Avast 1.0.8-2 - update always ands with "Connection time out"

system · 2007-03-07T11:49:28.000Z

I have installed Avast 1.0.8-2 on my Ubuntu (Sorry, i have edgy, so 6.10 not 6.12). Everything works great, except update of virus database. Every time I try to update I receive message “connection time out” (I have no problems with connection to internet).
How can I keep up to date my scanner? Should I download database files from some other place, or change the settings of my avast installation? Thanks in advance.

Lisandro · 2007-03-07T12:45:12.000Z

Spindle post:1:

I have installed Avast 1.0.8-2 on my Ubuntu (6.12). Everything works great, except update of virus database. Every time I try to update I receive message connection time out (I have no problems with connection to internet).

Is it temporary or a permanent problem?
Does this occur with automatic updates or manual ones?

Spindle post:1:

Should I download database files from some other place

I think not, the update should work.
Last time I’ve tested on Kubuntu Feisty (beta), it worked.

Spindle post:1:

or change the settings of my avast installation?

How did you set avast to update?

system · 2007-03-07T14:52:22.000Z

Is it temporary or a permanent problem?

It’s a permanent problem, since installation none of attempts to update was successful;

Does this occur with automatic updates or manual ones?

It happens with manual update, I haven’t used automatic updates yet

How did you set avast to update?

In fact I did nothing, I’ve just install it, typed the serial number and that’s all. Maybe it’s worth to mention that deb file which I downloaded from avast webpage didn’t want to install, so I created another deb using alien (from rmp archive) and that time it was successful.

system · 2007-03-07T17:23:15.000Z

I tried automatic updates, this also doesn’t work.

zilog · 2007-03-08T10:29:34.000Z

Spindle post:3:

How did you set avast to update?
In fact I did nothing, I’ve just install it, typed the serial number and that’s all. Maybe it’s worth to mention that deb file which I downloaded from avast webpage didn’t want to install, so I created another deb using alien (from rmp archive) and that time it was successful.

That’s rather a cosmetic problem:

Debian on x86 was for ages i386-backward-compatible. Thus, all *.deb packages were expected to contain “i386” in the architecture tag. Our package uses this tag as well (and thus can be installed on these classic Debian distributions).
but, recently, many new and quite immature distributions adopted the *.deb format, but they deliberately changed the x86 compatibility level - and expect different architecture tags.

The package contents or our package stays the same, but if You re-generate the *.deb on Your distribution, Your alien will insert that “amd64” or similar tag there, instead of original “i386”, and thus “solves” the problem (better solution is to use --force-architecture switch for dpkg).

If You think about it, Your re-generated package isn’t correct - our package contains x86 IA-32 parts, and thus was properly labelled “i386” to be compatible with original Debian x86 distributions. All later x86 derivates such as Ubuntu, Kubuntu or whatever else should_take this architecture as well, because they claim backward compatibility. We can, of course, offer also pre-cooked packages for such cases, but they will differ in the tag only (will be labelled “amd64” instead of “i386”, although they are internally “i386”).

===============
In my humble opinion, I see no extra profit in usage of 64-bit distributions on 64-bit machines nowadays. The performance gain is usually minimal or even negative, binaries are larger, and for the majority of applications it’s not important how big the virtual address space is. And, You will face ABI-compatibility problems with many binary-distributed applications.

PC

Lisandro · 2007-03-08T12:43:23.000Z

zilog post:5:

We can, of course, offer also pre-cooked packages for such cases, but they will differ in the tag only (will be labelled “amd64” instead of “i386”, although they are internally “i386”).

We’ll be grateful if you do so…

system · 2007-03-09T07:48:58.000Z

I’ve uninstalled avast completely, deleted .avast folder from home directory, and then installed it again using deb (dpkg with switch --force-architecture). This time it was ok, no errors during installation procedure…But after avast behaves the same way like before…

zilog · 2007-03-09T08:18:07.000Z

Spindle post:7:

I’ve uninstalled avast completely, deleted .avast folder from home directory, and then installed it again using deb (dpkg with switch --force-architecture). This time it was ok, no errors during installation procedure…But after avast behaves the same way like before…

First, what distribution and what package are You talking about?

For some distributions (Ubuntu Feisty Fawn (herd 5)), there’s so badly broken legacy IA-32 compatibility layer that even the simplest binaries for IA-32 can’t be loaded because the dynamic loader segfaults. That’s a flaw of these distributions, and cannot be solved at our side.

Other 64-bit distributions are broken only slightly (typically - lazy binding in functions, called from *.so constructors segfaults, shm maps incorrectly etc.), and this flaw can be patched - I released a special build adressing this issue here .

Also, there are some distributions that are OK (surprisingly Ubuntu again, but Hoary Hedgehog).

For all who have problems with their 64-bit x86 (x86-64 or em64t distro), I’ll put a “troubleshooting cookbook” here. Mmt.

PC

system · 2007-03-12T15:49:02.000Z

Distribution - Xubuntu 6.10, kernel version 2.6.17-11-generic
Package - avast deb installation package (downloaded from here: http://files.avast.com/files/linux/avast4workstation_1.0.8-2_i386.deb)

system · 2007-03-29T21:39:51.000Z

I think that the problem has something to do with my ADSL connection. I’ve tested avast on my two computers PC (xubuntu Dapper Drake) and laptop (xubuntu Edgy Eft) with ADSL modem attached, in both cases everything worked except updates. At the same time I’ve set up a small network, PC conneted to the ADSL modem, the internet connection shared via wireless card, laptop connected to PC in AD-hoc mode.
Now, I that configuration avast on laptop updates ??? What could be the reason, when I’m connected directly to ADSL modem avast doesn’t want to update?

Lisandro · 2007-03-30T02:07:39.000Z

Spindle post:10:

In both cases everything worked except updates.

I use Kubuntu Feisty (beta) and the updates are running. I’ve used both Dapper Drake and Edgy Eft and the updates worked. Maybe the problem is on the connection (or the firewall, if you use any).
Did you install the registration key correctly?

system · 2007-03-30T22:13:05.000Z

I've used both Dapper Drake and Edgy Eft

I've used it also, but version 1.0.7, and everything was OK.

(or the firewall, if you use any)

Yes, I do use firewall - gtk manager firestarter, with more less default policy - outbound traffic fully allowed, inbound blocked. Like I wrote in previous post, I've updated avast on my laptop, which was using PC's internet connection (sharing set up by firestarter). At the same time avast on PC wasn't able to update.

Did you install the registration key correctly?

If was able to update virus database so I think yes...

By the way , thanks for your interest guys.

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