Linux Anti-Virus?

[EricZollman]

Hello,

I am currently using AVG Free 8.5 anti-virus software on Fedora 12. The site provides an RPM installation and it seems to be working as it should.,

I just wanted to get some other opinions. What do you use / suggest? Being new to Linux I'm currently testing out a LOT of different software to get a better feel for what is out there, and what works best for me... It seems like there are not as many Linux based viruses out there. And most people seem to target Windows. But I think it's still important to run some anti-virus.,

All suggestions are welcome.,
-Eric

[bob]

You should understand that the virus definitions that AVG, Avast, Fprot, etc. are using are for Windows viruses, so they're not really effective for linux boxes except to ensure that you're not passing along compromised emails to your Windows friends.

[EricZollman]

You should understand that the virus definitions that AVG, Avast, Fprot, etc. are using are for Windows viruses, so they're not really effective for linux boxes except to ensure that you're not passing along compromised emails to your Windows friends.

Damn... I didn't know that. I figured that the Linux version would have it's own definitions., Thanks for the info.

Anybody have a suggestion for a GOOD Linux substitute?

-Eric

[bob]

You should read this thread: http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?t=237560

[EricZollman]

Very good reference...

I always figured that Linux viri where few and far between. Didn't realize they where actually THAT rare though..,

I guess I'll continue to use AVG. Just for the buffer between my NTFS drives, and my EXT4 drive.

-Eric

[marko]

I've looked at some Linux AV products for stopping my PC from propagating windows viruses but I never bothered with any of them except ClamAV because all the other ones have to be used with a particular kernel version. Are there native Linux AV programs that work without requiring a particular kernel?

[Hlingler]

I have Clamav+ClamTk, Avast (RPM), F-Prot+XFProt, and Avira installed, and don't ever use any of them. I can't even be bothered to erase them.

Incidentally: none of them require a particular kernel version (so far as I am aware), since none need/use kmods (so far as I am aware). Dazuko (accessory for Klamav & others, for on-access scanning, like in M$ Win*) never worked/compiled (requires custom kernel re-compile), and is pointless IMHO.

V

[egrar]

Hello! I would like to share my Linux Anti-virus experience.. I have been using Bitdefender for Unices for a couple of months now. and it works for me. It starts with 30 day trial,but you can sign up to extend it for a year (antimalware updates for free).. here's the link http://download.bitdefender.com/repos/#
1. select RPM repositories , follow the instructions to load repo to yum list, update yum cache.. then go to System menu > Administration > Add/Remove Software , type bitdefender , chose and install packages for your system ( take note skip packages with commercial licences are needed) , now when you start Bitdefender it will say that you have only 30 days of trial period, follow the link to sign up and get a year of free updates... and thats it!
( run sudo bdgui on your terminal for it to access every files on your fedora box)

Hope this helps! :)
F13x64bit,Asus Striker Extreme,Nvidia 8800GTS, Intel Core Duo 6700

[bodhi.zazen]

For "the record" / FYI :

ClamAV does scan for known linux viruses , see:

http://clamav-du.securesites.net/cgi-bin/clamgrok

ClamAV database search Linux (http://clamav-du.securesites.net/cgi-bin/clamgrok?virus=linux&search-type=contains&case-sensitivity=No&database=daily&database=main&display=database&display=virus&.submit=Submit+Query&.cgifields=database&.cgifields=search-type&.cgifields=case-sensitivity&.cgifields=display)

But, Linux is Not windows and the "proper" way to defend against these things is to keep your system up to date.

This is the opposite of other operating systems which leave these things unpatched, and thus you need to rely on 3rd party apps.

The only viruses I have ever seen on Linux are the very rare viruses that run on Wine.

Thus Linux antivirus tends to yield false positives to the point it is useless to everyone but mail or file servers.