Ubunto 8.10 and AVG 7.5.51

[Bart Silverstrim]

Dirk Freitag wrote:
> Avi Greenbury wrote:
>> Steve Reilly wrote:
>>> Dotan Cohen wrote:
>>>>> I just downloaded AVG 7.5.51-a1423 and I can't get working correctly.
>>>>> I know I need to get license number but this is only the free ver so
>>>>> where do I get that from.
>>>>>
>>>> You don't need that here :) Welcome to the real world!
>>>>
>>> agreed, unless you plan on forwarding a bunch of viruses and untested
>>> .exe files to your "friends" on windows boxes, then theres absolutely no
>>> need for antivirus software on linux.
>>>
>> I disagree.
>>
>> At the risk of starting another long, pointless sub-thread, the only way 
>> to make sure you're not forwarding a bunch of binaries and untested exe 
>> files to your friends is to run some kind of anti-virus software.
>>
>> All my boxes that interact with Windows clients (which is nigh on all of 
>> them) run anti-virus software. The fact that the boxes themselves are 
>> impervious to the bulk of what they are looking for doesn't mean they 
>> should ignore them and leave them be to go and destroy other people's 
>> computers.
>>
>> I don't know why Chris feels the need to run anti-virus software, and I 
>> don't think it's entirely fair to just tell him he's wrong without 
>> knowing why. Sure, suggest that it's not always neccesary, but I 
>> _really_ dislike the whole "that's a Windows problem, we'll sit and 
>> watch" mentality.
>>
>> Anyway, rant over, back to helpining
>>
> 
> I must say, Avi, that until you said that, I never thought of it that 
> way.  I would say the same thing that other people said in response to 
> this that anti-virus is not needed.  The only question now is that can a 
> linux anti-virus detect windows bases viruses?  I am sorry if this seems 
> as a silly question, but as I have never run anti-virus under Linux, so 
> I do not know.  :)

Yes. Considering there are a miniscule number of viruses/malware 
targeting Linux compared to Windows, and AV's work off of signatures, 
the overwhelming number of "viruses" detect by a Linux AV are Windows-based.

Plus most AV on Linux needed is for mail servers and act as filters to 
protect file sharing and mail delivery.

ClamAV is built specifically with mail delivery interception in mind.