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On my linux machines, I run a virus scanner . . .

Displaying poll results.
regularly
  2% 6 votes
when I remember to enable it
0% 1 votes
only when I want to manually check files
  8% 23 votes
only on my work computers
  1% 4 votes
never
  80% 219 votes
I don't have any linux machines, you insensitive clod!
  6% 18 votes
271 total votes.
[ Voting Booth | Other Polls | Back Home ]
  • Don't complain about lack of options. You've got to pick a few when you do multiple choice. Those are the breaks.
  • Feel free to suggest poll ideas if you're feeling creative. I'd strongly suggest reading the past polls first.
  • This whole thing is wildly inaccurate. Rounding errors, ballot stuffers, dynamic IPs, firewalls. If you're using these numbers to do anything important, you're insane.
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The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
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  • Flagged Comment by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 21, @07:58AM (#1421582)

  • (Score: 4, Interesting) by bart9h on Wednesday October 22, @12:10PM (5 children)

    by bart9h (767) on Wednesday October 22, @12:10PM (#1421745)

    I truthfully voted "never", but should I change to "only when I want to manually check files"?

    Would it be relevant to scan with ClamAV an eventual closed source binary I download (mostly Windows games to be used with Wine)?

    • (Score: 5, Insightful) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday October 22, @10:07PM

      by JoeMerchant (3937) on Wednesday October 22, @10:07PM (#1421844)

      I have been running various flavors of Linux on our home computers for 20+ years, never had a virus checker, never regretted not running one.

      For work, we have the "clamscan" solution worked out for our Linux based products. Only thing clamscan ever found there were viruses in a Windows partition.

      --
      🌻🌻🌻 [google.com]
    • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 23, @04:13AM (3 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 23, @04:13AM (#1421868)

      Think of it this way: you hope WINE provides enough compatibility to run the games you purposefully execute. But what is the result if it also provides enough compatibility to run the malware you accidentally execute?

      • (Score: 4, Interesting) by turgid on Thursday October 23, @01:34PM (2 children)

        by turgid (4318) Subscriber Badge on Thursday October 23, @01:34PM (#1421899) Journal

        Assuming the malware makes Windows system calls then why wouldn't it? In the MS-DOS days, viruses used to bypass the OS completely and even intercept BIOS calls and redirect them to custom routines. There were these techniques called stealth and tunneling. If Windows's memory protection is badly broken, then I suppose they could still do this. If they're running under WINE, then the whole of memory will look completely different and they probably won't work.

        • Flagged Comment by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 27, @06:56AM (#1422440)

        • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 31, @03:01AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 31, @03:01AM (#1422847)

          Exactly so. WINE even provides better compatibility than Windows for things like you mention. Such is the use case for WINE on WSL. However, that is the rhetorical point made. Should you scan Windows executables for Windows viruses run on WINE? The answer is "yes" if you are worried about accidentally running one and it causing problems with your system.

  • Flagged Comment by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 22, @10:12PM (#1421845)

  • Flagged Comment by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 24, @12:29AM (#1421962)

  • Flagged Comment by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 24, @07:36PM (#1422055)

  • Flagged Comment by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 25, @09:28AM (#1422108)

  • Flagged Comment by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 27, @04:27AM (#1422434)

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Gaaark on Monday October 27, @06:21PM (3 children)

    by Gaaark (41) on Monday October 27, @06:21PM (#1422497) Journal

    Basically i only use it when i receive a file from a Windows user and am passing it onto a Windows user.

    Scan it, then tell the receiver i scanned it.

    --
    --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. I have always been here. ---Gaaark 2.0 --
    • Flagged Comment by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 28, @09:01AM (#1422586)

    • Flagged Comment by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 03, @01:08AM (#1423193)

    • Flagged Comment by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 05, @08:21AM (#1423379)

  • Flagged Comment by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 28, @08:47AM (#1422584)

  • Flagged Comment by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 30, @12:29AM (#1422758)

  • Flagged Comment by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 30, @09:18AM (#1422784)

  • Flagged Comment by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 31, @09:30PM (#1422948)

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by KritonK on Saturday November 01, @07:22AM

    by KritonK (465) on Saturday November 01, @07:22AM (#1422981)

    I run a virus scan nightly, but only because the ISO 29001 auditors at work have demanded that I do.

  • Flagged Comment by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 01, @08:41PM (#1423046)

  • Flagged Comment by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 01, @08:56PM (#1423054)

  • (Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 01, @11:04PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 01, @11:04PM (#1423068)

    Linux only scans for viruses to save Windows systems, so don't do it. The sooner they die off, the better for the planet.

  • Flagged Comment by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 03, @10:13AM (#1423214)

  • Flagged Comment by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 06, @12:06PM (#1423465)

  • Flagged Comment by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 07, @12:10AM (#1423531)

  • Flagged Comment by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 07, @10:22AM (#1423576)

  • Flagged Comment by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 07, @11:29PM (#1423669)

  • Flagged Comment by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 08, @09:36AM (#1423700)

  • Flagged Comment by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 09, @06:13AM (#1423813)

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