I a pretty new to linux so maybe this is a silly question to ask, i know linux is supoosed to be a lot more secure than windows in which case an antivirus may not be needed. Any experienced linux users out there maybe able to asnwer the question, do i need an antivirus in linux, and if so which would you recomend?
Thanks
TurboSquid
If you just want to protect your own machine, no you do not need an antivirus program. However, if you are running a server of some sort to which Windows users can connect, try ClamAV.
ClamAV is the only one I have ever used on my Linux boxes and it has never been anything but perfect. So I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Why would you need an AV for Linux? Linux is it's own AV.
| jay84h wrote: |
| Why would you need an AV for Linux? Linux is it's own AV. |
There's an expression that comes to mind: "Better safe than sorry". Although Linux Viruses are extremely rare, there are some out there (according to one of the links below, roughly 100 of them), but there are some very good points made that you may not have thought of. For example, Open Office can open Microsoft Office documents - even the infected ones.
There's currently no large threat to Linux, but as more and more people move to using Linux, the threat will undoubtedly increase. Here are a few links you may find useful:
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2143697/grisoft-warns-linux-virus
http://www.desktoplinux.com/articles/AT3307459975.html
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,2076622,00.htmWhile there may exist viruses for Linux, they can't do much damage. Here's a proof-of-concept virus for Linux:
http://math-www.uni-paderborn.de/~axel/bliss/
The conclusion that the article seems to come to is that the only way that a virus could spread on a Linux system is if you run as root. In short, the reason why there are no Linux viruses worth worrying about (to the extent that an AV is required) is not that Linux is not popular enough (yet!) to have viruses, but because the security system makes it almost impossible for a virus to spread, unless you really haven't got a clue about what you're doing.
An anti-virus program is not a good substitute for human brains (both the developers' and the users'). That answers my question nicely.
FriHost Rocks 
Thanks for you help
TurboSquid You could use KAV linux, though I havent tried or read reviews about the linux version.
If you are new to linux, just remember to work only as a common user.
Working only as root all the time may bee dangerous.
(if you use *ubuntu, you cant have these problems, because you must use sudo insted of login as root)
then
the worses thing that could virus do is to delete your home directory
Linux doesn't need an antivirus - problems are quickly patched and virii are rare. The only virus that Linux has has been patched. All you need to do is run under a user account and not a root account.
There is another posibility beside clavm try using nod32 there is for linux too
I see that you've already sadid "thanks" and will probably not check back on this thread, but I just wanted to add to the comments already here.
Its not such a bad idea to run antivirus on your Linux machine (Clamav is really good stuff - there's also a Windows version for those that care). The reason that I say this is simply for courtesy of others. Wouldn't it be nice to know that your machine is not the reason that a virus continues to spread? If you can disinfect a file that you've downloaded before sharing it somewhere else, then you've just done the computing world a favor.
