On Fri, 2011-05-20 at 07:37 -0700, Braja Kishore Chattaraj wrote: > Are there any anti-virus software that would be necessary to install > for Fedora
It's generally regarded that you don't need anti-virus software for Linux. I haven't bothered, haven't seen the need for it, and I think it's been around a decade that I've been running Linux this way. (And I do mean it runs, not hobbles about in a broken way, that some people will put up with.) Counter to that, if your Linux computer is a server for Windows computers (file server, mail server, etc.). That it's a good idea to run anti-virus software on the Linux computer. Not to protect itself, but for it to protect the other computers. e.g. Viruses could be received in the mail, and you can wipe them out before they get to the very vulnerable Windows computers. Or, already infected Windows boxes might try infecting every file that they've access to, including ones stored over the network on a Linux server, to spread to other Windows boxes. Related to anti-virus, as another sort of malicious software: If you're going to install software from outside of Fedora's own file repositories, and outside of the other ones that Fedora users commonly use (RPM fusion, AT RPM, Livna, et cetera). Then you are at some increased risk from non-virus files (ones that don't spread by themselves, but by you installing them). "Root kits" being the key word to learn about, essentially a miscreant installs a way into your computer, and hides it from general notice. You're still at some risk from those issues from files from our community's own repos, but we're far more likely to find out about it, because the users of those files are on this list. I'm yet to hear about such a thing. But we wouldn't know about any other random program from some random website, and you'd need to do your own research. If you run a webserver, then it's an entry point into your computer. If it has security hole, then it's something you need to contend with. Again, not that I'm aware that merely running Apache on a Fedora box leaves you unsafe. But if you install scripts from goodness knows where, or some of the everything-and-the-kitchen-sink website packages, you may well add something that creates a security problem. You need to consider how you will use your computer, how it will connect with other computers, and work out where any vulnerabilities may be, and work on them. -- [tim@localhost ~]$ uname -r 2.6.27.25-78.2.56.fc9.i686 Don't send private replies to my address, the mailbox is ignored. I read messages from the public lists. -- users mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or change subscription options: https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/users Guidelines: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Mailing_list_guidelines
