[ubuntu-uk] Security on Ubuntu

[Caroline Ford]

alan c wrote:
> Caroline Ford wrote:
>   
>> alan c wrote:
>>     
>>>
>>> Think of scattering seeds of weeds on a concrete driveway. The seeds 
>>> will not flourish. Just like computer viruses and linux.
>>> Just an experiment to verify this - download a windows .exe file, and 
>>> in ubuntu, try to run it - click, double click, whatever. It will not 
>>> run. Even if it was a virus it will not run.
>>>       
>> It will if you have wine installed.
>>     
>
> Ah there is a message there somewehere!   :-)
>   
I doubt you can get a windows virus using wine though. As far as I know 
most viruses propagate through problems in outlook (express) and 
internet explorer. Using firefox and thunderbird cuts your risks 
significantly..
>> If you download an Ubuntu binary package and click on it it will open in 
>> gdebi, a package installation program.
>>     
>
> Whoops thanks. I am a kubuntu user and in kubuntu nothing happens - on 
> my install anyway. IIRC the (gdebi) package installation program 
> actually asks you if you want to install (?)
>   
Yes and you need to give it a password too - it uses gksudo I think..

Caroline