I really think you need to slow down a bit. This sounds to me that you are confused by too much information at the time, and unable to judge which is relevant and which not. (No offense meant, but e.g. /var having a www folder is perfectly normal.) Don't try to "spit out" all info in one sentence. Go step by step, symptom by symptom carefully. What do you mean e.g. by your Internet being compromised. And don't get to hung up on the screenshots, they are most likely not as relevant as you think they are.

given all the confusion I think we can safely assume there was no Virus.
Just an awful, out of date distro.

I'm not familiar with eeepc etc. so I can not add anything

However, others seem to know "whats what",
so I'm sure a nice step by step guide to installing a Suitable current Distro will follow

Thanks but it was more a generic nudge with respect to proper analysis, troubleshooting and not directed at anyone in particular.


Actually I recognized his style and content from another forum on the 'net he posted a similar thread in. Luckily I can name only one other lQ member who's prone to posting the same problem year after year without actually solving anything...

I call troll and would like to state for anyone else reading this in future that you do not assume you have a virus because things are behaving in a way you don't understand.
It is also very rude to post asking people for help then insisting that you know better than them.
Clearly, if the original poster knew enough to know that they had a virus they would have been able to state exactly why they knew.
Apologies for such a negative post, but one of my pet hates is people spreading FUD by posting comments about magical virus infections* and working things up into turmoil when the root of the problem is ignorance and an unwillingness to learn.

*Along with similar real-life things also, but that's another story.

OK, I don't think I know more or else I wouldn't be here. And yes, I did post before about if I had a virus. I will not ever post it again year after year. I am not trying to create turmoil, I was told by my local tech store that I did indeed have a virus. I would not have come back here otherwise. I asked him the very same question. If I upgraded to Crunchbang, as advised the last time I was here, very good advice, and accepted that I was wrong to assume, would the virus follow and and infect the new distro. I did not go to him asking about a 'virus' I was going to have him upgrade to crunchbang for me. He called and stated that I had a virus, that he really wasn't sure if I should wipe the drive or not so I came back here to ask. I did not intend to cause a fuss. When I was questioned about the virus, I could not answer. That is why I took all the screen shots, if I can't explain it how could you advise the best way to fix the mess. I just took 69 pictures that my tech guy told me were necessary with my camera.Now I am trying to load them to a web album because I said I would and I don't like to break my word. I am going to send the link, if you want to look it over fine if not fine. I am sending both netbooks to be recycled and then I will have no reason to post. I apologize for being snippy but I am as tired of this as you are. I just wanted to know if a virus, I was told not assumed I had by a computer tech, would transfer. He didn't think so but thinking and knowing are two different things. I am a she not a he, I am not a repeat offender as noted, I simply wanted to know the right thing to do. The last time I was here, I was convinced I had a virus but when three experts tell you don't, you don't. When a computer technician calls to tell you that you have a virus you believe that too. So to end the turmoil, that I did not intend to cause, or be rude enough to refusing to learn, I am sorry but assuming I am unwilling to learn without knowing whether or not I read the articles, refer to the manual and often type help in the console to get direction is equally rude. I am sorry to say that but I refuse to be flagrantly insulted for not being able to understand all the commands, using consoles and not knowing the lingo. I am marking this as answered. As I stated earlier, if I am wrong I will be the first to apologize and go back to Windows. I don't care if I am wrong and worried for no reason, I don't care if the tech was wrong or right, I apologize to everyone and I am buying a dell tomorrow. As I stated, I will post that link, I am not a liar, I don't break my word and I don't post to forums just to whittle away some time. As soon as the album goes up, I will remove my account, not because I think you are less than experts, because I detest wasting other peoples time and energy. I apologize again, and wish you the very best for all the information, suggestions and true desire to help. Regards.

Ok, I understand. None of my posts were script kiddie posts but elaborate links showing screenshot install how tos and videos. I can only hold a persons hand so far before dragging
them along, while blankly clueless to my help, just wears my muscles out (I am a Tattoed Neanderthal/Sasquatch Linux using Biker). Not a IT guy like your

I don't have access to one of those out here in the desert. I would probably not
believe a word either if he has no Linux experience anyways and EEEPC Xandros=Debian Etch with tweaks (Maybe bad tweaks at that).

Here is the isos

Last modified 2009.

I hate to see you leave, especially offended.

I have been following your threads quietly (I commented once as I recall), and have to admit that I had also formed the thought that you might be a troll or unwilling to learn. I now think that would have been a wrong conclusion.

If I may point out the main cause of that for myself, and likely others...

Honesty is always the best route - I think if you had simply answered "My tech told me...", that would have cast a completely different light on your own posts and the resulting responses. By not answering directly it gave the impression that you were simply being evasive and disingenuous - the mark of a troll.

So now that we know your hardware, and the OS, and the source of the virus diagnosis, I bet you would still find those members here with applicable knowledge more than willing to help you install a suitable clean new Gnu/Linux distro and bring that eeepc back to life!

Forget about the "virus", take a deep breath, take your anonymous tech out of the equation - and don't be afraid to say "I don't know..." - you are still welcome!

In any event best of luck!

2 members found this post helpful.

As pointed out by astrogeek, had you said initially it was a tech who told you replies might have been different.
I apologise for my tone, but I feel that when people come to sites like this and post that they have a virus with no explanation as to why they think it but a machine that doesn't behave quite how it should that causes others to think "virus" before thinking that it may just be a configuration error or a known bug.
I am still a little sceptical about the "virus" diagnosis but I stand by the agreement that replacing Xandros (an old and buggy distribution) is likely the way to go.
It would help to know which "virus" it is that the tech thinks it is, why, and how this was supposed to have been caught but I would say that from what reading around I have done BIOS resident malware is rare so the chances are an OS reinstall after reformatting the disks (done as part of the reinstall process if you like) should be enough.

I use "virus" in quotes like that, by the way, as the technical meaning of the word in this context is an executable which adds itself to other files (usually, but not always, executables) in order to reproduce. Most malware (the term for malicious software) nowadays are rootkits which hide themselves "beneath the operating system" and trojans which disguise themselves as other, safe, programs in order to carry out the wishes of their writer.

Lets not get too excited

I think we can discount "virus"

"local tech store"
typically deal with Windows and "virus" is one of those easy answers that probably fits.
Like a "shrug shoulders and reboot" moment..


Moving on..

Some Suitable Distos have been mentioned,
eeepc's are not my area, 4-5 years ago I did RMA ( send back to supplier ) a few, both windows and linux OS.
from what I recall no optical drive, and no wired ethernet
so installation is from USB drive?

@xfool, do you have ready access to a PC/Laptop to prepare a USB boot stick/drive?
do you have a USB Stick/Drive?

In the mean time I can look back at the thread and pickout the Distros, with a view to providing an Install guide.

But ultimately it would be a appreciated if someone with hands on experience with eeepc's could step in here.

I am running crunchbang waldorf on an EeePC and it runs ok. Installation went smoothly from USB.
Before that I had Ubuntu Lucid Lynx on it, installed from SD Card at the time, which also went without problems. I'd have to look up the exact EeePC type at home, but I think it was a 10xx one...

To prepare the usb stick, maybe these instructions help.

Xfool rides again-

1. I was not offended I was embarrassed- deservedly. I didn't give you all the info you needed <insert definition to assume here>
2. I am embarrassed that, though I saved the links, I didn't read them before posting- HUGE mistake
3. The reason I haven't responded in so long is that I have been reading the links you all provided me- and wow- serious concise information.
4. I am so sorry that I was so obsessed by get the idiotic screen shots think they could answer what I could not- not one of my brighter moves.


If you want the link to the screen shots just shout- they are really good for a belly laugh.

I learned more about linux from that thread than I did reading 200 articles and typing 100 help in console- it looked like Sumerian to me. My logic didn't follow that path.

5. All of your replies pointed to one conclusion- wipe and new distro. Ironically, that is why I came in the first place. I took the 701 and 900 to Dan The Techman who is now Dan The Deafman (really that is is name- I live in a very small beach town that doesn't even have fast food, Dan's about the best you're going to get.) to wipe the drive and load Crunchbang, I didn't want to mutilate the poor Asus any further. That is when the trumpets blew and the prince was having a virus.
6. The last time I was here 3 experts assured me no virus- as far as I was concerned, no virus.
These are not excuses, simply what happened in a concise way, imagine that.
7. Internet was comprised but not by Linux, It was done by "they who shall not be named". Therefore as long as I was connecting to the net via my network it did not matter what computer I was on.
8. The best for last, I didn't tell you Dan The Deafman was the reason I came back. Dan The Deafman informed me that due to having 2 partitions open and full, extended directories, that he wasn't sure that the wipe would kill the virus. Not sure.

And that's necessary apology for not being more attentive:

Which brings me what the second part the the thread did. It reminded me of life lessons that I didn't follow:
1. Don't ask the question if ya ain't gonna listen to the answer.
2. If 1 person tells you it's a chicken and 15 people tell you it's a pig- oink don't cluck
3. Hearing is not listening
4 Obsession is 9/10 of stupidity
5. If you're not positive the answer is right, say I don't know and Shut Up.

Now for the closing of my usual long winded responses. Special thanks to the tatooed Neanderthal biker from the Wicked Surf (on water) Witch- with out wax, man- for holding my hand. Thanks Unspawn/273 for giving me the shove to stand on my own linux legs, and get off the forums back- I deserved the bridge and the goats- further you taught me that FUD are the very important 1st 3 letters of fudge. Joe, Astrogeek, Firerat and all the rest you are unreal. All of you in the same forum is like MIT giving classes for the unschooled.

I read all of the links. you are receiving this communique via eee pc 900 Crunchbang! I have graduated from Xfool to Crunchfool. The little 701 didn't fare the transition and is in ICU. The 900 is crunchin like a champ.

I am so very lucky I bumped into your forum. Thank you doesn't cover it. But maybe my next statement will help:


I PROMISE TO NEVER SAY THE V WORD AGAIN.

Oh yeah, I wiped "they who shall not be named" from my Acer and I was wondering........

With deep gratitude,
I remain,
Xcrunch fool

You have no idea how happy I am for you and I am really glad to read such a good news. I have been reading your post and I even sent you an email once. I wish you the very best on your future adventures in the Linux word.

I am sure Dan is a great guy but it would be good and beneficial for him if he get a little more educate in the Linux platform too.

Take care and best look for you in all your activities.

Well said, think nothing more of it.

Glad you decided to stick around!

Great you made it, and have fun with Crunchbang. I personally love this distro, definitely go ahead and play around a bit with customization of Openbox. (Keyboard shortcuts etc...)

Whaddya know. A happy ending.


Closest I could find for a Crunchbang users manual and Crunchbang is based on Debian so

http://debian-handbook.info/browse/wheezy/

Happy Trails, Rok.