I can't run a file.

[Andrew Mason]

On Thu, 19 Apr 2007 09:51:41 am Garry Trethewey wrote:
> I've just used synaptic to install clam anti-virus on ubuntu 6.06.1
> dapper. Seems to have done what it's supposed to, but it didn't put clam
> in the menu, and I can't find it to run it.
>
> I did
> cd /
> ls -lR |grep clam
> and got lots of instances of clam throughout the file system, but not
> the directory they're in. None of them jump out and tell me they're the
> executable file.
>
> top
> doesn't show it running.
>
> If it was WinXP I'd find the xxxx.exe, make a shortcut, stick that in
> the menu, and Bob would be my uncle.
>
> In linux, how will I find the executable file, how will I recognize it
> as such?
>
> Similar sorts of questions for clam-daemon, freshclam, clamav-docs etc.
>
> As a side question, there seems to be a "common wisdom" that linux never
> gets virii anyway, is it reasonable not to bother with an anti-virus?
It's not true that a Virus won't infect Linux , UNIX , OSX et al. The thing 
is: 

1) because of the UNIX permissions and the way PATH works, it's very hard to 
get it a virus in an involuntary way.
2) If you do get a virus, unless you were logged in as root, it's very hard 
for it to affect anything beyond your home directory or other publicly 
writable directories. (Always back up your data on any system!)

3) if it does get that far, it will have to be exploiting some other piece of 
software (i.e your system probably isn't up to date and it would be a need to 
be a reasonably severe problem ), and then it will be running as that piece 
of software's user ( AND assuming your not using SELinux, or App Armour. If 
that happens to be root, then it will be infected more than likely. It will 
still find it difficult to spread. Even then, unless it manages to  load it's 
self as a kernel module, it will be hard pressed to cover all it's bases in 
terms of not allowing it's self to get de-activated.

So while you can run antivirus , I don't bother. There has to be some 
motivation for the virus writer and unless he/she thinks they can get the 
virus to propgate to a decent proportion of machines it's not going to be 
much of an incentive.


>
>
> regards
> ----------------------------------------
> Garry Trethewey