The Bat! Integration

[joanlui]

What is exactly the difference in functionality between the plugin and the resident program???

A big difference, actually. It's not associated with any resident provider, it's just a module that internally uses the avast engine to scan the traffic. In other words, its implementation is independent of the avast on-access scanner framework.

Vlk

...and it's very, very, better!!!!!

[Vlk]

Hmm, I wouldn't say so, why do you think, joanlui?

[joanlui]

because it can scan many providers and not only one!  

[trigger]

What is exactly the difference in functionality between the plugin and the resident program???

A big difference, actually. It's not associated with any resident provider, it's just a module that internally uses the avast engine to scan the traffic. In other words, its implementation is independent of the avast on-access scanner framework.

Vlk

Does it use any of the installed avast software? If not, how about iavs updates ?

Peter

[Vlk]

Hehe, of course it's using the avast core libraries / virus database.
You didn't think the whole engine could fit to the < 100K file, did you?

Once the plug-in is officially released, it will become part of the avast installation and therefore will automatically take advantage if features like incremental updates...

Vlk

[trigger]

You didn't think the whole engine could fit to the < 100K file, did you?

That would be some piece of work indeed. I was just wondering what parts it used.

Peter

[trigger]

Vlk,

Is there some way the plugin can provide some feedback on what it did? Maybe the adding of the "message scanned by,blablablabla" thing the engine does. Also entires in the log of the bat telling me it scanned and found nothing/anything woudl be nice. Maybe it could provide macros that can be used in the bat! messages? Just some things that come to mind...

Peter

[Vlk]

Unfortunately, modification of the message in any way is not supported by the Bat's plugin interface... There's nothing we can do about that, except to bug the authors of Bat to add it into some of the future builds...

But you're probably right that the log should be more informative...

Vlk

[trigger]

the authors of Bat to add it into some of the future builds...

Mmmm, when does hell freeze over ?  

But you're probably right that the log should be more informative...

Yes please. The plugin is doing it's work now dark, deep and silent. Too silent for my well being...

Peter

[Vlk]

But you do know that you can turn on generation of a (somewhat technical) log in the plugin, right? It's in the plugin's properties window, accessible in the Bat! GUI.

[trigger]

Yes, it's on. But I believe it only logs something if a virus is found. I am one of those over suspicious people that had the engine add the "incoming message clean" part to my messages... Possible options for that loggin might be: "none", "infected messages only", "infected and clean messages"

But hey, it's still beta. And keeping virusses away is the most important task for it.

Peter

[Axel Foley]

Sorry for being so late...I have been sick lately and could only turn on my notebook today.

I just downloaded the plugin, installed it and configured it and it's working fine.

The log should be a bit more detailed, here's my current log:

10/27/03 13:35:29:   BAV_Uninitialize: avast! plug-in uninitialized successfully
10/27/03 14:32:19:   BAV_Initialize: avast! plug-in initialized successfully
10/27/03 14:32:30:   BAV_Uninitialize: avast! plug-in uninitialized successfully
10/27/03 14:45:09:   BAV_Initialize: avast! plug-in initialized successfully
10/27/03 15:17:50:   x_ScanFile: Virus found! file: e:\temp\BAT652.tmp; virus message: Virus EICAR Test-NOT virus!! detected
10/27/03 15:21:25:   x_ScanFile: Virus found! file: e:\temp\BAT666.tmp; virus message: Virus EICAR Test-NOT virus!! detected
10/27/03 15:22:17:   x_ScanFile: Virus found! file: e:\temp\bat\2AE129EE.zip; virus message: Virus EICAR Test-NOT virus!! detected
10/27/03 15:23:44:   BAV_Uninitialize: avast! plug-in uninitialized successfully

Thanks again for the plugin VLK...it's working fine.

Regarding the <100k size, well the plugin is a software interface that lets TheBat! call (via specific APIs exported by some AV specific processes) the antivirus functions in order to scan msgs via temporary files. I didn't expect anything >100k....

Anyway great job...I'll evaluate avast a little more and if it satisfies me I'll buy a license.  

[trigger]

Could the plugin also make some sort of macro available to the bat! with the version number of the database. In that case we can add the scanned with version xxx in our templates. %AVVER or something like that?

Peter

[Axel Foley]

Could the plugin also make some sort of macro available to the bat! with the version number of the database. In that case we can add the scanned with version xxx in our templates. %AVVER or something like that?

Peter

Great idea...I would say 3 values:

%AVASTVER  (avast! version number)
%AVASTDBVER (avast! DB version number)
%AVASTPLUGINVER (avast! plugin version number)

[The Stroumpf]

I am using avast Home Edition on my XP machine with TB! and am quite happy with it. Why would I install the plugin? What does it do for me? What's the advantage?
Thanks for a nice FREE virusscanner!