Is Backtrack 5 equal to Ubuntu + Security tools?

Question

I just ran backtrack 5 live cd, and it basically seems to me as if I had Ubuntu + the security tools backtrack includes...

Is there any difference between backtrack 5 and Ubuntu desktop 10.04? Apart from having the security tools...

Because if there isn't I don't see why you couldn't use backtrack 5 as a main OS...

Solution 1

Currently Backtrack Linux is a derivative of Ubuntu, and besides a bit of rebranding, it is just like an Ubuntu system with all the tools installed. Since it supports installing to a hard disk, you certainly can run it as your main operating system. Alternatively you could install an Ubuntu system and install whatever tools you want (all of them, if you want all of them). Furthermore, you could even customize an Ubuntu live CD or DVD (or live USB flash drive) yourself to include the tools included with Backtrack.

Solution 2

There is no reason why you can't use Backtrack as your main is, especially if you do a lot of security work and would use the tools. Something like ubuntu is more convinent, however, because of its strong user community. Backtrack does not have a strong community because conventianally it is not used as a main OS.

Comments

[Rick Rhodes]

But couldn't the advice found on Ubuntu forums & askubuntu be applied to Backtrack, since it is a derivative of ubuntu (as long as it does not deal with the sec. tools)?

[Anwar]

Besides being an Ubuntu derivative + security tools, this faq says, it goes though some changes in kernel too. So, it may not be Ubuntu + security tools = Backtrack

[T. Webster]

I'd personally rather take a fully documented kernel with strong user support community.