ClamAv: is anyone paying attention?

[Brian Fahrlander]

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Renaud (Ron) Olgiati wrote:
> On Saturday 18 November 2006 18:19, my mailbox was graced by a missive
>  from Mario Vukelic <mario.vukelic at dantian.org> who wrote:
> 
>> Just to make one thing clear: ClamAv is there to enable a linux mail
>> server to protect Windows users from Windows viruses.
>>
>> AFAIK all GNU/Linux viruses were proof-of-concept and none is in the
>> wild. Yes, theoretically GNU/Linux is vulnerable and diligence should be
>> used. But GNU/Linux viruses are not the reason for ClamAvs existence or
>> use.

    I think there were 6.  Microsoft 'enjoys' the menace of 300,000
current ones from the last I heard. Shame they don't own the source code
and can fix'em.  :/

> Is there, out in the wide open world, an anti virus program for Linux viruses 
> (virii ?) ?

    Unless there's something new of which I'm unaware, no. Not for the
Linux side.  Kinda like asking for a muffler-bearing or a replacement
screen-door for a submarine.

> I'm asking, because I have a potential user who wont accept an installation 
> without anti-virus. 

    We're just not going to live the same lie that Microsofties embrace.
We, as a unit, hate viruses. A virus would not only annoy a developer as
much as the rest of us, and there's no money to be made from such
charades, so they don't exist. I'm just politically incorrect to point
out this fallacy: how many random, probably school-age kids can keep
300,000 different versions of CircusWare going at all times, growing by
10,000 each month?  No, Microsoft is lying to you.  Again. There's money
in it now- they'll never get rid of it, until they get rid of Microsoft.

    I hear the argument that more will come with the base
enlarges....well, we're larger now that MacIntosh; so much for that
argument.

    I've been doing computers since before Microsoft (1978) and I've
seen each and every disingenuous release as they pretend to be fighting
such problems, and I'm sick of the facade. Viruses only exist in
Microsoft because they're economically part of the model, and we choose
otherwise.

    Tell your client that, as long as Microsoft isn't in the house,
viruses won't be, either. Worms? Exploits? Sure: any software can have
them, but we fix those. And unlike IE, we don't wait four years.

    Yeah...I'm bitter. I remember a time SO MUCH BETTER than now, when
you bought a machine and owned it. And everyone and everything around it
was based on improving it's usefulness, not merely shaking you down for
money.

    (I'm afraid, though, this is moving towards "sounder"
content...let's continue it there, if you wish)

- --
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 Brian Fahrländer                 Christian, Conservative, and Technomad
 Evansville, IN                              http://Fahrlander.net/brian
 ICQ: 5119262                         AOL/Yahoo/GoogleTalk: WheelDweller
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