First off, please no flames about how Linux doesn't need virus protection. I've read them all.

Is there anyway to set up f-prot as a proxy of sort so that when I download my email from my ISP they are scanned first? I am only concerned about accidentally pasing on viruses to others that I email running Windows.

Thanks

I understand f-prot for linux workstations does this automatically.

Yeah - you don't want to pass win32 viruses on to someone else.

I use this too - I'm a little fed up about getting security alerts twice a day for win23 viruses though.

I don't see any evidence that it is doing that based on looking at the headers. Wouldn't I have to somehow point f-prot to my ISP's smtp and pop servers? Sorry I am so confused about this.

Thanks,
John

Your right !

I've been checking mine out - the linux version of f-prot does not include the real-time scanner, only the command line scanner. (It checks out all files as they are accessed under windows - but you have to pay for that...)

I've been looking for scripts/config files that t-bird uses to send/receive e-mail. Ideally you want to scan files when you press "send". (Or maybe once received ...?)

Havn't found any so far.

I run f-prot as a cron job.

Of course, the simplest thing would be to write a short script to invoke the scanner to scan just the local inboxes by clicking a launcher. Then after you get your e-mail, but before reading, you click scan.

Of course, there is clam av? This, apparently, does exactly what you want.
www.clamav.net

Your idea about running a script on the inbox is probably the most painless solution. I'm open to any other suggestions too.

Thanks!

Yeah well, it's a one-line script. If you are the only user this concerns, it is a matter of remembering to run it.

Getting it to scan mail as it is opened, or downloaded, or sent, or whatever, would probably involve writing a daemon to keep track of mail ... I suppose an iptables route could send outgoing mail to be checked before finally actually sending it ... but you'd still have to write the program that invokes the scanner. I don't think you can get iptables to invoke a script - but I havn't read the manual that closely.

It may be something to query fisk and mozilla about ... I'm sure if someone wrote a daemon to turn the linux scanner into a real-time scanner, fisk would be only too happy to distribute it (or link to you).

Anybody?

Interestingly enough, while researching this I found out that Kmail (at least in KDE 3.3) has built in tools to scan mail using various programs such as f-prot, clamav, and spamassasin. I have always taken Kmail for granted but have a new respect for it now. It sure would be nice if the Mozilla people would look at doing this as well.

Yeah I saw that too - but you wanted t-bird ...

Perhaps t-bird does have this feature too - have you tried asking Mozilla?

I do prefer Thunderbird. I have searched the Mozilla forums without success, but have not yet posted a question. I shall do that. Thanks for your help.