RE : (Newbie Hello! / ZX Advice Please?)

General Chit Chat about Sinclair Computers and their Clones
User avatar
RetroTechie
Posts: 379
Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2011 12:16 am
Location: Hengelo, NL
Contact:

Re: RE : (Newbie Hello! / ZX Advice Please?)

Post by RetroTechie »

monsterjazzlicks wrote:should you have ANTI VIRUS PROTECTION installed on this particular device?
Short answer: NOPE, no need. 8-)

Consider this 'test case':
1) Figure out how you'd connect a RPi to the internet in the first place. Software-wise, that is.
2) Grab whatever list of viruses that would 'frighten' you: the last 100 highly publicized, a top list of the most damaging ones, the most nasty ones to remove, etc.
3) For each of those: look up detailed info on how they work, how they spread from system to system, what systems are vulnerable (and why), etc.

Then you would find that for a variety of reasons, your viruses of choice wouldn't make it onto the RPi:
-Virus targets some flavor of Windows = not what you're running on the RPi.
-Virus usually consists of x86 binary code = doesn't work on the RPi's ARM cpu.
-Virus targets popular OS. In this case, most likely candidate would be Android. Which I suspect few users will be running on their RPi.
-Virus works on systems where regular user has admin rights. That'll not be the case with the various Linux flavors that run on the RPi.
-Virus installs itself into some files on your PC's harddrive until that (or the OS on it) is wiped. Which hardly ever happens. With the RPi, chances are you'll wipe & re-image SD cards regularly.
-On that PC, you won't notice another process running as long as it doesn't eat >50% of your CPU cycles. :o On the RPi, you would notice exactly because you're checking what processes are running, and cutting every unnecessary one from your config. :lol:
-Virus tries to find valuable info like banking credentials etc. Which you most likely won't have stored on SD cards you use with the RPi.

In other words: see short answer. :D
I assume that it is prone to contracting a virus as are all internet connected computers (however small).
That's only true if you regard viruses as all the same, something that 'fills the internet pipes' and will make it onto any connected device eventually. In practice, there's very different viruses, different OS'es targeted, a wide variety of internet-connected devices that run different sets of services, have different vulnerabilities, different patching procedures, etc, etc. Read: some systems/devices are orders of magnitude more likely to be infected than others, and each infection is different too. And the RPi isn't anywhere near the top of the heap in this regard.
And if so, is it compatible with the regular Norton/Kaspersky/McAfee versions which you install on a laptop/PC
Nope (ARM vs. x86 CPU, as noted above).
Or do you have to download/install one which is specific and exclusive to the Raspberry (brand)?
I might be wrong, but most likely such a thing does not exist. Or at least, not produced by the likes of Norton/Kaspersky/McAfee etc. :mrgreen:
RWAP
Posts: 1348
Joined: Thu May 08, 2008 8:42 am
Location: Stoke-on-Trent, UK
Contact:

Re: RE : (Newbie Hello! / ZX Advice Please?)

Post by RWAP »

I would assume that the Raspberry PI can run CLAMAV which is free and normally installed on Linux systems.... It might have to be compiled from source to run on the Pi though...
User avatar
monsterjazzlicks
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2015 2:38 am
Location: Wirral, UK
Contact:

Re: RE : (Newbie Hello! / ZX Advice Please?)

Post by monsterjazzlicks »

Thank Retro Techie for the very informative reply!

So the RPi is bottom of the ladder on the hit-list of hackers and virus spreaders.

And yes, with only using a 16GB SanDisk SD Card this will be wiped regularly as you say.

And so you would not even bother with Anti Virus if you were running Win10 on the device?

Cheers,

Paul
Last edited by monsterjazzlicks on Thu Feb 26, 2015 3:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
monsterjazzlicks
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2015 2:38 am
Location: Wirral, UK
Contact:

Re: RE : (Newbie Hello! / ZX Advice Please?)

Post by monsterjazzlicks »

RAWP,
RWAP wrote:I would assume that the Raspberry PI can run CLAMAV which is free and normally installed on Linux systems.... It might have to be compiled from source to run on the Pi though...
Thanks a lot.

Do you not use this (or any other form om Anti Virus) yourself (for the reasons which RetroTechie stated)?

Ta,

Paul
User avatar
1024MAK
Posts: 5101
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 10:56 am
Location: Looking forward to summer in Somerset, UK...

Re: RE : (Newbie Hello! / ZX Advice Please?)

Post by 1024MAK »

I have been running a PC (well, more than one) for a number of years without any anti-virus protection. So far, I have not had any problems. Of course, the PC's that I am referring to are running a Linux OS.

For the Windows PC's (one with XP Media Centre and one win 7) always have anti-virus protection running.

I am however careful about the junk emails that I receive - don't click on the attachments. And don't click on the too good to be true dodgy adverts that you sometimes get on some web pages...

Mark
ZX81 Variations
ZX81 Chip Pin-outs
ZX81 Video Transistor Buffer Amp

:!: Standby alert :!:
There are four lights!
Step up to red alert. Sir, are you absolutely sure? It does mean changing the bulb :!:
Looking forward to summer later in the year.
User avatar
monsterjazzlicks
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2015 2:38 am
Location: Wirral, UK
Contact:

Re: RE : (Newbie Hello! / ZX Advice Please?)

Post by monsterjazzlicks »

Hello Mark,
1024MAK wrote:I have been running a PC (well, more than one) for a number of years without any anti-virus protection. So far, I have not had any problems. Of course, the PC's that I am referring to are running a Linux OS.
Ok, I see. Ta.
For the Windows PC's (one with XP Media Centre and one win 7) always have anti-virus protection running.
Well yes, I have not met anyone who uses Windows unprotected. And even then (as has happened to me!) viruses can still slip through the net.
I am however careful about the junk emails that I receive - don't click on the attachments. And don't click on the too good to be true dodgy adverts that you sometimes get on some web pages.
Well I don't think you can ever be to over-vigilant these days. I am thinking of buying a cheap knockaround laptop just to go online surfing and all that with. And then keep my work and home PC's for my music and business, only going online with them when I need to do something specific or update a particular software.

Best,

Paul
User avatar
monsterjazzlicks
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2015 2:38 am
Location: Wirral, UK
Contact:

Re: RE : (Newbie Hello! / ZX Advice Please?)

Post by monsterjazzlicks »

Hi,

I have OFFICE 2007 of which I am only using 2/3 licenses. Can you (would you) install OFFICE on a RPi or is this not possible (or little point)?

Thanks,

Paul
User avatar
monsterjazzlicks
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2015 2:38 am
Location: Wirral, UK
Contact:

Re: RE : (Newbie Hello! / ZX Advice Please?)

Post by monsterjazzlicks »

bump! :shock:
monsterjazzlicks wrote:Is there not a ZX SPECTRUM due for release soon which is like a virtual one which appears on you TV screen, though with the absence of a physical keyboard (or something like that!)?

Perhaps this is already being discussed in another thread here?
I think this may be what I was referring to:

http://www.zxspectrum4.net/index.php

Cheers,

Paul
RWAP
Posts: 1348
Joined: Thu May 08, 2008 8:42 am
Location: Stoke-on-Trent, UK
Contact:

Re: RE : (Newbie Hello! / ZX Advice Please?)

Post by RWAP »

monsterjazzlicks wrote:Hi,

I have OFFICE 2007 of which I am only using 2/3 licenses. Can you (would you) install OFFICE on a RPi or is this not possible (or little point)?

Thanks,

Paul
Do you mean MS Office 2007 for Windows? Currently the RPi runs Linux so Office won't run on it (unless you can use some sort of Windows emulator on it...). The new RPi (2015) will apparently have Windows 10 at some point :)
User avatar
monsterjazzlicks
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2015 2:38 am
Location: Wirral, UK
Contact:

Re: RE : (Newbie Hello! / ZX Advice Please?)

Post by monsterjazzlicks »

Hi Rwap,
RWAP wrote:Do you mean MS Office 2007 for Windows? Currently the RPi runs Linux so Office won't run on it (unless you can use some sort of Windows emulator on it...). The new RPi (2015) will apparently have Windows 10 at some point.
Yes, MICROSOFT OFFICE 2007.

I believe that the BETA TESTER for Win10 is current out, but the version for the public won't be released until around October coming.

So if not using MS OFFICE of sorts, what you you use on your RPi for such documentation files please?

Cheers,

Paul
Post Reply