackTrack is now a '''discontinued''' distribution, but its legacy is foundational to modern ethical hacking and penetration testing, having paved the way for the success of Kali Linux.