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Question

LINUX

Mar 6, 2013 2:12PM PST

Hello members,
is it true that Linux is free from viruses and malwares.

Please do reply
thank you

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Wait a second.
Mar 7, 2013 1:13AM PST

How can it be? That is, if you want to install something bad, it won't stop you. So let's say a toolbar does something you consider an action that categorizes it as malware. Since such are allowed to be installed by you, then you have your answer.
Bob

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Answer
Basically yes
Mar 10, 2013 11:54PM PDT

Basically, that's true. There are currently no viruses in the wild for Linux.

The last one I remember wasn't even a virus, it was a trojan. It was amateurishly-written and it only lasted a week or two before its servers were shut down. That was 2010, I believe.

Anti-virus companies make anti-virus programs for Linux, and they are constantly declaring that "There will be a number of virus attacks against Linux systems soon" but it never actually happens. It's difficult to write a Linux virus. Very difficult.

Few Linux desktop users bother with anti-virus. Those who do, either use the software to prevent inadvertantly passing viruses onto Windows users on USB sticks, or have anti-virus because they believe computer viruses are biological.

In short: If you have Linux, you really don't need to have anti-virus software.

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Answer
Linux is free from virus attack.
Apr 3, 2013 3:23PM PDT

Totally agree with 3rdalbum. Even I use Ubuntu i.e. a distribution or distro of Linux. It doesn't need any antivirus to be installed as it never gets attacked by any virus. Also its free and open source software.

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Answer
hello there,
Apr 8, 2013 5:19PM PDT

ya hi,
I am totally agree with Harshada321. As we know linux is protected but it isn't mean that it is free from viruses if you install something bad then there might be virus added to your computer!!

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Obviously...
Apr 9, 2013 1:42AM PDT

Yes, obviously you still want to use your brain in conjunction with your computer, and don't do anything stupid.

But even if you don't use your brain, it's ridiculously improbable that you'll accidentally install a "virus" on your Ubuntu system. There's still no Linux viruses in the wild. Linux is either too small a target, or too difficult a target, for you to be likely to pick up any sort of malware for Linux.

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That's not a virus.
Apr 9, 2013 2:08AM PDT
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/V/virus.html writes "A computer virus is a program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge"

Since you installed this bad thing, it fails to be a virus.

I see folk today can't seem to differentiate what is or is not a virus.

Again, you installed it so that's not a virus.
Bob
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Answer
linux
May 17, 2013 1:08AM PDT

Yes you can get viruses but they aren't likely to be badly bothersome.
My linux ubuntu got viruses from the wine program i have on it to watch my netflix videos. I only knew they were there because my browser crashed. I found out ubuntu 12.4 didn't have a firewall.
Seem to be ok now.

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Not true
May 18, 2013 3:37PM PDT

A virus will do nothing on Wine because Wine can't emulate the low-level functions of Windows that a virus needs. So, while it's possible to put a virus onto Wine, it will do nothing. The same as it's possible to ingest a canine virus into your body, but it will not do anything.

I doubt your browser crashed because of a virus; excessive levels of malware will cause your Windows system to run slowly, but they won't actually crash any of your programs. And of course, if a virus is not running (because you're using Wine on Linux) it won't be able to crash anything or make your system run slowly.

Ubuntu 12.04 has a firewall, but it is not configured out-of-the-box because there's nothing that listens for incoming connections outside your network. You don't need vaccinations against canine viruses because the viruses ignore your body - so you don't need a firewall on Ubuntu because your computer ignores all incoming connections from the internet.

Trojans and malware downloaders are the real problems these days (on Windows, not Linux), and they completely bypass firewalls by convincing the user to download them. My father's Windows XP computer was totally infested with malware due to him unwittingly downloading trojans ("I need a program to download Youtube videos... let's try this one") but his Ubuntu 10.04 and then later his 12.10 are completely unharmed.

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not entirely sure that's true
May 22, 2013 7:20AM PDT

Wine runs exe type files. Virus can insert themselves internally into exe files. I would hope that WINE works like a VM to keep it from reaching outside that environment, but I know I've used WINE assisted exe files to do things on data later saved to a Linux partition. For instance I like running LViewpro 1D in WINE for image capture and adjustments on them. However, even if a windows based virus was loosed into a Linux installation, I doubt it could do much harm if any.

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Modern viruses
May 27, 2013 11:32PM PDT

Modern viruses don't infect your applications, they make themselves run on startup and try to spread through e-mail and via openable ports at random IP addresses.

Modern viruses don't just add themselves to "Startup Applications" or whatever it is on Windows, they actually embed themselves deeply into the system such that it's difficult to get rid of them. The embedding process uses undocumented Windows functions or other Windows security flaws, and of course none of these exact ones are present in Wine.

Therefore, a modern virus will do nothing useful on Linux.

If the viruses today were the same as they were fifteen years ago, you'd be right.