Antivirus on xandros 3.0 oce
 

I am relativly new to linux.After trying several distros I setteled on xandros 3.0 oce.I havre set up the system with k3b,guarddog and a host of different apps so it is relativley complete except for a antivirus program.I have tried both clamav and fprot but I cannot get either one to work.I in stalled qtprot for the gui and it would act like it wanted to work but it would never show up.Am I doing something wrong?.
thanks!

Linux doesn't have or need antivirus software. Those programs are to filescan windows filesystems and in particular, email servers. When you build a boat without holes, you don't need duct tape to keep it afloat.

You sure about this? Isn't it so that Linux has a much smaller usage share, and because of that, virus makers won't bother with writing viruses for Linux? With a much higher usage share, an operating system will inevitably get attacked a lot more. And I'm also suspecting that virus makers dislike Micro$oft :)

Linux has a few viruses, but very few when compaired with the 100's of thousends you can catch on a windows system.

Unless your running as a server, it probably isn't important.

Then that means Linux would've had a hole lot more, and probably equally much as Windows does, if Linux had the same usage share? Why is it not important if I'm not running a server? Please elaborate.

I've never cought a virus on linux, though there are a few but as far as I know - they are not in the wild.

The reason I suggest using Antivirus on a linux server, is because obviously - you should protect the people downloading item from your server, and furthermore it can be comprised easier than a desktop box, because your running apache, php, etc which does open security holes if these are not up-to-date.

If it was a Windows box, yes... antivirus, no question about it - you need it. For linux, it's questionable, unless you like clicking on dodgy sites and attachments in e-mails, or leave your ports realllllly wide open.

If you are using Linux in a Linux/Unix only environment, then you would not need antivirus at all. Linux is not vulnerable to viruses in the same way as windoze because of its Unix like security model. Most of the so called Linux viruses are proof of concept ideas that were developed in computer labs but have never been out in the wild.

Most of the antivirus products sold or Linux are actually meant for Mail servers that are going to be accessed by Windows users and not to protect Linux users from viruses. So if you are in a mixed environment, you may wish to install antivirus on your mail server but its not necessary if you just run Linux. There is a better explanation here about why viruses don't really affect Linux.