No need to install.

I have used Linux for 6+ years and have never installed any form of anti-virus, or anti-anything. In fairness, I am a recovering distro-hopper, and I may have been changing my system setup faster than the bad guys could get thru my DSL connection.......

You've got the best "anti" thing available.. Anti-microsoft



But for real. Only thing I would suggest and this is only if you're running a mail server that windows users have accounts is clam.

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Do you serve mail to Microsoft machines or run wine? If the answer is no, then you don't need to worry very much about anything except for browser exploits.

The Linux Virus Writing HOWTO

it can still be good to run anti-virus on your machine so that if someone sends you an email (if you do check email on that machine) with a virus then you dont forward it on to someone else you know that is running a windows box. It wont damage your machine but it just takes an extra step to protect some of your friends and family.

Emphatically no.

As long as you follow good administration practices - run the minimal set of services, don't login as root for every day stuff, don't install software from untrusted sources, prevent root SSH logins, etc. - you don't need to worry about any of that.

Unlike Windows, Linux takes security and privilege separation quite seriously.

Merged with the GNU/Linux Antivirus Megathread.

If I'm running Ubuntu 10.04, do i need a anti-virus software? I remember reading somewhere that Linux is immune to Windows Viruses, but are there Linux viruses as well?

Take a look at
"similar threads" at the bottom of the page.

Also look at the GNU/Linux Antivirus Megathread, and keep in mind that this thread might be merged into it at any time.

Merged with the GNU/Linux Antivirus Megathread.

Is there any Anti-virus software for linux ? is anti-virus software needed? how many viruses are there for linux todate?

Yes, there is clamav for Linux, which is I think the most popular open source choice. There are others, including proprietary (I think?) No, GNU/Linux is not badly affected by viruses, but that is not to say caution should be thrown to the wind. Many happily run their systems with no explicit virus "protection", mind, and also remember that a virus scanner is a remedial tool, and not a preventative. By the time you run a scan, the payload can already have been dropped.

It's amazing just how frequently this sort of question gets asked, advise using Google to search for your own answers in future. Asking questions that have been answered hundreds of times already around the Internet will not win you popularity since it takes time away from developers and supporters who could be doing better things, is all. Cheers

Hi,

Take a look at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_malware
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/free-li...irus-programs/
and of course
http://www.google.be/search?q=linux+...ient=firefox-a

Scroll down to the end of this page to see the similar threads

Kind regards

AVG has a free Linux anti-virus program, as does F-Prot. I used to use F-Prot, but did not like some changes they made to their installation process and switched. The AVG runs quietly in the background, uses very little memory, updates automatically, and is as non-annoying as any AV program I've ever run. It does not have a graphical front end.

I know that many believe that you probably do not *need* an AV program on Linux the way you must have one for Windows and they have good arguments. There currently don't seem to be any native *nix viruses in the wild.

Personally, I wouldn't go on the internet without a firewall and an AV, just as I wouldn't drive my truck without a spare tire. It's been years since I had a flat, but, even so . . . .

I consider it just part of practicing safe HEX, regardless of the OS.

I also recommend getting a hosts file. That's not really a security thing, but it cuts down a lot on annoyances.

This one can be adapted to Linux easily--copy the redirects into your existing /etc/hosts file.