So you need an open source, highly secure, regularly updated and (ideally) lightweight antivirus for your Linux based OS. Linux is highly secure, but not infallible. While there are not many malware or trojans created specifically to target Linux, your computer may still be vulnerable to other vulnerable computers on the network. In this article, we demonstrate how to install and run an antivirus scan using ClamAV.Īntivirus software is an important add-on to any operating system, especially if the OS is connected to other computers on a network. It is available for all major operating systems including Linux, MacOS, Windows and Solaris. It is extremely lightweight, which makes it ideal for any device. The -i option is used so it will only output infected files as opposed to the name of every file it scans.ClamAV is an actively maintained and highly secure open source antivirus software. In the example we scan /home directory recursively using the -r option. Scanning files for viruses is done with clamscan command. Scanning with ClamAVĬlamAV is capable of detecting viruses, Trojans, and other forms of malware.

If you received these errors when updating the virus definition, increase the ConnectTimeout and ReceiveTimeout values in /etc/clamav/nf file. Download failed, Message: Timeout was reached, Can't download daily.cvd Freshclam service in Ubuntu runs in the background and periodically checks for updates throughout the day (12 times per day by default). However, you don't need to update the database manually. For that reason we need to keep it up to date.

Next, update the database by running the following command: sudo freshclamĪfter that Restart the freshclam: systemctl start rviceĬlamAV's ability of detecting the newest viruses largely depends on the signature database. You can check ClamAV version by running the following command: clamscan -version Update Virus database/definitionsĪfter the installation is completed, we should run the freshclam command to update the virus signature database.įirst, we must stop the freshclam service: systemctl stop rvice Ubuntu Desktop users can install a graphical front end as well, known as ClamTk: apt install clamtk To install ClamAV on your Ubuntu machine, enter the following command: apt install clamav It is a Free Open Source antivirus software solution that works pretty much the same as Windows Antivirus software. Viruses, Trojans, and other forms of malware threats can be found in any operating system, so in today's environment every system, even Ubuntu Linux needs some kind of Antivirus solution.īest Antivirus for Ubuntu Server/Desktop is ClamAV. Install ClamAV Antivirus on Ubuntu Server/Desktop

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