There is one situation where the virus scan is potentially useful: The mainframe Linux doesn¹t exist in a vacuum. It talks to and from other computers, which may be subject to a virus being passed on in files handled by Linux. It isn¹t good PR for someone to be walking around saying ³Yeah, I picked up a virus when I connected to that mainframe Linux...² If you have a Linux image that is serving as a mail server, or a file server, to other computers, virus checking might be a good thing.
As I understand it (and I¹m not in that group, so it¹s second hand information), we find and remove well over 10,000 viruses a day here. -- .~. Robert P. Nix Mayo Foundation /V\ RO-OE-5-55 200 First Street SW / ( ) \ 507-284-0844 Rochester, MN 55905 ^^-^^ ----- "In theory, theory and practice are the same, but ³Join the story... Ride Ural.² in practice, theory and practice are different." On 6/13/07 8:29 AM, "David Boyes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > To anyone running Linux under z/VM is it normal for companies to want to run a > virus scan product when its on the mainframe? I'm more familiar with the z/OS > world and I know we don't run any on that side of the shop. Thanks > > > Many do. It¹s a complete waste of cycles, but many sites answer with ³if it¹s > Linux, it needs to be consistent with the Intel deployment² even though it¹s > a completely different processor architecture and compiled binaries for > viruses don¹t work. > > Pick your arguments, and this is one where you can profitably let it pass. > There are good open-source ones (such as clam-av), and just say ³yep, we¹ve > already got that covered, it¹s in the package *at no extra charge*, including > automatic updates². > > One less thing for the objectors to wheeze about. > > >
