Introduction

One of the most commonly asked questions by newcomers to linux is about the need for antivirus.

The majority mailing list opinion is this -

• Linux viruses may be a theoretical possibility, of debatable impact. Practically speaking, there just aren't any you are likely to find. Don't install A/V to protect your Ubuntu system. The possiblity of it doing harm is higher than the possibility of it helping you.

• Windows viruses can be passed along by Linux boxes via email or file shares etc. without affecting the Linux system. If you want to protect your friends using Windows, tell them to use Linux If that doesn't work, and you still want to help them, you could install A/V to scan your file shares.

• Clam AV is the most popular open source application for anti-virus.
• Commercial products (free of charge and for payment) are available from companies like Grisoft (AVG), Bitdefender and others.

See Also

A see also section can be used to point users towards other trusted Ubuntu resources. For example, if a page exists in the official documentation on http://help.ubuntu.com, you can link to such a page. This section is optional.

• <Link> - Explanation of link.

• <Link> - Explanation of link.

• <Link> - Explanation of link.

External Links

An external links section can be used to point users towards general information about the subject matter of the page, such as a wikipedia entry or project homepage. This section is optional.

• <Link> - Explanation of link.

• <Link> - Explanation of link.

• <Link> - Explanation of link.