I have a question regarding viruses

[GrimReaperAxeKick]

Hello,

I'm a new Ubuntu user and I've recently been studying security for Ubuntu, and I've noticed something that strikes me as odd: I have seen a lot of people (online) wiping and re-installing the Ubuntu OS after catching a virus, even going so far as to re-install after visiting a malware infested site. Why would anyone do this? Is it because Ubuntu is very easy to install, and that these people are too lazy to find the virus and delete it? Or is there something that I'm not aware of here?




Sincerely

[Mark Phelps]

Viruses for Linux are extremely rare, such that in general, you do not need AV protection. I would be surprised if a LOT of folks actually encountered virus infection; more likely, they encountered performance or instability problems that they presumed were caused by viruses.

As to finding the virus and deleting it, that requires running a Linux based AV product, and unlike with MS Windows, there are very few of those around (largely, because they're not needed).

[grahammechanical]

Further more, based upon my observations, people need to re-install Ubuntu because they have messed around with the operating system. All Linux distributions can be modified and by people who do not know what they are doing. Often a re-installation is the simplest and less troublesome way of fixing a broken OS.

I do not agree with you about Ubuntu machines being easily infected by malware. I consider those comments to be false information. I question your motives in making this post. Especially as you put them not in a discussion section of this forum but in a section for beginners to ask for help with their problems.

See, this post

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2153084

See, the OS that has the virus. How modern is that OS? And people are reporting that it is still easy to be infected by malware on that OS after all these years of it being developed.

[claracc]

Hello,

I'm a new Ubuntu user and I've recently been studying security for Ubuntu, and I've noticed something that strikes me as odd: I have seen a lot of people (online) wiping and re-installing the Ubuntu OS after catching a virus, even going so far as to re-install after visiting a malware infested site. Why would anyone do this? Is it because Ubuntu is very easy to install, and that these people are too lazy to find the virus and delete it? Or is there something that I'm not aware of here?




Sincerely

I am an ubuntu user since 2009 and I have never got a virus in ubuntu nor my firefox has been infected by malware. I visit these forums frequently and I can count with the fingers of a hand the posts where ubuntu users are infected by viruses, while the infections in windows systems with anti virus software are countless.

Where and when have you seen "a lot of people (online) wiping and re-installing the Ubuntu OS after catching a virus"?

As it has been pointed in the previews answers, the re installing of the ubuntu OS is the straightforward method to fix the broken system by the user.

[GrimReaperAxeKick]

I am an ubuntu user since 2009 and I have never got a virus in ubuntu nor my firefox has been infected by malware. I visit these forums frequently and I can count with the fingers of a hand the posts where ubuntu users are infected by viruses, while the infections in windows systems with anti virus software are countless.

Where and when have you seen "a lot of people (online) wiping and re-installing the Ubuntu OS after catching a virus"?

As it has been pointed in the previews answers, the re installing of the ubuntu OS is the straightforward method to fix the broken system by the user.

Hey,

I saw the people of which I mentioned on various internet forums. I just had to come here to pose the question of why those people were doing something so illogical: It was confusing me.

I believe you gentlemen have given me the correct answer to my question [they messed with the registry, or something along those lines], so thank you.





I will see you around

[deadflowr]

Hey,

I saw the people of which I mentioned on various internet forums. I just had to come here to pose the question of why those people were doing something so illogical: It was confusing me.

I believe you gentlemen have given me the correct answer to my question [they messed with the registry, or something along those lines], so thank you.





I will see you around

Registry?
Ubuntu doesn't have a registry.

But reasons people reinstall usually fall into their level of use.
Advanced users usually reinstall because a new version has come out.
Intermediate users reinstall because they tried something off the beaten path that failed.
Beginner users reinstall because they just came from Windows and most problems from windows are infection problems.

Chances of any one of these groups actually catching a cold, are slim to none.
And the closer a beginner users is to using the default settings, the chances are even slimmer, as the system is locked down, and even the default browser firefox is actually rather good at blocking user access to known infected websites.
And even if the user hits an infected site and gets infected, the malware will only be in the users home folder, as access to the system folders is locked. Worst case scenario the virus/malware destroys the users home folder, the OS will remain relatively unscathed.

[GrimReaperAxeKick]

Registry?
Ubuntu doesn't have a registry.

But reasons people reinstall usually fall into their level of use.
Advanced users usually reinstall because a new version has come out.
Intermediate users reinstall because they tried something off the beaten path that failed.
Beginner users reinstall because they just came from Windows and most problems from windows are infection problems.

Chances of any one of these groups actually catching a cold, are slim to none.
And the closer a beginner users is to using the default settings, the chances are even slimmer, as the system is locked down, and even the default browser firefox is actually rather good at blocking user access to known infected websites.
And even if the user hits an infected site and gets infected, the malware will only be in the users home folder, as access to the system folders is locked. Worst case scenario the virus/malware destroys the users home folder, the OS will remain relatively unscathed.

Okay, I didn't realize Ubuntu didn't have a registry. It seems I have a lot to learn.

So, how could a virus/malware destroy a users home folder?

[dino99]

Okay, I didn't realize Ubuntu didn't have a registry. It seems I have a lot to learn.

So, how could a virus/malware destroy a users home folder?

the most scary virus you need to be aware is often sat on a chair in front of the screen
(such malware are met on unsecured system; and linux systems needs rights priviledges everywhere, so the doors are closed from outside if yourself does not corrupt these rights and install craps grabbed on non trusted sources)

[BBQdave]

the most scary virus you need to be aware is often sat on a chair in front of the screen

+1

Used Linux distros for a decade, never encountered a virus. I have however, severly toasted my Linux system by messing around in the root system - and as stated previously, sometimes the simplist way to solve a self-destroyed Linux distro, re-install and restore data

A strong User-Admin password and loading updates and software from trusted repos - helps harden a Linux system.

[BrunoLotse]

+1Used Linux distros for a decade, never encountered a virus.

Same here. Cheers, Bruno