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willmtaylor

macrumors G4
Oct 31, 2009
10,314
8,198
Here(-ish)
I am considering using ClamAV virus scanner - is it safe to use? It is an opensource software which I used years ago on Ubuntu Linux. I wondered if anyone used it on MacOS and do they consider these sources safe places to download from?

https://www.clamav.net/

https://www.macports.org/install.php

http://www.finkproject.org/

https://brew.sh/
It’s fine, but Malwarebytes is too, and is the forum darling for good reason. It does the job and uses very few system resources.
 

MacDawg

Moderator emeritus
Mar 20, 2004
19,823
4,504
"Between the Hedges"
Should be as safe to use as anything else (although don't they charge for it these days?)

IMHO there isn't much use for it, unless you are scanning Office files or email attachments before sharing with Windows users
Which is something I guess

You can run the free Malwarebytes occasionally to search for malware on your Mac, although I have never found any

Plenty of threads on AV usage around here, so I won't belabor that
 

theprizerevealed

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 26, 2016
183
12
Should be as safe to use as anything else (although don't they charge for it these days?)

IMHO there isn't much use for it, unless you are scanning Office files or email attachments before sharing with Windows users
Which is something I guess

You can run the free Malwarebytes occasionally to search for malware on your Mac, although I have never found any

Plenty of threads on AV usage around here, so I won't belabor that

There is a version called ClamXAv that is paid and I guess offers a graphical user interface. The Clamav version does not mention whether there is a GUI. When I used it on Ubuntu Linux then I was able to download UI for it. I was hoping the versions shown in the links would provide a GUI but now that you mention it then I don't see that they say anything about that.....How can I check for sure?


postscript: What about this discussion?

4.
(Optional) The X11 windowing environment for ports that depend on the functionality it provides to run. You have multiple choices for an X11 server:
  • Install the xorg-server port from MacPorts.
  • The XQuartz Project provides a complete X11 release for macOS including server and client libraries and applications.
  • Apple's X11.app is provided by the “X11 User” package on older OS versions. It is always installed on Lion, and is an optional installation on your system CDs/DVD with previous OS versions.
 

jpn

Cancelled
Feb 9, 2003
1,854
1,988
yes.

i have been using it since it was actually freeware.
now its a paid app, but even much better than before.
its now ultra fast, and very complete malware* definitions.
can just keep it in yr menu bar and run it every so often as i do, or, it can operate in the background as well.

a lot of malware protection is actually malware in and of itself as far as i am concerned.
ClamAV is light, simple, just works, never gets in the way, doesn't slow yr machine down.

also, its not russian in any way. :)

people to whom you send email to expect you to do at least the above.
mac heads who are always on about "no virus" on macs miss the point - anyone who works for a living receives email originating from across all operating systems, all over the world, and all kinds of machines. its not an "if" situation. you are dangerous, and non-respectful of your working colleagues if you dont use something to filter it all out.


*edited, thanks.
 
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Fishrrman

macrumors Penryn
Feb 20, 2009
29,205
13,265
Unless you work on files imported/created in Windows, you don't need ANY anti-virus software on a Mac.

There has NEVER been a single Mac OS X "virus" discovered "in the wild".
Not. A. Single. One. Ever.

Having said that, you DO need adware/malware/crapware protection.
MalwareBytes provides this, and it's FREE. You DO NOT need to "upgrade" to the paid version -- the free version does the same thing.

I can see where folks who exchange Windows-created files on a Mac (which could "come across" infected with a Windows virus) -might- need virus protection to "clean out" those files before they are sent back to Windows.

But... that's about the only use case I can see for anti-virus software on a Mac.
 

Appleboy60013

Suspended
May 2, 2019
12
1
Cary Illinois
I have never used an anti virus program on any of my Mac's or for that matter any of my iOS devices, and now use my MacBook Pro for work since I refuse to use the windows 10 laptop that the office provides and although the office manager is trying to demand me to use an anti virus on my Mac, I told him absolutely not, and if he wants work to get done by me to go away now.
 

mrex

macrumors 68040
Jul 16, 2014
3,458
1,527
europe
I have never used an anti virus program on any of my Mac's or for that matter any of my iOS devices, and now use my MacBook Pro for work since I refuse to use the windows 10 laptop that the office provides and although the office manager is trying to demand me to use an anti virus on my Mac, I told him absolutely not, and if he wants work to get done by me to go away now.

I would give you three choices:
1. Use the machine we gave it to you to do jobs we ask you to do.
2. If we let you use and you choose to use your own machine at work, you have to install antivirus software.
3. If you refuse both above, find a new job.
 
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