I have been running windows vista for some years now switching to opensuse 11.3
I always had a anti-virus installed so i feel a little naked now when i am running without.
Understand that its not necessary to have a “av program” running linux
But it is as safe as windows with a anti-virus/firewall program installed?
Can it be compared to the safety in a mac computer ?
Best regards alexander
Saver.
Search a bit around with the Forums search here. There are to many threads about this on these Forums. At least I will not repeat them here.
Safer, safer, safer. In some way comparible to a mac computer, since that’s BSD based (also a *nix family member, like linux)
Run linux for a couple of years, without spyware killers, anti-virus, then return to a windu machine and you’ll know. For the rest, I’m like hcvv, enough has been writen and said about this.
Dear Aleyander, are you by any chance the same person as:
Both persons register recently, both persons have nearly any post. Both persons use nearly the same sentences…oooops.
the above advise is good: there’s plenty information in this & other forums, etc., about the subject. but one thing i’d like to mention: don’t run without a firewall, also not under linux. fortunately all modern distros enable a fw by default. re. viruses/worms, etc.: i never heard about an actual infection of a linux desktops. windows is much more attractive to malware authors, since linux marketshare is still negligible, and windows systems are so beautifully conform: it’s either XP, vista, or w7, whereas there’s hundreds of linux combinations out there. plus windows users often run as “root” or “admin,” making it easy to take control of the whole system once infected. (doing that under linux, logging in as “root” and then connecting to the internet, is NOT a good idea; in fact it’s plain suicidal!)
–
phani.
Both persons register recently, both persons have nearly any post. Both persons use nearly the same sentences…oooops.
if it’s important enough, the admin could check their IPs…
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phani.
It can be well addressed by the statement Linux is NOT windows. Linux/Unix is not a target for those who would try to infect a system simply because there are so many variations of the filestructure, so many security measures to overcome, it is not practical. By the same token, while you can’t infect a Linux system with a virus at present, you can pass a virus on to a windows machine which IMHO only gives a loose impression of being safe when in fact even with anti-virus, anti-worm, anti-trojan, firewall, spykill, adware killer, pop-up block, and more… you still can be easily compromized. Windows still does not have an anti-click protection nor an engage brain function. The last two, are the primary reason Windows users are so at risk.
First, yes it is saver since there is no specific current virus for linux. There were some but nothing to worry about.
So for yourself, you don’t need a anti-virus software. But you can still use one to prevent transmitting any windows virus to a windows computer. So to protect the rest of the computer world.
The biggest threat so far is more web based. Since browser work on any computer the same, you can still fall prey to websites or someone can read out your history.
So a little more care in that regard will help you.
I have not noticed any virus so far, but if i am honest, i haven’t even checked lately.
Just take the usual precaution and you should be fine and, update the system as it comes available > Kernel, drivers etc…
Hello,
I’ve been running gnu/linux for 10+ years and unix for 10+ years prior to that … and the BIGGEST threat I have ever encountered is me with a clever idea logged in as root!
phanisvara wrote:
> admin could check their IPs…
and see if it comes from a FUD spreading geo-zone…
or blind trail of obfuscating tor-like sites…
–
DenverD
CAVEAT: http://is.gd/bpoMD [posted via NNTP w/openSUSE 10.3]
yes, but i fail to see the malicious potential of the question. i think that if it’s the same person under two different ID’s, he probably grew impatient, or didn’t like the first reply and was hoping for a different one. anyway, if it’s an isolated case i wouldn’t consider it important enough to look up the logs.
–
phani.
phanisvara wrote:
> yes, but i fail to see the malicious potential of the question.
it just spreads uncertainty…
which fits in nicely with fear and doubt, to foster FUD…
ohhhhhh…
i better be careful out here all alone with no corporate product to
protect me…
OOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooohh…
scary, maybe i should go back to where i feel safe, even if it is not…
–
DenverD
CAVEAT: http://is.gd/bpoMD [posted via NNTP w/openSUSE 10.3]
For those who want to know: the IPs of both are different.
I can feel your pain, just add 3 in the morning and a few bourbons
First I want to thank you all for the answers you given me.
And I’m not the same person as him but when I read his thread I could see that ours are pretty similar in question.
I might just have checked all threads out to find a better answer myself but iam on a very slow gsm/connection in my summerhouse here in Sweden. I guess that’s was my reason because i find it more easy/faster to write a new thread.
just want to thank you all. because for a first time user of opensuse this is the best forum to go.
have a nice day /alexander
scary, maybe i should go back to where i feel safe, even if it is not…
and where would that be? KDE 3.5? 
–
phani.
On 2010-09-16 13:06, alex maron wrote:
> myself but iam on a very slow gsm/connection in my summerhouse here in
> Sweden.
I would suggest you use NNTP instead of http forum access. Aka “news”. It is far less demanding on
your Internet connection.
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 11.2 x86_64 “Emerald” GM (Elessar))
He he, well, I am running on my fix PC the 4.5 version to get used to it and the laptop with 3.5. I am scared to see that 4.x is getting better with every edition.
**@alex: **
I am surprised that there is something like a summer in Sweden. But this is good to know Seriously: a lot of your answers you will find them in the other thread. Substantially: I am using KDE on my laptop in substitution of Vista (which at the time was never working on the machine - at least if you like not the blue screen of death) since version 10.0. I never had problems of malware, of virus (which do not exist up to the moment) and not with rootkits - though I control for them (you can run **rkhunter **or chrootkit.
I understand that you are running a private machine and not a server. Then you should also think of two possibilities: disk encryptions (best with LUKS) and to put a password to the grub. This because it is otherwise far too easy to change your root password for a guy who gets hand on your machine even for a few minutes.
You should consider the use of noscript to protect your privacy and you might be interested in having a close look on the GnuPGP programme and the Kgpg that works so well with Kmail. You could also limit the freedom of your programs with Apparmour and you could set the file permissions to secure (but scripts will not run anymore - like the updater aplet, so if you use these think about this first.
For the time being you do not need an antivirus for Linux and even less a corporate product. You may use clamav if you run a server controlling a gate for Windows-machines. You have something really super with the “OTR” plugin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Off-the-Record_Messaging) for kopete or Gaim if you run gnome. (So for one time you can even be sure it is your friends you are chatting with).
You can fine-tune your privacy and safety by using only software from reliable sources (it is intended here that the official repositories and the packman one are trustworthy). You can google for “hardening your box Opensuse” that will give you other tips and hints. Last but not least: security measures, like AppArmour are best when run on a freshly installed system, because you can expect the system to be not compromised (i.e. by hackers, as there are no virus) and therefore the creation of profiles with AppArmour is straightforward.
Greetings to Sweden (and hope your GSM access will ever improve).
PS. sorry for checking for your “existence” but we have always to consider the “FUD” faction, to ensure the readability of the threads and to avoid cluttering with FUD and flames. Nothing personal. You are right when you say you should consider to look for existing threads before posting. This would be a wise decision. Have a lot of fun.
… …and the BIGGEST threat I have ever encountered is me with a clever idea logged in as root!
plus add
3 in the morning and a few bourbons
now THAT is a “bad thing” just waiting to happen
as i think everyone has stated AV - not much use for it ( except for a mail server with MS Windows clients )
since my very first instal ( and real use , not just “checking it out” ) fedora 4 quite a few years back . Clam av has ONLY found things on my MS windows hard disk that Norton missed
Has ONLY found the “testing” dummy viruses in the svn clam source build folder, on linux . .Rkhunter& ckrootkit have never found anything .
so
I always had a anti-virus installed so i feel a little naked now when i am running without.
learn how to set the firewall and app armor
the last time i checked there was 1 virus ( maybe 6 ) for Mac and about 12 for linux .The linux number might be on the rise BUT they still need to be installed AS ROOT.
you need to install them ( the viruses)
with suse keep app armor running ( although i am a BIG fan of SELinux)
do not login at root after a few drinks at 3 am