[ubuntu-in] anti-virus

[Ravi Shanker]

On Tue, 2007-05-15 at 01:31 -0700, subhanil CHOWDHURY wrote:
> do i need any anti-virus or firewall if i have ubuntu
> on my computer??
> 
> 
>  
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On Linux for Desktop users, you never need Anti-virus. If you install
it, you are seriously wasting the machine resources. There have been no
serious virus attack claims on Linux, though some were made
experimental, but that too won;t effect the system due to variants in
Linux systems.
So why there is no virus threat in Linux?
The file permission in filesystem and self(memory) protected Kernel.
ALso, all the applications you use is OpenSource, there can be bugs, but
cann't be viruses and backdoor, else it will get attention and
maintainer or developers will remove that portion. Everything is more
managed. 
Other thing is, since you execute users programs with your limited user
capabilities, not root, the code if malicious will not do any harm.
There are lot many factors. Linux has never been an easy and successful
platform for Virus propagation and attack.

Linux doesnt have something like Buffer Overflow bugged Abstract Syntax
Notation (ASN), Scripting Layers, heavily bugged RPC etc.  

Neither assembly and shell code exploit could do anything on
Linux(secure implementation), nor did the malicious scripting work. Any
virus from Emails can also do nothing on your system and also can't
execute itself to replicate.
So you have the secure system dear friend. There is really no need for
antivirus. They are used on Linux servers, like mail server and also on
system which is information gateway to mixed type environment, cuz they
have to remove the virus and malicious attachments before it goes to
Windows systems.

SO ultimately, what you learn, no virus if you use LInux, so no
antivirus.
But if you have Windows too in other partition, you must install
antivirus. Go for Avast, the free and my personal like. Its better than
AVG (I have used both of them, for a long). Never install Norton, it is
not free, and is the heavy system resource eating package,.Also ,
removing Norton much times give you a pain in ass, and surely after than
you need to reinstall WIndows. 

Firewall is necessary, on Ubuntu Feisty, every port is shielded. So as a
default, you have maximum security. If you need to open some ports, you
can guard them with firewall.
-- 
Ravi
------------------------------------
Email : ra21vi at gmail.com
Homepage : http://ra21vi.googlepages.com

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