AntiVirus/Spyware/Malware Protection

[Martimus]

Originally Posted by Shu

Wow! So many great ideas. I am not computer genius just learn as I go so I'll have to study up on several of these recommendations. I have to say I am really intrigued by your advice krono. The machine this would go one is an AMD Athalon 3800+ with 2 GB RAM and a 250 GB HD. It runs well so I assume it should run good with your recommendation of ubuntu. Now forgive my ignorance because I haven't had time to look at the ubuntu website but is that Linux? I have gotten confused because those two names are sort of used back and forth and I'm not sure if one is the same as the other. I will definately set her up as a user account and not administrator. I hadn't even thought about that which is dumb on my part. I will switch her over to firefox too. Once I get used to Ubuntu on the spare machine then I'll move her to it so I can teach her how to use it. This forum is amazing.

Ubuntu is one of many available flavors of Linux available...

http://www.ubuntu.com/

[gamhill]

Originally Posted by dashadow

My Ex and son have had a really nasty virus a few times. It keeps popping up a demand to pay for a virus removal tool to get rid of itself. They run IE with a different virus protection. Malwarebytes took care of the virus easily.

Most of these are bogus - these are form of "hostage malware" that redirects you to a site to clean it for a fee. When you get one of these - try another cleaner or even Spybot instead of being the fee.

There was case of this reported on several of the Apple tech sites today, jailbroken iPhones, where the user didn't change the ssh password, left it at the default. A hacker scanned for unlocked iPhones and sent the a message directed them to a site for a fee he would tell how to undo it and secure the phone.

Moral of the story -

Always change the default password
And even your phone isn't safe.

[krono]

The machine this would go one is an AMD Athalon 3800+ with 2 GB RAM and a 250 GB HD. It runs well so I assume it should run good with your recommendation of ubuntu.

It is plenty of power!

I'm writing to you (and I work) using a AMD Athlon XP 1700+, with 512 MB RAM (1/4 of what you have, 512 MB = half GB) and 80 GB HD, and works great.

is that Linux?

yes, there are many "flavors" of Linux, one of them is Ubuntu, and is a distribution that is aimed to ease of use and home use, thats why I recommend it to you.

tonight, I must do a install of Ubuntu on a friend machine, tired of having virus and having to format.

You know the good thing?

You can boot the machine using the CD of Ubuntu, WITHOUT erasing your current hard drive.

Then, from the Ubuntu CD you can backup all your important files (i.e photos, music) burning them to a set of DVDs, then install Ubuntu, and get back all your data from the DVDs, that way, you save all your data, instead of just erasing it.

Is very handy to have a Ubuntu or Slax CD at hand, in case your machine fails, to do a recovery reboot and backup important data.

Well, I assume you know how to record a Ubuntu CD right? You must burn the iso image as a bootable image, not as a file, aint that hard, check the info on Ubuntu website.

To get the Ubuntu CD
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

To know how to burn it
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto

Note, because of copyright patents, Ubuntu can't play mp3s or coded DVDs right out of the box, but is very easy to enable the feature after installing.

Just use Synaptic Package Manager to install ubuntu-restricted-extras. That will install MP3 playback, Flash, Java, and other proprietary plugins.

Synaptic Package Manager is a tool that comes with Ubuntu that allows you to install a LOT of free and good software to do all common (and not so common) activities with a computer.

I just did one installation of Ubuntu today, and I must do another at night, once you have the install CD, you can do as many installations as you want (and is legal to do so).

Give it a try, you will like it, and you can say you have a custom machine

[Shu]

Well I made a bootable disk with Ubuntu and installed on an old laptop leaving XP on as well so I can boot to either one. I have to say so far I am pleased with how it runs considering this machine is no spring chicken. I think it has all the 'bells and whistles that my 13 year old would need except I don't think it is compatible with iTunes....still working on that though. I am going to set up her XP differently and take her administrative rights away, then keep AVG free on it as well as Windows Defender and Adware and add Spybot and make her use Firefox. Then I am going to install ubuntu operating system on it so it can boot to either. Then have her try to get used to ubuntu. Can you install an antivirus/malware/spyware program on ubuntu? Also what the heck does ubuntu stand for and how do your pronounce it? You guys/gals are the greatest. hopefully either way she'll be virus free or at least more secure.

[Weo]

What do you want iTunes for? Is it just to listen to her songs or is it for buying new ones? If its just for listening to her songs, iTunes should let you make a CD version that you can then rip to MP3, which is compatible with any player, and still saves a lot of space. I use Audiograbber to rip my CD's. It's free.

[gamhill]

Originally Posted by Shu

Wow! So many great ideas. I am not computer genius just learn as I go so I'll have to study up on several of these recommendations. I have to say I am really intrigued by your advice krono. The machine this would go one is an AMD Athalon 3800+ with 2 GB RAM and a 250 GB HD. It runs well so I assume it should run good with your recommendation of ubuntu. Now forgive my ignorance because I haven't had time to look at the ubuntu website but is that Linux? I have gotten confused because those two names are sort of used back and forth and I'm not sure if one is the same as the other. I will definately set her up as a user account and not administrator. I hadn't even thought about that which is dumb on my part. I will switch her over to firefox too. Once I get used to Ubuntu on the spare machine then I'll move her to it so I can teach her how to use it. This forum is amazing.

The AMD machine would be fine for Ubuntu, or pretty much any flavor of Linux.

Ubuntu is one of many flavors of Linux. It is a Unix like operating system, you can download and create a CD and try it out without having to install it. Create the CD and reboot the workstation of the CD. If you do elect to install, backup your data first.

Ubuntu is backed Canonical Ltd of the UK.

They have two major releases each year. Current version is 9-10. this was just released this past month. The release numbers stand for the year, and month. You can buy support from Canonical if you want, for most users you can find support and help using forums. The default GUI in Ubuntu is called "gnome" it has a very Mac like look and feel. Ubuntu also has a good mix of programs in the default build, includes Firefox, Openoffice (like MS Word), a chat program etc.

There is also a lot of Opensource software applications out there for free, most are well written, the list runs from educational, games to office apps.

The one place where you will run into a problem with this is with iPods and iPhones - iTunes doesn't run on Linux.

[Weo]

I'll also add.... I know everyone likes Firefox (and I use it on my Mac). However, I still use IE7 (on my desktop), as many of my anti-malware/antivirus programs are incompatible. For example, Spybot's "Immunize" (and possibly TeaTimer) don't work with Firefox.

[gamhill]

Originally Posted by Shu

.... I think it has all the 'bells and whistles that my 13 year old would need except I don't think it is compatible with iTunes....


... Can you install an antivirus/malware/spyware program on ubuntu? Also what the heck does ubuntu stand for and how do your pronounce it? ...

iTunes doesn't support Linux. For some iPods you can use other tools to access the device and files. iPhones are pretty much SOL.

If she has an iPod or iPhone - have her boot into Windows and run iTunes. (damn I hate saying that).

Antivirus really isn't needed for Linux. There are some out there, the thought is to use them to scan files you receive and forward via email.

Since you asked - Ubuntu means -
"Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'Humanity to others', or 'I am what I am because of who we all are'. The Ubuntu distribution brings the spirit of Ubuntu to the software world."

[dashadow]

Originally Posted by dashadow

My Ex and son have had a really nasty virus a few times. It keeps popping up a demand to pay for a virus removal tool to get rid of itself. They run IE with a different virus protection. Malwarebytes took care of the virus easily.

Originally Posted by gamhill

Most of these are bogus - these are form of "hostage malware" that redirects you to a site to clean it for a fee. When you get one of these - try another cleaner or even Spybot instead of being the fee.

Thanks for the term "hostage malware", that's exactly what it was. And as I said, Malwarebytes took care of it easily. Malwarebytes is free.