Installation

Install QtRecon and configure your system for reconnaissance automation

System requirements

QtRecon requires:

• Python 3.8 or higher
• pipenv for dependency management
• PySide6 for the Qt GUI
• nmap for network scanning
• Linux operating system (tested on Debian-based distributions)

Install with pipenv

1. Clone or download the source code

   Download the QtRecon source code to your local machine.

   cd ~/tools
   git clone <repository-url> qtrecon
   cd qtrecon
   
2. Install dependencies with pipenv

   Use pipenv to install all required Python packages from the Pipfile.

   pipenv install
   

   This installs the following dependencies:

   • pyside6 - Qt 6 bindings for Python
   • ansi2html - Convert ANSI terminal output to HTML
   • html2text - Convert HTML to plain text
   • netifaces - Network interface information
   • pillow - Image processing for screenshots
   • psutil - Process and system utilities
3. Launch QtRecon

   Run QtRecon using pipenv:

   pipenv run python qtrecon.py
   

   On first launch, QtRecon will:

   • Create the configuration directory at $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/qtrecon/ or ~/.config/qtrecon/
   • Copy the default configuration from conf.json.example to conf.json
   • Check that required binaries are accessible

Configuration

QtRecon stores its configuration at:

$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/qtrecon/conf.json

Or if XDG_CONFIG_HOME is not set:

~/.config/qtrecon/conf.json

The configuration file is automatically created from conf.json.example on first launch.

Configuration structure

The configuration file includes:

• core_binaries: Main programs like nmap, terminal, and pkexec for privileged scans
• user_binaries: All tools you want to use (nikto, feroxbuster, netcat, etc.)
• ports_associations: Which tools can be used on which ports
• autorun: Programs to launch automatically when ports are discovered
• user_prefs: General preferences and options
• user_variables: Custom variables for command replacement
• snippets: Code snippets and reverse shells
• nmap_options: Default nmap scan settings

You can edit the configuration through the GUI by pressing F10 or by editing the JSON file directly.

Set up privileged scans

To perform SYN scans (-sS) and OS detection, nmap requires root privileges. QtRecon handles this using a graphical sudo program.

1. Configure the graphical sudo binary

   In your conf.json, set the graphical_su binary to a program like pkexec, gksu, or kdesudo:

   "core_binaries": {
     "graphical_su": {
       "binary": "/usr/bin/pkexec",
       "args": []
     }
   }
   

   Common options:

   • /usr/bin/pkexec (PolicyKit, works on most modern systems)
   • /usr/bin/gksu (older GTK systems)
   • /usr/bin/kdesudo (KDE environments)
2. Ensure nmap is accessible

   Verify nmap is installed and the path is correct in conf.json:

   "core_binaries": {
     "nmap": {
       "binary": "/usr/bin/nmap",
       "args": []
     }
   }
   

   Check the nmap path:

   which nmap
   
3. Handle umask restrictions (optional)

   If you have a restrictive umask, the XML files created by root may not be readable by your user.

   Option 1: Run QtRecon as root (not recommended)

   Set an empty string for graphical_su binary:

   "graphical_su": {
     "binary": "",
     "args": []
   }
   

   Then launch QtRecon with sudo:

   sudo pipenv run python qtrecon.py
   

   Option 2 (recommended): Adjust your umask or use a wrapper script to ensure nmap output files are readable.

Verify installation

When QtRecon starts successfully, you’ll see:

1. The main window with an empty host list
2. A log message: “New project started ! Happy recon ;-)”
3. Any warnings about missing binaries in the log panel

QtRecon will log warnings for any binaries in your configuration that cannot be found or are not executable. You can safely ignore warnings for tools you don’t plan to use.

Next steps

Quickstart guide

Launch your first scan and explore the QtRecon interface