Avast Options

[terrell]

Hi,
I have been using the Windows version for several years.  I now have the mac version.  I miss some of the Windows features found in the Enhanced User Interface and wondered if you are going to implement these into the mac version.  The first is to schedule the scan so that I do not have to run it at logon.  The second is the feature in the Resident Protection under virus is the virus actions options.  The third is the email options - to insert a note into clean messages.  The last is the option to exclude certain files.  We run a computer business and these options are used every time we help them install Avast.  We have several customers with mac computers and these options are necessary.

[zilog]

Hi,
I have been using the Windows version for several years.  I now have the mac version.  I miss some of the Windows features found in the Enhanced User Interface and wondered if you are going to implement these into the mac version.  The first is to schedule the scan so that I do not have to run it at logon.  The second is the feature in the Resident Protection under virus is the virus actions options.  The third is the email options - to insert a note into clean messages.  The last is the option to exclude certain files.  We run a computer business and these options are used every time we help them install Avast.  We have several customers with mac computers and these options are necessary.

Hallo,

#1 - scan scheduling: most users want to scan some of their preferred locations - either as soon as they log in, or whenewer they want to. this is supported by the button with the magnifying glass - "Scan Now". You can choose your preferred locations which will be scanned either on request (clicking the "Scan Now") or at launch ("Scan automatically at launch checkbox). I'm not sure whether further variants scheduling are necessary here - could you specify which kind of scheduling do you miss?

#2 - the resident protection follows the rule "let the user know, but don't disturb or annoy". so, all findings are cummulated in single alert window. For further processing, they can be forwarded to the main window, where you could do what you want with them. You can try this with http://public.avast.com/~cimbal/notvirus.bin (it's not virus, it's an EICAR testing-pattern only).

#3 - the path-exclusion is already implemented, but this mechanism isn't accessible for the user - is used internally only. Could you specify what do you mean under "file exclusion"? Do you mean file-type masking, or search-path exclusion?

regards,
PC

[terrell]

Hi,

#1 - Scan scheduling: the option to schedule a scan at a certain time during the day, for example at lunch time.

#2 - Virus options: the option to always automatically delete, move to chest and repair.

#3.  The option to ignore certain file types.

Thank You
Laura

[zilog]

Hi,

#1 - Scan scheduling: the option to schedule a scan at a certain time during the day, for example at lunch time.

#2 - Virus options: the option to always automatically delete, move to chest and repair.

#3.  The option to ignore certain file types.

Thank You
Laura

Hallo,

#1 - Yes, at the moment we don't have such generic scheduler. But, even with the present version, you can click "Scan now!" before leaving your computer... generic scheduler might be added in the next versions, but nobody else until now requested this special functionality, as far as I remember...

#2 - This function might be useful for some users, but is also quite dangerous. Now, you could move all "catched" files to the main window, and there it's possible to mass-select one or more of them and do a common acton with them. It's considered more safe because the action was made with user's explicit permission.

#3 - Have a look into "Preferences -> Scanner". Normally, determining the type of the file in a deeper way than looking at the extension is not very far from a light-scanning. Thus, what takes time during the scan is the decompression of archives and that's why we decided control this part of functionality. What particular "regular" file types have you considered as ignore-worth candidates?

Regards,
PC

[gstewart]

1. Scheduling can be gotten around by using MAC OS X's crontab.

I don't know how similar/dissimilar it is to the standard UNIX/Linux crontab, but this is the system scheduler for *NIX variants, and OS X does have a crontab daemon.

2. At least in the standard Linux install avast has a -p arg that defines what automatic action to take. I posted this part of the manpage elsewhere.

    -p, --continue=NUMBER
              allows setting of an action to be automatically performed: delete file - 1, repair file - 3,
              user input - 4

...which suggests a script can call avast in the following manner:

     avast -p 3

I've no clue if the MAC version supports this.

3. I'm also looking for the dir/file exclude definitions ability.

[zilog]

1. Scheduling can be gotten around by using MAC OS X's crontab.

I don't know how similar/dissimilar it is to the standard UNIX/Linux crontab, but this is the system scheduler for *NIX variants, and OS X does have a crontab daemon.

2. At least in the standard Linux install avast has a -p arg that defines what automatic action to take. I posted this part of the manpage elsewhere.

    -p, --continue=NUMBER
              allows setting of an action to be automatically performed: delete file - 1, repair file - 3,
              user input - 4

...which suggests a script can call avast in the following manner:

     avast -p 3

I've no clue if the MAC version supports this.

3. I'm also looking for the dir/file exclude definitions ability.

3) well, we'll add this feature (exists internally, but is not user-extendable at the moment).

pc