jdkaye,thanks for that,any other suggestions or advice appreciated cheers

Something like ccleaner is not needed. Temporary files get cleaned up automatically, typically each time you reboot. There is nothing like the windows registry to get clogged or corrupted, as it tends to do on windows. Log files are automatically truncated every few days.

Just as information, AVG for Linux runs as a daemon and includes an updater, as well as a command line scanner.

I run a scan when I think of it, every two or three months.

Think if it as a security blanket in the wild wild world of inner tubes.

Hello, Acein1,

I am also new to Linux- I've been using Ubuntu for 4 months now. After 11 years of Win-D'oh's only computing, I found Linux to be very easy to use and very intuitive. If I may observe: I think, if you are feeling a little lost, it is because (I can tell by the questions you ask) you are still thinking in a Win-D'oh's mindset. Just relax and approach it as if you are jut using a computer for the first time. Mint, like Ubuntu, is very easy to get used to once you simply realize that it is not Windows.

To answer your question about CCleaner, etc.: [Shakes finger] You're thinking in a Windows mentality again! You don't need all that stuff with Linux. You will not be getting any malware/spyware/adware with Mint. About the only thing you need to do, is to set your browser to block 3rd party cookies, and set your Flash player's settings appropriately, as those things are common to browsers on all OS's - but with Linux, you will not be picking up any downloaded garbage like we do with Windurs.

I run my Ubuntu with no AV; no firewall, etc. (Then again...I ran Windurs the same way for 11 years and only managed to pick up two trojans over the years- but most people run Linux that way, unless they are ill-informed, paranoid or download and distribute files to Windurs computers- in which case the AV is needed just to protect those to whom you send such files).

So relax...enjoy the freedom and better performance of Linux, and shed that Windows mentality! :D

[Note: You will also NOT need to defrag your hard drive, as we did with Windurs; You will not need to reinsall the OS on a regular basis or suffer serious performance issues/slowdowns/bloat; No need for registry cleaners [there is no registry in Linux]....basically, you don't have to spend hours every month maintaining your OS with Linux. If I may steal a slogan from Apple- which is really better suited to Linux: It just works!]

But does avg protect against linux viruses or against windows viruses? I haven't seen any need to try anti-virus software but most people I know that do happen to be running linux as part of a windows network. It seems to me that they aren't protecting linux but preventing it from passing on files that would affect windows.

I'm not sure but as far as I know a windoze virus cannot infect a linux system. I also doubt very much if one could infect a file without windoze being run at the time.

not quite true
there is one java based Windows/ Mac that by chance also runs on Linux
BUT to remove it all one needs to do is reboot

OK John I guess there is one (but it doesn't sound like much of a virus if rebooting will get rid of it )

Since there are no real Linux viruses around, I guess it would only alert one to Windows viruses. I mean, if there aren't any real linux viruses, how would it protect from a hypothetical Linux virus until such time as that virus existed and was spread and reported?

It's just so you don't send infected files to Windows users.(Those poor saps have enough problems without viruses! :D)

in 5 years the only thing ClamAV has ever found were Microsoft viruses on a XP drive, that Norton missed ( i nolonger use Norton)

Linux and rootkits are the main thing to worry about

i would install rkhunter and ckrootkit
but in the last 5 years i have not had ant hits

I have used linux (debian) for 3 years and the thing is it is still working fine. I download all the security asap. I have a file that has the md5sum of all the files I have and to tell you the truth nothing ever has gone wrong. Passwords is something I am always concerned about so I make sure thoes are hard to guess. I never felt insecure no matter what site I went to and what I downloaded.
I never thought of installing antivirus as far as I am concerned I copy winduhs virus on my computer to see if it can do anything.
This is real freedom - freedom from fear. So linux will stay on my computer as long as I have a computer.

Presently, prevention is the best policy. If you run a windows machine on your network, and run a samba share on your Linux box, then a product like AVG or F-prot makes a lot of sense.

Be sure to install the no-script plugin in Firefox.

If you have the ssh server running, then there are things you can do to prevent breakins. Use PKI authentication, only allow protocol 2, disable root logins, use "allowuser" to restrict who can log in. Any questions, later, you can always ask here.

Most distros have a package such as 'seccheck' that runs periodically checking for problems, such as lax permissions. I don't know if this package or a similar one is available in Linux Mint. The scripts email the results to root. Monitoring the reports and correcting mistakes could prevent future exploits.

Because root kits conceal changes they have made, an antivirus program could miss them. Off line scanning makes a lot of sense. Running a live distro off of a CD can help detect malware on Linux and Microsoft computers. A knoppix disc for example will download the latest definitions.

If you run a web server, an av product may also check for configuration errors that might lead to an exploit. Since about half of the web sites run Linux, this is one area where attackers do try to attack.

Make sure you apply security updates promptly. This rule is true regardless of the operating system you use.

And I almost forgot to mention to enable your firewall. Also use a router for high speed access, even if you have only one computer. Every extra layer of protection helps.