[Linux] avast! Antivirus 4 virus databases should not be discontinued now.

[REDACTED]

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:

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 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. 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?

[Eddy]

AVG, similarly to AVAST Software

AVG is avast
https://blog.avast.com/avast-and-avg-become-one

As avast for Linux (home) has been discontinued many years ago, it is only logical to stop providing updates (in any form) for it.

[REDACTED]

Hmm, I did not take notice of that.

Well, that still implies that AVAST Software is no longer going to give any form of update to the Linux community, and that unlike the Windows and Mac OS operating systems, no newer version is available for us. Freely, at least.

[Asyn]

-> https://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=36.0

[REDACTED]

You answered right as I got back, surprising.

I should probably have posted that there, although they only have a server version, as I mentioned. May the thread be moved there, or does it require to be redone?

[Asyn]

As the answer won't change, it doesn't matter.

[REDACTED]

Yeah, most likely.

[.: Mac :.]

Version 4 updates were scheduled to be discontinued in 2013. It got a reprieve mainly due to the large number of Enterprise users still using that release, but also the Mac client used that engine too (its long been updated now). However, no new licenses have been issued, and even those with a 3 year license would now be expiring so it is time to move on.

[bob3160]

It would still be nice to be able to say that Avast protects Windows, Mac and Linux for Free.

[DavidR]

It would still be nice to be able to say that Avast protects Windows, Mac and Linux for Free.

More so when you consider Linux is a free OS. Even though it doesn't have high OS user base.

[Rednose]

I know many Linux purists who dont like antivirus solutions, but personally I would like to see Avast actively supporting Linux as well

Greetz, Red.

[.: Mac :.]

I know many Linux purists who dont like antivirus solutions, but personally I would like to see Avast actively supporting Linux as well

Greetz, Red.

They do support linux very well, but only on Servers. I would imagine servers do account for the vast majority of the installed Linux user base 

[REDACTED]

Everyone,

I agree that there should still be some updates provided for the Linux Free Home version 1.3
(Avast4 Workstation) even if they are only weekly - It seems that would not be too difficult

Or has one person suggested a way to convert virus updates of the 400.VPS
file to the Linux version or even manual download from a site for users

It is hard to find any good Anti Virus checks for Linux and this was one of the best
and worked on older distros of Linux Mint and Ubuntu

I have looked and don't see any good replacements for folks such as me in that situation 

Hoping they reconsider on this as I use this all the time especially  before transferring any files
to my Windows machine

Please reconsider letting us update in some way to keep this product viable
and not just make it obsolete


Thank you


Ken Newhouse

[Eddy]

There is no reason at all to continue providing VPS updates for a scanning engine that has been abandoned several years ago.
It would not make much sense to do so since it will lack a huge amount of detections and giving the users a false idea that there systems are protected in even close to a decent way.

"even only weekly"?
Come on...
There are over 1 million new malware threads detected every day !
That means you are not protected against over 6 million threads for at least 6 days !

In "the old days" signature detection was enough to detect every malware, nowadays it is more and more about behavior detection.

It is hard to find any good Anti Virus checks for Linux and this was one of the best and worked on older distros of Linux Mint and Ubuntu

Hard to find ?
Guess you never heard of searchengines.

[bob3160]

https://www.startpage.com/do/dsearch?query=free+antivirus+for+linux&cat=web&pl=opensearch&language=english