Avast Ubuntu question

[Philo]

(**Sorry, I posted this on the general avast board before I realized there was a Linux-specific board**)

Hello Avast denizens!

So, real quick, here's my question(s):

I recently installed Ubuntu on my machine. I now have Windows Vista or Ubuntu to choose from when booting. I have Avast free version on the Microsoft side.
1.) Do I need Avast for Linux on the Ubuntu side?
2.) If so, will it interfere with the Microsoft side where Avast already resides? (dumb question I know, just want to be sure.)
3.) Anyone have any experience with this combo and/or suggestions?


P.S. No serious reason to install it other than I have plenty of room on the drive and kind of miss Ubuntu after using it as school so much.

Thanx for any help.

Tuebor,
Philo

[Lisandro]

1. avast for Linux is just on demand. You can add it if you want to scan your Linux partition (or your Windows ones from "outside").
2. It won't interfere with Windows applications (unless it detects a malware there and you/it take an action with files).

[Philo]

thanx Tech. one last question: is the avast on the windows side still operating its real time protection? or am i safe cause linux never gets viruses?

in a nutshell, i just want to know what if anything i should do to ensure i'm protected while websurfing via ubuntu...

[Nesivos]

Does Ubuntu Linux Really Need Antivirus Software?

Update 1: I found a nice tutorial on howtoforge.com that shows how to install Avast, Linux Home Edition on Ubuntu Linux (Gutsy). From their site: "...although there aren't many Linux viruses out there, this can be useful if you often exchange files with Windows users - it can help you to not pass on any Windows viruses (that don't do any harm to Linux systems) to Windows users. avast! Linux Home Edition is free for private and non-commercial use..." You can use the tutorial provided by them here: "Virus Protection With avast! Linux Home Edition On Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon"

http://ubuntulinuxhelp.com/does-ubuntu-linux-really-need-antivirus-software/

Even though the article is about three years old it seems to me that the author's premise is still valid.

Ubuntu users should install Avast not so much to protect themselves but as the decent thing to do to minimize the risk of passing viruses/malware etc on to Windows Users.

As a side note:  A little over a year ago I installed Ubuntu on one of my computers using Wubi.  I also installed Avast free AV Linux 4.x.  Avast installed correctly but I never could get the update to work and just got error messages.  It could be the way that I set up Avast or something else.  In any case I was just experimenting with Ubuntu at the time so it was no big deal.  Eventually I started to upgrade my computers to Windows 7 and just dropped Ubuntu altogether for a number of reasons, not relevant to this discussion.

Good luck.

[zilog]

Yes, the main reason is to stop spreading/keeping windows infection on linux user accounts, in mail attachments or downloaded files etc. But, there are also few malware thrests for the linux itself too (mainly backdoors, user privilege escalation exploits, rootkits).

regards,
pc