I installed Arch a few weeks ago because I want a distro that could teach me more than the two most popular distros. Recently, I installed clamav via pacman. However, I cannot edit the file entitled: etc/freshclamav.freshclam.conf.
Please, nobody send me to some utterly useless man page. If I could understand the man pages, I'd have no need to post. Therefore, please post "step by step" instructions. For those with computer science degrees, you learned math and computers via "step by step" directions. I simply want the same courtesy. Thanks in advance to any respondents.

First, we don't know what "I cannot edit" means to you. Is it because you don't know how to use the editor (whch one, vim?), or because you cannot find the file - the common path/name is /etc/clamav/freshclam.conf - or because you can't manage to get write permission on it, or just because you don't grasp the syntax ...?
When you say a manpage is utterly useless for you, so is your question.
Be precise.

I am partial nano over VI. The file path is self explanatory, and the terminal works for root, chown, chgrp & chmod. Therefore, none of the above apply to me.

Be more precise? Fair enough. As you know, the etc/clamav/freshclam.conf file has to be edited to allow one to update virus definitions. Unless one is reading with knowledge gleaned from a computer science degree, the man pages do not precisely nor clearly state what changes are to be made to the /etc/clamav/freshclam.conf file in order for someone to be able to update virus definitions. This is a shame since it's most likely a simple process. To state it yet another way, I cannot understand nor follow the man page instructions verbiage as it pertains to updating Clamav's virus definitions via freshclam. Google was no help, nor was this page: hhttp://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/ClamAV
The arch wiki page made the commenting out explanation needlessly complicated when compared to the much larger task of installing Arch.
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I hope stating the problem twice helps clarity. Thanks in advance.

The original post even got the path and filename wrong
Now, as an example, here my file, stripped the explanations:
DatabaseDirectory /var/lib/clamav
UpdateLogFile /var/log/clamav/freshclam.log
LogVerbose yes
PidFile /var/run/clamav/freshclam.pid
DatabaseOwner clamav
AllowSupplementaryGroups yes
DNSDatabaseInfo current.cvd.clamav.net
DatabaseMirror database.clamav.net
MaxAttempts 5
ScriptedUpdates yes
Checks 24
NotifyClamd /etc/clamd.conf

## The last line may need change to the location of your clamd.conf file,
possibly "/etc/clamav/clamd.conf"

The period and the / are next to one another. Luckily, I was writing to a human and not a machine. We all make mistakes. In example, in the quote below, you failed to place the word "is" between the word here and the word my.

How this was supposed to help me I do not know. Clamav appears to generate this file after the config files in etc are edited. I did get clamav to start and update definitions. Unfortunately, clamav, being the accursed program that it is, locked up my computer at start-up. Thankfully, I keep a micro OS on a flashdrive. After booting into the micro-OS, I was able to mount my root partition and edit etc, removing the F#$%ing clamav Daemon garbage. It was during this process that I dicovered a clamav file that generates the "/var/log/clamav/freshclam.log" you pasted here. Start anything Clamav or Freshclam now equals no.
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I have an idea. To anyone willing to help: Let's pretend that I do not know the first (insert relevant expletive)thing about clamav, and let's also assume that I do not have a degree in computer science. In fact, let's not pretend. I would like an answer that does not involve unexplained bash.
Again, this post, click here, was largely useless, raising more questions than answers.
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Thanks in advance to any who would help me in the manner suggested. The greatest challenge of Linux is not the system; it's the documentation that is either spartan, incomplete, outdated or riddled with banter/patter at the expense of precision and conciseness.

the error you got from the terminal STATES IT ALL
just remove the # in that line

the same thing must be done with BOTH freshclam.conf AND clamscan.conf

THIS IS IN THE INSTALL INSTRUCTIONS -- READ THEM !

The poster even mistook my /etc/clamav.conf for 'the "/var/log/clamav/freshclam.log" you pasted here'.
Neither did I find any pasted terminal message or any useful error description.
I guess he's a dead loss, after all.

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Uhm?? Gee... Let's examine your words, shall we.

Rebuttal Part one of three.
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As you can now surely see in the above, you did make mention of a log file. Those are your words that I am quoting. Now let me help you out by posting my words.

As you can see, I was simply stating that a config file appeared to generate a log file, and this log file was mentioned by you in the text that you pasted. At best, you can say that I was unclear. After all, I should have used the word "mentioned" not the word "pasted." However, what could be said about you is that you assumed, and we all know what three words assume spells. Also, as an alleged expert, I m surprised that you did not read past this simple one word type-o being the alleged subject matter expert that you purport to be by way of your attitude.
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Rebuttal Part two of three.
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Uhm, hello. I said the system locked up. It's kind of hard to post an error when the system wont boot. Once I was able to boot into the system, my goal was and is to start from scratch. I backed up the file in question.
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Rebuttal Part three of three.
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While I may have appeared disgruntled about the inadequacies of Linux documentation, exasperated by my knowledge of teaching and learning, unlike you, my attitude is directed at documentation, not people.
Your attitude is directed at me. As such, your help (if it can be termed that) is really not needed nor welcome.

Uhm! hey buddy (and I use the noun buddy most loosely) I did the read the instructions. Only one of the files was mentioned. No where was clamscan.conf mentioned. The example line was commented out or removed, whatever, I do not remember now. Either way, the instructions, such as they were, were followed. I did not know of the existence of the other file until I mounted the file system via a different operating system. Had the instructions been written better, none of this would have happened.
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I am quite confident that no one would say that installing this one virus program is more difficult than installing Arch, and I've successfully installed Arch more than once, so therefore the failing was in the poorly worded instructions. If you think differently, then debate the common learning styles and multiple forms of intelligence with me, and I will trounce your position, starting with references from Harvard.
See how obnoxious large font looks? You may continue to post in obnoxiously big and bold print if that somehow gives you gratification. However, I do have two questions for you. When someone ask for help, do you always respond with obnoxiously big & bold font, the Internet equivalent of yelling? If so, then having read some psychology, may I know the name of the condition that may be responsible for your yelling? After all, as you know or may not know, some would consider yelling in a forum (especially without provocation) to be an indication of an inferiority complex.

I do not understand how to edit the /etc/freshclamav/freshclam.conf file. The instructions are useless. I commented out as per the instructions, yet I am not getting the desired result. This post, click here, was useless too. I am asking to start from the beginning.
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In other words, I would like help with a clamav install from the point immediately following the pacman download. This program is nothing more than a file scanner, so perhaps someone would be willing to clarify the steps necessary to configure this program to actually function as it should? Humility and decency on the part of the respondent is a plus. Currently, I have an unedited backup copy of the aforementioned freshclam.conf file. Also, apparently, there is another Clam conf file that needs editing. I did not find it until I mounted the root partition on a different operating system. I would like help editing it as well since apparently it has some relevant role in the functionality of Clamav. I Googled, read the man pages and posted here. If this program has readme files, I've yet to find them. Please help.

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Thanks in advance for patience and humility, which I will extend to you as well. Remember that everyone with a computer science degree learned computers and math because someone patiently explained computers and math in a step-by-step manner. Therefore, I ask for the same courtesy. The Sarcastic will be trounced. Again, thanks in advance for patience and humility.

Solved this problem a long time ago
This was not a problem with editing freshclam. I acquired clam via pacman from the Arch repository. The first problem was that the notes that came with clam said nothing about editing /etc/clamav/clamd.conf.
Solved this. Configuring Clamd.conf simply means commenting out undesired options with a “#” and answering questions. Below is part of my clamd.conf. In it I set the max log file size to 50M. Where I typed 50, I could have placed a zero for an unlimited file size. See the sample below.

Also, Where it says “log time with each message, I uncommented (removed the # symbol) the “LogTime yes” to get it to log time. Had I not removed the # symbol from the the line that reads "LogTime yes," Clam would have defaulted to the preceding line, which clearly states that the default is to not log time.
=======================================
Sample: Part of my clamd.conf file
****************************************
# Maximum size of the log file.
# Value of 0 disables the limit.
# You may use 'M' or 'm' for megabytes (1M = 1m = 1048576 bytes)
# and 'K' or 'k' for kilobytes (1K = 1k = 1024 bytes). To specify the size
# in bytes just don't use modifiers.
# Default: 1M
LogFileMaxSize 50M

# Log time with each message.
# Default: no
LogTime yes
***************************************
End of Sample
=======================================
Clam complains about not being able to find this file or that file. In example, If Clam cannot find, “/var/lib/clamav/clamd.sock,”
1) then point your filemanager at “/var/lib/clamav/.
2) Search through hidden files if you do not see it.
3) If it's not there, then from a terminal, as root, run “gedit (Kedit for Kde, I use nano) /var/lib/clamav/clamd.sock”
4) At the top of the file type, “# clamd.sock” Save and exit.
5) Then chown & chgrp of the file to clamav. Chmod is 775 or 773 and viola, no more errors.
Repeating this process for each error will eliminate the error.
In some cases, clam will ask the Arch Linux user for files that are associated with redhat. I believe that the solutions to these is to edit /etc/clamav/clamd.conf by commenting out the lines that point to files that are not applicable to Arch Linux , but you might want to verify this.

Clam Homepage. Google “clamav hompage.” They have a pdf doc that was just updated Mar 31, 2010. The man pages suck, in my opinion, and the wikki was asking for help in writing a more comprehensive (READ: better) help guide.

Also Google "Clamav" then search within results. Within results search for "my clamd.conf"
Unconfirmed by me, but apparently, one can merge freshclam.conf with clamd.conf according to this.
I hope this helps someoone.

Note to new users: not everyone is like the individuals who responded in the above. Apparently, in their minds, the fact that I said that the clamav man pages were useless, precipitated negative feelings. However, the more people who criticize documentation while volunteering to improve it, the better said documentation will become. This upsets Linux gurus who, having too much pride sans writing ability, still write documentation without advise from either professional writers who love Linux or professional educators who love Linux. Professional writers and educators who lack coding ability would probably be glad to contribute to the Linux community by writing documentation. After all, 50%-70% of the challenge of Linux has been the documentation, which is one of the reasons Ubuntu is so sucessful.

See post 11