gnuradio is currently unavailable from the kali-rolling repositories. On an up-to-date Kali installation, APT reports no installation candidate for the gnuradio package:
sudo apt update
apt-cache policy gnuradio
Expected result:
gnuradio:
Installed: (none)
Candidate: <current Kali package version>
[...]
Actual result:
gnuradio:
Installed: (none)
Candidate: (none)
[...]
This appears to have followed the removal of GNU Radio from Debian Testing while its Debian package is involved in the auto-thrift and Boost 1.92 transitions. The Debian package remains maintained and available in Debian Unstable, but it has not migrated into Testing.
GNU Radio is an important part of the SDR and wireless-security toolchain. Its absence also affects workflows involving packages and hardware such as gr-osmosdr, RTL-SDR, HackRF, USRP, SoapySDR, and GNU Radio Companion.
Could the Kali package team please:
- Confirm whether the removal from kali-rolling is entirely inherited from Debian Testing or whether there is an additional Kali-specific blocker.
- Assess whether GNU Radio can safely be rebuilt or temporarily imported into Kali without waiting for the complete Debian Testing transition.
- If that is not currently possible, publish the blocker and expected restoration path in the Kali package tracker.
-
Update the Kali Tools page if it still recommends:
sudo apt install gnuradio
while the package has no installation candidate.
I understand that bypassing Debian's transition could create ABI or dependency problems, particularly around Thrift and Boost. I am not requesting that an unvalidated package be forced into kali-rolling. I am requesting that GNU Radio's restoration be prioritized and that the current status be documented for Kali users.
System information:
Distribution: Kali Linux
Repository: kali-rolling
Architecture: amd64
Date tested: 2026-10-30
apt-cache policy gnuradio:
gnuradio:
Installed: (none)
Candidate: (none)
Version table:
3.10.12.0-6+b3 -1
100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
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