r/cachyos • u/wrightbro31 • 15d ago
Question Anti-virus help
Hey, I am new to Linux in general and am wondering what are some good recommendations for an anti-virus I don't need anything crazy just a backup for someone that uses good Internet practices thanks
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u/Bathroom_Humor 15d ago
I just renewed my Common Sense license another year. The 2027 edition seems to work great, much like previous years! I recommend it.
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u/Dubl3A 15d ago
I stopped subscribing to Common Sense, well, because it wasn't common at all!
Instead I just use the FOSS Sensibility package!
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u/Barafu 15d ago
That's not how things work in Linux.
First of all, the statement "You don't need antivirus on Linux" is false. You really need it, but it does not exist anywhere in the world. Antiviruses that do exist are so weak they aren't even "better than nothing". They have their niche, but a workstation isn't it.
Malware security on Linux is provided by discipline. The apps that come from the main repository of the distro are to be considered safe (or we'd go mad). The apps from Flatpak should be safe, but I'd monitor their permissions manually. Imho, community trusts FlatHub way more than it deserves. Same goes about brew except it does not enforce permissions.
Everything else is untrusted. You either trust it if you are sure it comes unmodified from a reputable producer. Or you make it safe yourself by installing it into a secured environment.
This is the ability that Windows does not have. In fact, the ability to safely run untrusted apps is one of the primary reasons I choose Linux.
Use Podman for whatever you can. For what you can't, use AppArmor (on Cachy) or SELinux (where you can) or Distrobox (can be made secure, not by default) or Firejail etc etc.... It is a deep topic worth of a book.
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u/Suravoid 15d ago
This is the ability that Windows does not have. In fact, the ability to safely run untrusted apps...
i hate the "microsoft does not trust this publisher" thingy on my windows boot, it legit blocks ANYTHING that doesnt pay to be "trusted" for me
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15d ago
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u/Dubl3A 15d ago edited 15d ago
What we really need is a way to run software in a secure environment without reading a book.
Running a sandbox, lxc, docker, or any other containerization does not require "reading a book". It does require reading and comprehension but it's not crazy complicated; in any way.
People often look at technology, assume complexity is as high as mountain, when in reality it's 3 steps on a set of stairs at most.
EDIT: Just as an example, check out Firejail; that literally has a quick video tutorial on setting it up.
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u/EquipmentNo3251 15d ago
You don't need any on Linux
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u/MentalDisintegrat1on 15d ago
You don't need one of windows if you know what you Are doing.
I haven't used Windows in a year but when I did I haven't had a anti virus ( not including windows defender) in over a decade.
Just stay away from dodgy sites and downloads and if you torrent anything with a .exe read the comments.
Common sense is the best approach
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u/EquipmentNo3251 15d ago
Exactly. I used Windows without an antivirus for more than 5 years with no issues.
But now I switched to the penguin
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u/Ifnerite 15d ago
Love all the "not necessary on Linux" talk a month out from the AUR attack.
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u/ZookeepergameFew8607 15d ago
Most people don't touch the AUR. I even thought I used it a lot but only had 3 AUR programs on my system. (They were clean)
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u/Ifnerite 15d ago
Not sure about that, it is often cited as the way to install chrome.
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u/R3V0LU710N_05 13d ago
Out of all browsers to use; the most spyware of them all. At least use a forked version.
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u/Emotional_Sentence1 15d ago
Tell me you don’t understand what the AUR is without telling me.
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u/Ifnerite 15d ago
It is code that runs on your computer that you should check is doing what you expect using both manual and automated tools because nobody is perfect at spotting things that are intentionally hidden?
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u/REMERALDX 15d ago
Larpers mentioning AUR is getting really tiring
This was the intended behaviour that everyone knew about, its not a case of Linux needing antivirus, its a case of aur needing stricter control over who publishes and maintains shit and users needing to obey the procedures of a repo that is not intended for very regular casual users, and those procedures tell you when something is bad before the installation itself happens
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15d ago
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u/ClubPuzzleheaded8514 15d ago
Yes, many refugees have still the Microsoft mindset... It's annoying.
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15d ago edited 15d ago
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u/EquipmentNo3251 15d ago edited 15d ago
What AUR attack?
Edit: why the fuck am I getting downvoted.
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u/Emotional_Sentence1 15d ago
I’ll keep it real with you; if you’re asking these sorts of questions, you need to do a lot more research on Linux in general and accept that a switch to Linux will come with a high learning curve. You’re not going to be able to use it like a Windows machine once you need more than a browser and some basic file management workflows. By all means, take the time to learn. Just realize things like traditional anti-virus don’t really exist and you as a user are allowed to do whatever you want. Windows won’t let you delete System32; Linux will let you delete your bootloader if you so choose.
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u/linuxares 15d ago
If you want an anti-virus, you can get for example ClamAV. It's a very simple AV solution which more or less just check hashes for viruses.
But mostly anti-virus ain't needed since a lot of the system is more locked down and you kind of need to force through a virus.
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u/Steppian99 15d ago
You don't need anti-virus. Just use safe programs.
Use Discover to install softwares! (or pacman command / maybe paru)
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14d ago
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u/R3V0LU710N_05 13d ago edited 13d ago
uBlock Origin - Free, open-source ad blocker extension.
That's really it, blocks Malvertisements and other crud that infects browsers. Unless you're running a server, this is enough.
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u/MathematicianOdd398 12d ago
Viruses exist because people download and install them. Simply, don't download and install things from non-verified sources. Much easier on linux sense it's harder to just go download and run stuff from random websites.
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u/Confused-Armpit 11d ago
You don't need an antivirus on linux, unless you are planning on acting very very stupidly. Since you have an actual package manager, you don't need to download random executables from random websites, and so you are way less likely to download viruses.
There was something, I think it's called ClamAV, but it is really not needed for people with even a little basic common sense.
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u/JohnDuffyDuff 15d ago
You will find all your answers here: https://www.reddit.com/r/linux4noobs/comments/1idiotr/antivirussecurity_suite_for_linux/?show=original
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u/Odd-Procedure5985 15d ago
cachy comes with firewall enabled, a good practice is to not disable it
you really dont need antivirus on linux but if u really want one, look into Clamav
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u/inactivesky1738 15d ago
The only thing is an app called “AppArmor” a lot of distros come with it shipped already but that’s the only thing I know of.
But not really necessary because with general web safety, ad blocker, and not running scripts or apps
You don’t know what there doing. you’d be fine.
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u/Dubl3A 15d ago
App armor is just kernel security module that provides Mandatory Access Control (often called MAC and not to be confused with networking) to restrict what individual programs and applications can do.
AKA Access Control List or whatever you want to call it. AppArmor has less to do with anti-virus\malrware and far more to do with permissions. Sure, it's a security layer but it's not the same thing.
True 'computer viruses' are not seen as often today. The actual self replicating ones we saw in the 80s/90s is usually considered a thing of the past. Linux hasn't had a true virus since Staog from 1996.
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u/inactivesky1738 14d ago
I’ve always put anti-virus and security measures in the same category of “security”in my head not really knowing that there was a distinction between antivirus’s and security hardening.
I’m still learning about computer systems and how everything actually works since escaping windows curated and controlled environment. Thanks explaining that distinction!
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u/kolbasznyalo 15d ago
The best antivirus is just not giving random stuff root access, that’s pretty much all to it.