[chuckee]

Hi I have just bought the wife a small note book, acer one, with linux linpus lite as the OS, I have never used linux before and tried to d/l avg av software for the machine, but found i couldn't open the exe file, is this normal with linux, if so is there a way to out windows programs on the machine. Reading some forums on the web, quite a few people say linux doesn't need AV software or spyware software. the machine will be part of the home network with a belkin adsl2 gplus mimo router, all the other computers on the network are running xp and vista OS's. If it isn't true about the AV etc, could someone recomend AV software for the linux machine.

thanks in advance
cheers

[lotuseclat79]

Hi chuckee,

AVG is for Windows, not Linux - try ClamAV which is for Linux. Also, get chkrootkit and rkhunter to check for rootkits.

Make sure you changed the default admin password on the router, and you should be Ok.

-- Tom

[Elvandil]

Originally Posted by chuckee

Hi I have just bought the wife a small note book, acer one, with linux linpus lite as the OS, I have never used linux before and tried to d/l avg av software for the machine, but found i couldn't open the exe file, is this normal with linux, if so is there a way to out windows programs on the machine. Reading some forums on the web, quite a few people say linux doesn't need AV software or spyware software. the machine will be part of the home network with a belkin adsl2 gplus mimo router, all the other computers on the network are running xp and vista OS's. If it isn't true about the AV etc, could someone recomend AV software for the linux machine.

thanks in advance
cheers

There are far fewer viruses floating around for Linux. But good security is always a good idea.

No, you can't open exe's in Linux, or any other Windows programs. And anything you use that is Linux-related needs to be compatible with your version of it. Some documents can be opened in Open Office when they are compatible with Windows programs. But you are in a whole new world, and very little will be the same.

If the time comes that you can't find a Linux version of a program you want, you can look into WINE. It is a platform that allows many Windows programs to run in Linux (with varying success).

[DoubleHelix]

The version of Linux installed on the Acer Aspire One is not the same as, say, Ubuntu. It's a much more restrictive version that isn't necessarily friendly to installing applications. Here's an article from Laptop Magazine that you might want to read through if you're thinking of trying to install something.

http://www.laptopmag.com/advice/how-...-one-apps.aspx

[DoubleHelix]

The version of Linux installed on the Acer Aspire One is not the same as, say, Ubuntu. It's a much more restrictive version that isn't necessarily friendly to installing applications. Here's an article from Laptop Magazine that you might want to read through if you're thinking of trying to install something.

http://www.laptopmag.com/advice/how-...-one-apps.aspx

[chuckee]

thanks for advice guys, much appreciated.

[Elvandil]

Ubuntu is free, has loads of applications available for it, is frequently updated, and has good support as well as a forum.

Before you go too far, you might want to consider installing it.

[DoubleHelix]

I don't know that I'd recommend installing any operating system that didn't come with the Aspire One.

[Elvandil]

Drivers could be a problem. But Ubuntu has drivers for all machines I've tried it on.

In any case, it will run as a live CD, so you can boot with it and find out for sure how well it will run and if all the hardware is supported.

[chuckee]

thanks again guys, i will have a go with the av and rootkits you suggested but i don't think i am brave enough to install a new o/s. cheers anyway

[chuckee]

hello again, i downloaded clamav, extracted the file, then stop, i cannot find anything that tells me to install the program, i realise this is a linux machine and some things will be different, i didn't realise how much. is there an install icon, if so what would or should it look like? if not how do i go about installing it on the computer. please be gentle, this is a whole new world to me

[DoubleHelix]

I posted a link to an article that talks about installing software on the system you have. It's not a standard Linux system that this forum is used to talking about and helping with. The system you have is generally designed to be an out-of-the-box experience without the ability to add anything. It serves a narrow purpose. If you need it to do anything beyond very basic tasks of web browsing and document writing, I would suggest trying to return it now while you can.

[Elvandil]

To add to DoubleHelix good advice, that is the very reason I suggested trying Ubuntu--that support for that system will be pretty impossible to find and you will have severe limitations.

As far as installing a new OS, Ubuntu boots from CD so you can try it and see if it will work well on that machine. Nothing is installed at that point. If you did decide to keep it, the installation is almost completely automated (as are most modern OS's).

[DoubleHelix]

Since the Aspire One doesn't come with an optical drive, you'd need either an external one, or you have to setup Ubuntu to boot from a flash drive. I would hope the Aspire One supports that.

Still, I wouldn't waste too much time or spend any money working with this system if it's not going to be useful to you. I get the impression you thought it was going to be just like Windows, and even Ubuntu isn't going to give you that experience.

[Elvandil]

It's sounding worse by the minute. It should go back to the store. Save your money for one that will work the way you want it to.