Avast has rolled out a GUI Linux version of their free home virus scanner for Windows. It's not that bad for a first released version. I like its simplicity.


I'm not advertising it. Someone will post it sooner or later. I beta tested it and have to admit it is better than Klam GUI with Clam. The only thing I don't like about it is you have to get a registration key via email before it works. But they have always done the same thing with their free Windows version. This won't sit well with the open source purists.

You seriously scared me there for second.
I almost thought your title said "Avast: Another Virus Ported to Linux."

LOL....Thats funny. Port viruses to linux....LOL

Well, it got your attention.

I would never announce a virus for Linux. Hopefully.

I use their windoze version on my xp partition and have installed it on all of the family's and clients' funnels. Does an excellent job.

Don't these virus scanners make you a little bit suspicious? I mean a virus scanner for linux? All of a sudden theres viruses for linux now?

Sounds like a self-fullfiling prophesy to me. If theres no real viruses for linux, how do these virus scanners survive? You think viruses are scary? How about a closed-source program running as root, thumbing through all of your files? They're looking for weaknesses! Its a conspiracy I tell you!

That's funny! Be careful a Windows user contemplating using Linux might take you serious. Those are some good points and not unpopular as well. But, for their sake, you should know better than that. There are only a few so-called "virus" associated with Linux. That sort of information is virtually common knowledge for anyone with basic google skills. These scanners scan for Window virus. Why? It is probably a waste of time but nevertheless a Linux email client will accept and send out a Window virus the same as any other email client. And there you have it. A choice. Sort of like the bird-flu. It won't hurt Linux but we can help spread it. Ever wonder why Kmail now has an anti-virus wizard? Actually, word around the campfire is all these new scanners aren't a waste of time for the AV companies that a promulgating them. We should be grateful the Windows AV community is willing not to wait and make the same mistakes as in the early days of online content with Windows. At least if the worse does happen these companies already have a platform to work from. People migrating from Windows to Linux will keep that same mindset. Are you willing to promote an operating system that is currently safe to community that is used to being attacked daily? Bringing with them all their nasty little habits? If you want Linux to become more popular you have to get them away from Windows. So, entertain them with a virus scanner. They'll eventually come around and figure it out.

The virus scanners can help scan linux for windows viruses. Like if you run an email server, even ftp, samba shares..... Thats what they are good for.

Excellent points. In fact, my host provider uses Linux Clam on their email servers to scan email before I get it.

I'm quite new to linux, so this might sound a bit stupid, but I have been quite impressed by avast and the on-access protection, so I was quite happy to see avast for linux, but it only scans the files... Is it because on-access protection is useless on linux, or because it's too dificult to implement? On-access protection could also save some time on the servers, couldn't it?

You really don't need an on access scanner at this time. Some people like it though. KlamAV interface for ClamAV does. They're both open source.

I run all my virus' with Wine.

I've been using Avast for windows for years. I really dislike renewing the subscripition. It does work well.

I think I'll try AntiVir next time.

I'll have to pass on antivirus for linux right now. It's a pain needing it for windows.

Someone wrote an article about doing that, here it is.

^^ Nice link.