Avast on Ubuntu

hi there,

i have installed and got avast running correctly but can someone please correct me if I’m wrong:

avast doesn’t work as a “aways on” scanner?

i ask this because when i downloaded the test virus eicar file i could happily extract and open it
without avast detecting it. Only when i ran a system scan did avast detect it.

avast doesn’t show up as a running process when i use ‘top’ either - does it need to be registered as
a service or something?

am i missing something here? or is that normal behavior?

thanks for any comments.

No, it doesn’t. Only the server version is a resident for Linux.
But, do you really need an on-access protection on Linux? I don’t think so…

Wasn’t it show as avastgui process?

I use avast in Kubuntu (last beta version, Feisty).

This is a thread that Tech started a while back. It’s quite informative as to the need of an antivirus program on Linux:

http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=20929.0

I think you needn’t antivirus under linux, because 99% viruses have been wrote for win. Anyway firewall is more important for linux security.

An on-demand scanner won’t harm, don’t you think?

Hi,

I’m a “newbie^10” on Linux and Ubuntu 7.04, that I installed yesterday.
So far, so good ! First thing I thought of was to install anti virus program.
Looked on internet - they say best of all is Avast!
Downloaded “avast4workstation_1.0.6-2_i386.deb” on the desktop.
Used command “sudo dpkg -i avast4workstation_1.0.6-2_i386.deb” and it worked (anazing ! ) Went to site to apply for license key, got it, entered it and scanned, then upgdated program.
The only problem : I cannot get the icon in Aplication/Accessories list.
Went in the directory window by window in : /usr/lib/avast4workstation/share/avast/desktop
(otherwise how to do cd/usr/lib/avast4workstation/share/avast/desktop ??? ) HAve not a RUN window as in Windows …
Used command as shown here : sudo ./install-desktop-entries.sh instal
Nothing in the list.
Used OPEN by other application, then USE a custom Command and inserted “sudo ./install-desktop-entries.sh install”
Rebooted.
Nothing in the Application/Accessories list.

What is wrong, please ???

Thanks, Orline >:(

These commands will install avast!'s icons&links into the Applications > Accessories > avast! Antivirus menu.

cd /usr/lib/avast4workstation/share/avast/desktop && sudo ./install-desktop-entries.sh install

Hi Tech,
You say :
“These commands will install avast!'s icons&links into the Applications > Accessories > avast! Antivirus menu.
cd /usr/lib/avast4workstation/share/avast/desktop && sudo ./install-desktop-entries.sh install”

Look in my post → I DID it already !! Doesn’t work !!

Orline

Sorry. I misread your post.
I’m not a Linux expert. Maybe you can post which error message are you receiving and wait for Dublin to come here and help us on this…

No responce, looks like everything is OK.
But ni icon in menu …
Orline

Hello!

I fell in love with Avast! several years ago, and have been using it on my Windoze systems ever since. So, when I discovered there was a variant available for Linux, that would supposedly work with Ubuntu (7.04, Feisty), I snatched it in a heartbeat! Both .deb/gdebi and .tar.gz/package manager will install for me. I got it loaded.

My current problem is twofold:

  1. None of the desktop pretties I’m accustomed to showed up – the launch and system tray icons. Not even a shortcut link. I have to do a desktop search, and find it under Applications to run it.
  2. And, that brings me to the second problem: Apparently, I have to manually update it. And I was so accustomed to the many-times-a-day audio advisory from Avast! on my Windoze system: “Your virus database has been updated!”

I love the product, and will continue to use it, but, how can I get it close to the functionality I had in Windoze?

Cheers!

Ed Tillman
San Antonio, TX USA

Ok… Scrub the first half of the problem: I read the forum completely, ran the script, and discovered where my starter icon fell: I expected to find it in Applications > System tools > , but finally located it in Applications > Accessories >. I was able to load the Avast! starter icon onto my “panel” (left end of the task bar) for ease of location and starting.

However, I’d still like to know how to get it to auto-update…

Cheers

Ed

As far I know, the automatic update is not a built-in feature.
You’ll need to configure it (if possible) trough Cron.
I’m not sure that this is even possible because, maybe, there isn’t a service.
Sorry, I couldn’t be of that help here. Oh, at least, I have Kubuntu either 8)

Hmm. Ok; since I’m a relative noob to Linux/Ubuntu, and I already have cron on my system (at least, ./ apt-get tells me I do…); could you advise where I might go to learn to use it? I’m not afraid of the CLI, so that’s not an issue.

Cheers;

Ed

I was able to get the GUI to do an Auto update on my openSUSE box with Avast4Linuxworkstation 1.0.8. Just go to preferences → Update and you have Three options:

  1. Automatically
  2. Ask when updates are available
  3. Manually

Sadly there is no audio to tell you when this happens.

Cron is installed on every Linux system it is how you get it to run tasks Daily, Weekly, Monthly… http://linuxhelp.blogspot.com/2005/05/scheduling-tasks-in-linux-using-cron.html This page should tell you all you need to know about Cron and should help you in learning how to use it.

Well… the GUI must be opened for the update download. Otherwise, with avast not running, you won’t receive an update. And it runs only when the GUI starts, once, not automatically in background.

That is true, but with out the resident scanner there really is not need to have a cron job that updates the Virus Database if you don’t need it. Really you only need to update Avast before you scan anything, and it is easy to make a shell scrip that will update and then scan using avast in the CLI.

#!bin/sh
#avast scanner script - Updates avast's VB then scans the systems HD
echo "Where to scan?"
echo "1. Scan in $HOME"
echo "2. Scan /"
echo "3. Pick where to scan"
read type

if [ $type = 1 ] ; then 
   echo "Updating Avast's VB"
   sudo avast-update
   echo "Scanning $HOME"
   sudo avast ~
   sleep 5
    exit
else
  if [ $type = 2 ] ; then
     echo "Updating Avast's VB"
     sudo avast-update
     echo "Scanning /"
     sudo avast /
     sleep 5
     exit
else
  if [ $ type = 3 ] ; then
     echo "Where to scan?"
     read dir
       if [ ! -d $dir ] ; then
       echo "$dir not found, try again"
       echo "Where to scan?"
       read dir
         if [ ! -d $dir ] ; then
         echo "Sorry can't find $dir"
         exit
       else
    echo "Updating Avast's VB"
    sudo avast-update
    echo "Scanning $dir"
    sudo avast $dir
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi

Not really pretty, and that good to look at, made it in about 5 minutes from the top of my head so there may be some problems with it but it should work (Intended it to just be looked at really), but it will get the job done and with some changed it can easily be made into a cron or an alias for the avast command.

You’re fully right. Next time I’ve boot on Linux, if I could, I’ll take a look into your script.

Well I have a bigger version of that script installed on my SUSE box, but when I posted that I was under Windows and could not get to it. My full version also uses ClamAV, good for testing of false positives, Ok there is some problems with the one that I posted and I am fixing them and posted a fixed version in this post.

#! /bin/sh

#avast scanner script - Updates Avast's VB then scans the systems HD
clear
echo "Pick a scan type"
echo "1. scan $USER home dir (Avast scanner)"
echo "2. scan / (Avast scanner)"
echo "3. Choose where to scan (Avast scanner)"
read type

if [ $type = 1 ]; then
   echo "Updating Avast's VB"
   sudo avast-update
   echo "Scanning $HOME"
   sudo avast $HOME
   sleep 5
   exit
else
  if [ $type = 2 ]; then
    echo "Updating Avast's VB"
    sudo avast-update
    echo "Scanning /"
    sudo avast /
    sleep 5
    exit
else
  if [ $type = 3 ]; then
    echo "Where do you want to scan?"
    read dir
    if [ ! -d $dir ] ; then
    echo "Dir or File is not found"
     sleep 5
      clear
        echo "Where do you want to scan?"
         read dir
         if [ ! -d $dir ] ; then
          echo "Dir or File is not found"
          exit
          fi
     else
     
        echo "Updating Avast's VB"
        sudo avast-update
        echo "Scanning $dir"
        sudo avast $dir
        sleep 5
        exit
fi 
fi
fi
fi
fi

I tested this one and it works, and yes if any one wants to use this or at least test it out feel free to do so, I posted this here for anyone who wants it.