Viruses from ubuntu list

[Duncan Anderson]

Shango Oluwa wrote:

>...
>
>My conclusion, from having subscribed to many linux-specific lists over
>the past years, is that users (or just one user!) on this list are using
>Windows to send, receive or read emails from the UbuntuLinux list.
>
>The specific virus I am getting to my inbox is classified:
>...(details of virus)...
>  
>
I agree with your diagnosis.

>However, remember that this is a GNU/Linux list: many users who are busy
>migrating from Windos use this list. Many of those users still have
>varying degrees of dependence on Microsoft (including mail serving &
>mail reading). So, of course, we are having to deal with the
>vulnerabilities of Win 9x/ME/2000/XP/Longhorn - yet, in the same breath
>- those newcomers to UbuntuLinux are welcome because they are learning
>the GNU/Linux way. Not true?
>
>  
>
You are absolutely right. Now that I have had some time to recover from 
my fit of irritablity over these email viruses on the list, I feel that 
it would be more useful if we were to try and address the problem in a 
more practical way. (Apologies for earlier ranting and polemicising.)

>My organisation does not foresee this situation changing in the medium
>term, so we keep our firewall, our proxy and our mail-server tightly
>secure. Thanking our ancestors' protection and goodwill, we are
>installing UbuntuLinux on all the hosts in our organisational network.
>Congratulations, the team and welcome new users, but check your
>connections won't you?
>  
>
That it the proper way to address the issue within an organisational 
framework. However, I think the people most at risk are those who are 
often described as "newbies". Perhaps those people would be advised to 
consider using the Ubuntu live CD for accessing the internet, or, even 
better, have a dual boot situation with both Windows and Linux 
partitions, and use Linux instead of Windows for accessing the 'net.

This would overcome the problem of Windows viruses, and save time and 
money spent on anti-virus packages.

>Sala wena,
>Shango Oluwa
>  
>
Nisale kahle
Duncan