Ubuntu doesn't come with antivirus software installed by default, and doesn't need it. However, there are some situations where it might be nice to have.
I run antivirus software on my machine because I work on other people's Windows computers every day. After a service call where I have used my usb drive I always plug it into one of my machines and scan it for viruses. This is not because I'm afraid that it picked up anything that will infect my machines. It is because I'm afraid that I picked up something that will infect my next customer's machine. Several times a week I when I scan my USB drive I discover an unwanted visitor and delete it.
It was recently brought to may attention that some of you who share music or video files with Windows users also might have a use for antivirus software to prevent passing along an infected file to a friend.
ClamAV has provided a virus scanner for a number of years, and I find it to be very useful. Many times I have caught Windows viruses with it that even updated antivirus scanners on the Windows machine had missed. Also, there is a plugin for Nautilus that makes it very easy to scan files.
To install ClamAV, the plugin for Nautilus, and the updater for ClamAV simply open a terminal and type
sudo apt-get install nautilus-clamscanapt will automatically find and install the other components for you just say yes when it prompts you.
Now before you send that video or picture to a friend, you can right-click on the file in Nautilus and choose "Scan for Viruses".
