antivirus software: how do you actually install it?

[Liam Proven]

On Tue, Mar 23, 2010 at 9:39 AM, Chris Jones <jonesc at hep.phy.cam.ac.uk> wrote:
>
>> +1.  not quite as long though, since 02, never a problem. for the
>> average non enterprise desktop user, you do not need any anti virus
>> installed.
>
> Agreed. However, whilst viruses aren't a big problem on linux (yet...)
> you can get hacked. I've known a few linux boxes this has happened to,
> so it can and does happen. So whilst I also wouldn't bother with
> antivirus applications, I would install something like chkrootkit and
> regularly run it (via cron for instance. I think it might even set
> itself up to do this so all you need to do is make sure you read the
> email sent to root on your machine...) to check for signs of invaders.

This is true, and a good point, but being hacked is *not* the same
thing as getting a virus. I think the point needs clarification.

By default, Ubuntu comes out of the box with no sharing enabled at
all. No services are listening, not even dhcpd - the network manager
applet handles that. No OpenSSH, no VNC, no Samba, nothing. Even Linux
Mint gets this wrong and as installed has sharing on.

But Ubuntu, as it comes, has no ports open and is not listening to
anything. That makes it pretty damned hard to find a 'sploit and crack
it from the outside world. Ergo, no need for a firewall; what
firewalls do is block open ports and Ubuntu doesn't have any so
there's nothing to block; no need for antispyware, as spyware only
exists on Windows, there is *none at all*, not even demos of proofs of
concept, on Linux; and no need for antivirus, because Linux viruses
are a curiosity for researchers, not a threat.

If you make Ubuntu into a server, then it's different and different
rules apply. If you change the config dramatically, then a firewall
might be sensible, but the Linux kernel *includes* a firewall, so you
don't need to install one. All you need is a friendly interface to
configure it, or a sensible default config and a tool to just turn it
on.

-- 
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