Hello ladies and gentlemen.
First of all, no, I am not here to complain about the newer versions of avast!, they are excellent. So, why am I making this thread?
Because of this:
(http://oi63.tinypic.com/2cgzxxh.jpg)
This is the latest version of avast! Linux Home Edition. That is to say, an old 2009 adapatation of avast! 4. With avast4workstation as its package name and 1.3.0 as its version number, this is the only free version of avast! for Linux users.
AVAST Software instead kept updating a server edition of the antivirus (https://www.avast.com/fr-fr/linux-server-antivirus|server edition of the antivirus) for corporations.
But besides servers, Linux is also used at home. The use of Linux, mostly through Ubuntu, progressively increases through years thanks to its improvements. Yet, Linux is known as a "virus-free" operating system that would simply not require an antivirus, especially for home users. But is it really the case?
Kaspersky Endpoint Security is known to be the best one around Linux. AVG, similarly to AVAST Software, has a Linux adaptation of its 2013 version that does not seem to be maintained, ESET has a Linux version of its antivirus, and so do Symantec, Sophos, and Bitdefender, the latter being free but also going out according to their download page.
AVAST Software planned to stop providing updates of the virus definitions to Avast 4.8 (https://www.avast.com/en-us/faq.php?article=AVKB23). While this is a legitimate move, since newer versions are likely better, this leaves the Linux users of avast! Free Antivirus out in the cold, also forcing them to migrate to another antivirus (Sophos being available and free for Linux users).
I just wanted to point this out. AVAST Software will lose the integrity of its avast! Linux Home Edition users if the program is not updated OR if the virus definitions updates are going to be stopped. Else, a possibility for the user to download the definitions, convert them for avast! 4 VPS system, and use them could be considered.
So... what now?