Best virus scanner for Linux?
Q I have been looking at (free) antivirus software for Linux and the two that have come to my attention are F-Prot and Panda. I have installed the F-Prot RPM but note that it's command line-only, and try as I may I can't seem to actually get it to load. Panda also seems to be a command line scanner so I suspect that every time I want to scan a file I have to do it manually. Is there such a thing as a GUI-based antivirus scanner for Linux that will just keep running in the background?
A There really is limited demand for a virus scanner under Linux. Most virus scanners for Linux are built for use on mail servers, which filter email destined for Windows systems to protect the users. As there are so few viruses that target Linux applications, there is no need to run a dedicated virus scanner. However, you may want to ensure that you regularly run chkrootkit to verify that the system has not been exploited through a vulnerable service, or an exploited binary. If you're set on a scanner, one of the best we've used is ClamAV, available fromhttp://clamav.sf.net/.
Related solutions
- Does Linux need security and anti-virus software?
- Canon scanner not working in Linux - will it work in VMware?
- How to install Acrobat Reader on Linux
- Fixing slow Linux servers
- Run Sherman's Aquarium as a screensaver in Linux Mint



Copyright 2012 Future Publishing Limited (company
registered number 2008885), a company registered
in England and Wales whose registered office is at
Beauford Court, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath, BA1 2BW, UK