Ubuntu on Low Memory Systems

Tested this exercise on a Xubuntu Alternate CD. According to the Ubuntu documentation, any variant of Ubuntu's alternate CDs will work.

1. Change the mode of installation to "command-line install"
2. Do the routine install.
3. Edit the sources; uncomment the debian packages (partner, restricted)
sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list
4. Perform update and upgrade (requires Internet connection to download packages); apptocd is another approach, but I haven't tested that.
sudo aptitude update
sudo aptitude upgrade

At this point, decide if you need a GUI.

Testing AVG on Ubuntu, and learning some scripts

tested the AVG scanner to detect EICAR test virus, passed with flying colors

sample command-line in terminal:
avscan Downloads/*

recursive scan, from the current point down to the Downloads folder.

Also made some 3-liner scripts (and launchers) in my desktop:
scanner:

#!/bin/sh
sudo avscan /media/NANO/*
read -p "Press Enter to continue" nothing

updater:

#!/bin/sh
sudo /usr/lib/AntiVir/avupdate --product=Guard
read -p "Press Enter to continue" nothing

Avira AntiVir on Ubuntu

Avira seems to be better at detecting Windows viruses than ClamAV, as I experienced today scanning the same USB device on 2 machines. Avira (in Windows) spotting 6 worms vs. ClamAv's 1 detection.

So I decided to give Avira in Ubuntu a shot.
System snapshot info:
Ubuntu 9.04
Kernel Linux 2.6.28-15-generic
GNOME 2.26.1

Here's how I got it to work:
1. Download the Linux Avira Antivir installer here: http://www.free-av.de/en/download/download_servers.php
My downloaded copy was antivir_workstation-pers.tar.gz

2. In a terminal window, execute:
tar -xvf antivir_workstation-pers.tar.gz
This created a folder named antivir-workstation-pers-3.0.5-11 in my download folder.

3. Still in the terminal window, cd to the created folder and type:
sudo ./install

4. Follow the prompts (I just based on common sense). Link references:

• Detailed, but a bit old (2006)
• Avira forum thread 1 (2009 - telling that Dazuko is included in the installer already)
  
• Avira forum thread 2 (2009 - just shows the command how to update signatures)
• Avira forum thread 3 (2008 - older, just to see how well the Avira team simplified installation since)

There's no GUI! A minor hassle, though. It will install in the /usr/lib/AntiVir folder.

Terminal commands learned:
To update the engine & signatures:
sudo avupdate --product=Guard
To scan a USB drive:
sudo avscan /media/disk

ClamAV and front-end GUI ClamTK

useful antivirus scanner for making the Ubuntu box a USB virus cleaner device

tested in Ubuntu 9.04
1. download clamav package (& all detected dependencies) using Synaptic
2. download libnet-dns-perl package (& all detected dependencies) using Synaptic
3. download the latest Ubuntu package of clamtk in http://clamtk.sourceforge.net/
4. using a terminal window, navigate to the folder of the downloaded deb package.
5. type sudo dpkg -i {name of downloaded clamtk deb}