Kali Linux Installation on Lenovo T61 Laptop with Broken Screen using External VGA Monitor

Introduction

In this article, we will provide a detailed guide on how to install Kali Linux on a Lenovo T61 laptop with a broken screen, using an external VGA or D-SUB monitor. This process involves creating a bootable USB drive, configuring the BIOS settings, installing Kali Linux, and setting up the external monitor as the primary display.

Prerequisites

To complete this installation, you will need the following:

• A Lenovo T61 laptop with a broken screen
• An external VGA or D-SUB monitor
• A 128 GB USB drive
• A copy of Kali Linux (we used the latest version, 2022.2)
• Rufus 3.4.1430 or a similar tool to create a bootable USB drive

Creating a Bootable USB Drive

Start by downloading the Kali Linux ISO image from the official website: https://www.kali.org/downloads/

Next, download and install Rufus 3.4.1430 (or a similar version) from the official website: https://rufus.ie/

Plug the USB drive into a working computer, open Rufus, and follow these steps:

1. Select the USB drive from the list.
2. Click "SELECT" and browse to the Kali Linux ISO file.
3. Ensure the partition scheme is set to "MBR" and the target system is "BIOS or UEFI."
4. Click "START" and wait for Rufus to create the bootable USB drive.

Configuring the Lenovo T61 BIOS

To boot from the USB drive, you will need to adjust the BIOS settings on the Lenovo T61:

1. Plug the bootable USB drive into the laptop.
2. Connect the external monitor to the laptop using a VGA or D-SUB cable.
3. Turn on the laptop and repeatedly press the "Enter" key during startup to enter the BIOS setup utility.
4. In the BIOS setup utility, go to the "Boot" tab and set "USB HDD" as the first boot device.
5. Save the changes and exit the BIOS setup utility.

Installing Kali Linux

After configuring the BIOS settings, the Lenovo T61 will boot from the USB drive, and you can proceed with the Kali Linux installation:

1. Select the "Graphical Install" option.
2. Follow the installation prompts, choosing language, location, and keyboard settings.
3. When prompted for a hostname, select a name other than "localhost" to prevent conflicts.
4. For the domain name, either leave it blank or use your local domain, if applicable.
5. Create a password for the root user during the installation process.
6. Partition the USB drive with the "Guided - use entire disk" option.
7. Select "\" as the disk.
8. Confirm the partitioning and proceed with the installation.
9. Once installed, the system will prompt you for a reboot; remove the USB drive before restarting.

Setting up the External Monitor

After rebooting, the Lenovo T61 will display on the external monitor:

1. Connect the external monitor to the laptop using a VGA or D-SUB cable.
2. Turn on the external monitor; it should display the login screen for Kali Linux.