I am new to Linux and have just installed Ubantu 8.104 and have heard conflicting statement that I don't need these to programs and yes I do. I think that erroring on the side of safty is the best course.

All I need is to know which programs are the best.

personaly I don't run either (though my router has a firewall of sorts.) The linux firewall (iptables) is built right into the kernel, but there are many graphic utilities for configuring it. these differ from windows firewall programs in that the just configure the firewall that is built into the kernel so the firewall is running anytime your system is (no getting around or crashing this one.) a firewall is not magic. all it does is block access to the ports you have open on your machine. a properly configured machine shouldn't have any unneeded ports open and needed ports would have to be let through the firewall anyways, so I just set them up right and don't worry about a firewall. antivirus software is available for linux (I would recomend ClamAV if you go that way.) but all it does is prevent you from infecting windows boxes (I don't have any.) While it is theoreticly possible to make a virus for linux it doesn't realy happen. linux being such a small part of the overall market and being so diverse from distro to distro would make writing one not worth the effort, not to mention if you permissions are set up right and you don't run as root they wouldn't be able to damadge anything other then your personal files. I wouldn't claim that this makes linux 'virus proof' but apple did make that claim in a tv comercial and it isn't as immune as linux. I personaly have been running various versions of linux with no firewall or antivirus for over 6 years with no problems at all; and yes that is running 24/7 while connected to the net.

Hi, Welcome to LQ.

LQ is over 8 years old, has over 350000 members, and 3 million posts.

If you have GNU/Linux there's a good possibility that iptables is running.

That is your firewall. You can check it's quality by using

GRC.com "sheilds up" online probe (Gibson Research). It's free and fast, no install.

You may find other tools, but this is a fast way to check popular ports.

I use the KDE window manager, and klamav (clamav) anti virus.

It is capable of detecting broken .exe files on my winxp partitions

as well as Trojans and virii.

Because of iptables, your Linux is secure by DEFAULT, you don't need to make it better, but

you may want to make changes for access reasons.

check out the pages here at LQ, and

http://www.linuxhomenetworking.net

Which I have found useful with setting up proxy cache and networks.

Cheers, Glenn

You do not need "anti-virus software!"

Linux does not need it.

Windows does not, either!

A very brilliant marketing-person ... and may his soul sinter in a hot place ... coined the word "virus" in reference to rogue-programs. It was, as he knew it would be, a very appealing idea, because in the real-world of human existence "viruses are an established citizen of this planet, to which we are constantly vulnerable, and against which we must constantly and actively defend."

The marketing ($$$) influence of this notion was so strong that, to this very day, Windows continues to ship to customers with its very-formidable security system turned off!

"Apple, on the other hand, has as-usual 'got it right.'" And, again as-usual, they've made a ton of marketing-mojo from "the obvious."

Here's the bottom-line ... and please note that it applies equally to Linux, to OS/X, and to Windows:

(1) Do not, ever, run your computer as an all-powerful user. Rogue programs, by definition, run without "your consent" ... but they do run "with your privileges and your identity." Computers are merely machines: they know nothing of your awareness or your intent.

(2) You can have any number of accounts on "your" computer. The computer will recognize each one of them as being distinct. If those accounts are not "all-powerful," it will understand and enforce the very-simple notion of ownership: that "you" have more rights to "your stuff" than anyone who is "not you" does. Even if you wear all of the hats in your (one-man?) company, you do not wear them all at the same time.

(3) Backup software is readily available (it's supplied free of charge on Windows and OS/X...), and external USB/Firewire disk drives are dirt cheap. (Hey, you can buy 'em at department stores.) Backups can occur once-an-hour (say...) and the backup files will be rigorously protected such that "only you" can retrieve them. Windows backup-software will capture not only files, but the entire Registry.

(4) Since the computer is known to be "ignorant," use its ignorant, brutish strength to your advantage. If you voluntarily limit the capabilities of your account(s) to encompass only the least of what "this account needs to do," then you can be absolutely certain that the ignorant, but brutishly-strong computer will prove itself more-than-capable of guaranteeing that no program "running as 'you,' whether with or without 'your' knowledge" will ever be able to exceed those boundaries.

Linux (since the beginning), OS/X (since the beginning), and Windows (since Windows-NT) have all been capable of this.