Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 8, 2026

Pentoo

Pentoo is a Live CD and Live USB designed for penetration testing and security assessment. Based on Gentoo Linux, Pentoo is provided both as 32 and 64-bit installable live CD. Pentoo is also available as an overlay for an existing Gentoo installation. It features packet injection patched Wi-Fi drivers, GPGPU cracking software, and many tools for penetration testing and security assessment. The Pentoo kernel includes grsecurity and PAX hardening and extra patches - with binaries compiled from a hardened toolchain with the latest nightly versions of some tools available.

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Jun 8, 2026
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Pentoo Linux
Pentoo Linux 2010.0
DeveloperGrimmlin (Michael Zanetta - founder), Zero_Chaos (Rick Farina), blshkv (Anton Bolshakov), Wuodan (Stefan Kuhn), Jensp (Jens Pranaitis)1
OS familyLinux (Unix-like)
Working stateActive2
Source modelOpen source
Initial releaseJune 22, 2005 (2005-06-22)
Latest release2024.0 / January 11, 2024 (2024-01-11)
Repository
Update methodEmerge
Package managerPortage with Pentoo overlay
Supported platformsIA-32, x86-64
Kernel typeModular (Linux)
UserlandGNU
Default
user interface		Xfce4 WM from LiveCD, various
LicenseFree software licenses
(mainly GPL)
Official websitewww.pentoo.ch

Pentoo is a Live CD and Live USB designed for penetration testing and security assessment.3456 Based on Gentoo Linux, Pentoo is provided both as 32 and 64-bit installable live CD. Pentoo is also available as an overlay7 for an existing Gentoo installation. It features packet injection patched Wi-Fi drivers, GPGPU cracking software, and many tools for penetration testing and security assessment. The Pentoo kernel includes grsecurity and PAX hardening and extra patches - with binaries compiled from a hardened toolchain with the latest nightly versions of some tools available.

Features

  • Available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions, the latter having a significant speed increase from 32 bits
  • Includes the required environment to crack passwords using GPGPU with OpenCL and CUDA configured 'out of the box'8910
  • Built on hardened linux, including a hardened kernel and toolchain
  • Hardened kernel with extra patches11
  • Uses a Pentoo overlay, which allows tools to be built on top of a standard Gentoo build
  • Support for full disk encryption with LUKS if installed on HDD
  • Automated installation12

Tools

Tools are installed with versioned ebuilds and open-ended ebuilds,13 making it possible to pull in the latest subversions and still have installs tracked by package management. The following tool categories are included:14

  • Analyzer
  • Bluetooth
  • Cracker
  • Database
  • Development
  • Exploit
  • Footprint
  • Forensics
  • Forging
  • Fuzzers
  • Misc
  • MitM
  • Pentoo
  • Proxy
  • RCE
  • Scanner
  • SIP-VOIP
  • Wireless

Releases

Pentoo uses rolling releases with periodic ISO snapshots of the latest committed updates.

Date Release15
2005/06/22 Pentoo 2005.1
2006/02/02 Pentoo 2006.0
2006/07/05 Pentoo 2006.1
2009/12/04 Pentoo 2009.0
2012/07/30 Pentoo 2012.0
2013/03/09 Pentoo 2013.0 RC1.1
2013/07/04 Pentoo 2013.0 RC1.8
2014/08/08 Pentoo 2013.0 RC1.9
2014/03/17 Pentoo 2014.0 RC2.1
2014/08/08 Pentoo 2014.0 RC3
2014/09/25 Pentoo 2014.0 RC3.5
2014/11/16 Pentoo 2014.0 RC3.6
2015/01/05 Pentoo 2015.0 RC3.7
2015/12/02 Pentoo 2015.0 RC4.6161718
2016/08/02 Pentoo 2015.0 RC5
2018/03/26 Pentoo 2018.0 RC6.3
2018/07/10 Pentoo 2018.0 RC7.1
2019/01/17 Pentoo 2019.0
... ...
2025/11/03 Pentoo 2025.0
References

References

  1. "Developers". Retrieved 2015-07-18.
  2. DistroWatch.com: Pentoo
  3. Pentoo (Gentoo) Based Linux Review, Features and Screenshot Tour, TecMint.
  4. 12 Best Linux Distributions for Hacking and Penetration Testing in 2018 | It's FOSS
  5. A Look at Pentoo Linux and Its Security Analysis Tools, eWeek
  6. 12 Best Operating Systems For Ethical Hacking And Penetration Testing | 2018 Edition
  7. "Overlay usage". Archived from the original on 2014-04-26. Retrieved 2013-01-08.
  8. "Cuda, Stream, mpi, and Multiforcer". 3 February 2009. Retrieved 2011-01-22.
  9. "Pentoo Updates". Retrieved 2011-01-22.
  10. "Pentoo, another security distro". 4 January 2010. Retrieved 2011-01-22.
  11. "Kernel Patches". Archived from the original on 2012-03-22. Retrieved 2011-01-22.
  12. "Installation video". YouTube. Retrieved 2013-01-08.
  13. "SVN ebuild example". Archived from the original on 2012-03-22. Retrieved 2011-04-10.
  14. "Menu Categories". Archived from the original on 2012-03-22. Retrieved 2011-04-10.
  15. "Index". Pentoo. Archived from the original on 2017-07-14. Retrieved 2015-01-01.
  16. "Surprise! A working iso just in time for nothing at all!". Pentoo. Retrieved 2016-10-06.
  17. Gentoo-Based Pentoo 2015.0 Linux Distro for Ethical Hackers Gets New RC Release, Softpedia News
  18. Gentoo-Based Pentoo 2015.0 Penetration Testing Linux Distro Gets All-New Installer, Softpedia News
External links