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05-20-2015, 03:50 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Registered: Dec 2012
Location: Washington DC area
Distribution: Fedora, CentOS, Slackware
Posts: 4,908
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The biggest use for an anivirus scanner on Linux is to find Windows virus infections... Useful if you are using Samba to provide file services for Windows users, and can be useful to catch viruses in mail when Linux is used for mail services for Windows users.
Otherwise, not really useful.
That is not to say that a virus for Linux couldn't exist - they can. But patches for the vulnerabilities come out faster than the virus can propagate, making the virus rather useless.
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1 members found this post helpful.
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05-20-2015, 03:53 PM
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#3
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Member
Registered: Apr 2015
Posts: 142
Rep:
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Quote:
I don't know. Do I even need AV? (I know AVs can muck things up too.) I love my Xubuntu. I've got a firewall. Is that enough or do I need one of the Pandas or something else?
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The best thing you can do is be mindful about installing third party packages. And apply the updates as they come out as well.
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1 members found this post helpful.
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05-20-2015, 04:45 PM
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#4
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Slackware Contributor
Registered: May 2015
Distribution: Slackware
Posts: 1,927
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Quote:
Originally Posted by whm1974
The best thing you can do is be mindful about installing third party packages. And apply the updates as they come out as well.
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Or better yet, only install packages from your distribution's software repositories. If it doesn't exist in your distro's repository, build a package for it from source- and only download the source from the actual developer's web site.
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1 members found this post helpful.
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05-20-2015, 04:52 PM
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#5
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Slackware Contributor
Registered: May 2015
Distribution: Slackware
Posts: 1,927
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gregg Bell
I'm running Xubuntu (I have 15.04 now) and have been for two or three years. Back when I first went Linux I checked out the need for AV (since I spent so much time in help forums to get rid of Windows viruses) and all there seemed to be was Clam, which hardly anybody used or felt was needed.
...
I don't know. Do I even need AV? (I know AVs can muck things up too.) I love my Xubuntu. I've got a firewall. Is that enough or do I need one of the Pandas or something else?
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The only real reasons to use an anti-virus in Linux are if you are running an E-mail server or a samba server that serves content to Windows machines. ClamAV (anti-virus software) should be sufficient for scanning E-mail attachments and scanning network shares quickly / effectively.
If you are concerned about being hacked, then you can install something like Rkhunter to scan for rootkits and other vulnerabilities on your system using a cron job daily / weekly / montly.
Another option is Chkrootkit.
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1 members found this post helpful.
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05-20-2015, 06:23 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Registered: Mar 2014
Location: Illinois
Distribution: Xubuntu
Posts: 2,037
Original Poster
Rep: 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mralk3
Or better yet, only install packages from your distribution's software repositories. If it doesn't exist in your distro's repository, build a package for it from source- and only download the source from the actual developer's web site.
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Is what's in Synaptic Package Manager considered to be in the repositories? (I think of the repositories as only being in the Ubuntu Software Center.)
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05-20-2015, 06:27 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Registered: Mar 2014
Location: Illinois
Distribution: Xubuntu
Posts: 2,037
Original Poster
Rep: 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mralk3
The only real reasons to use an anti-virus in Linux are if you are running an E-mail server or a samba server that serves content to Windows machines. ClamAV (anti-virus software) should be sufficient for scanning E-mail attachments and scanning network shares quickly / effectively.
If you are concerned about being hacked, then you can install something like Rkhunter to scan for rootkits and other vulnerabilities on your system using a cron job daily / weekly / montly.
Another option is Chkrootkit.
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So you think I should get ClamAV? And then the Rkhunter just to be super-safe?
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05-20-2015, 10:41 PM
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#8
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Slackware Contributor
Registered: May 2015
Distribution: Slackware
Posts: 1,927
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You do not need an anti-virus in Linux if it is not running a File Server or an E-mail server.
Rkhunter is great but not needed if you are running a stable version of your operating system.
Yes, Synaptic is a package manager that is meant to use the configured software repositories for your distribution.
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1 members found this post helpful.
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05-20-2015, 10:54 PM
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#9
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LQ Guru
Registered: Dec 2011
Distribution: Slackware, Debian 12, Devuan & MX Linux
Posts: 9,528
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1 members found this post helpful.
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05-20-2015, 10:59 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Registered: Mar 2014
Location: Illinois
Distribution: Xubuntu
Posts: 2,037
Original Poster
Rep: 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mralk3
You do not need an anti-virus in Linux if it is not running a File Server or an E-mail server.
Rkhunter is great but not needed if you are running a stable version of your operating system.
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Good. Not doing the first two and running Xubuntu 15.04 and it's pretty stable so I figure I'm okay there too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mralk3
Yes, Synaptic is a package manager that is meant to use the configured software repositories for your distribution.
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Thanks.
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05-20-2015, 11:09 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Registered: Mar 2014
Location: Illinois
Distribution: Xubuntu
Posts: 2,037
Original Poster
Rep: 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ztcoracat
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Thanks cat. I may put ClamAV on for the hell of it but I'll pass on the rootkit stuff. Thanks for the links. Man, that's a lot of stuff to think about. Like the "John the Ripper" tool. 
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05-20-2015, 11:17 PM
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#12
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LQ Guru
Registered: Dec 2011
Distribution: Slackware, Debian 12, Devuan & MX Linux
Posts: 9,528
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gregg Bell
Thanks cat. I may put ClamAV on for the hell of it but I'll pass on the rootkit stuff. Thanks for the links. Man, that's a lot of stuff to think about. Like the "John the Ripper" tool. 
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Your Welcome-
When you have the time read up on machine hardening:-
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1 members found this post helpful.
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05-21-2015, 04:45 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Registered: Mar 2014
Location: Illinois
Distribution: Xubuntu
Posts: 2,037
Original Poster
Rep: 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ztcoracat
Your Welcome-
When you have the time read up on machine hardening:-
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Will do. 
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