pixbyjnjphotos wrote:
I will agree that there is a learning curve. However, the latest Linux operating systems are very much like windows in look and feel and installation is pretty much a breeze. The learning curve is not much different than learning new photo processing software that you have never seen before. There are a few drawbacks but by far and large Linux is wonderful. If you are like so many older folks, and surf the internet a lot there is nothing like Linux. If you use Mozilla Firefox on windows you can use Mozilla Firefox on Linux. Same with Chrome. When it comes to updates, Windows takes hours and Linux takes minutes. I am 73 and I love the speed of Linux and not having to worry about viruses and the like. Everyone is allowed to make their own choice though - Windows, OSX, or Linux. Windows and OSX cost money Linux is free. I do have Windows 10 on two of my computers and have experienced only one problem. The last update on my Acer1 Notebook left the machine with no sound. It took 3 hours to update and now no sound. I am also running Windows 10 on a newly rebuilt tower and have no issues so far. Have a GREAT DAY!
I will agree that there is a learning curve. Howe... (
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If you think you are safe from viruses on Linux I have a beachfront house for sale in Tucson you might be interested in.
The use of an operating system is directly correlated to the interest by the malware writers to develop malware for that OS - as more people use Linux, more malware will be written for it.
In people's minds, if it's non-Windows, it's secure, and that's not the case. They think nobody writes malware for Linux or Mac OS X. But that's not true.
Buffer overruns, trojan horses, web scripts, cross platform viruses, worms, botnets, rootkits, - ALL of these and many more have variants that are targeted specifically to Linux systems.
I know of at least 20 companies that sell anti-virus software for Linux, and make a very tidy sum of money doing so.
Here's a quick list of some of the nastier and more common malware that attacks Linux systems, and only a couple of them require root privileges -
Botnets
Mayhem - 32/64-bit Linux/FreeBSD multifunctional botnet
Linux/Remaiten - A threat targeting the Internet of Things.
Rootkits
Snakso-A - 64-bit Linux webserver rootkit
Trojans
Effusion - 32/64-bit injector for Apache/Nginx webservers
Hand of Thief - Banking trojan, 2013,
Kaiten - Linux.Backdoor.Kaiten trojan horse
Rexob - Linux.Backdoor.Rexob trojan
Waterfall screensaver backdoor - on gnome-look.org
Tsunami.gen — Backdoor.Linux.Tsunami.gen
Turla — HEUR:Backdoor.Linux.Turla.gen
Xor DDoS A Trojan malware that hijacks Linux systems and uses them to launch DDoS attacks which have reached loads of 150+ Gbps.
Viruses
42
Arches
Alaeda - Virus.Linux.Alaeda
Binom - Linux/Binom
Bliss - requires root privileges
Brundle
Bukowski
Caveat
Coin
Diesel - Virus.Linux.Diesel.962
Hasher
Kagob a - Virus.Linux.Kagob.a
Kagob b - Virus.Linux.Kagob.b
Lacrimae (aka Crimea)
Linux.Encoder.1
MetaPHOR (also known as Simile)
Nuxbee - Virus.Linux.Nuxbee.1403
OSF.8759
PiLoT
Podloso - Linux.Podloso (The iPod virus)
RELx
Rike - Virus.Linux.Rike.1627
RST - Virus.Linux.RST.a (known for infecting Mozilla Suite and Thunderbird)
Satyr - Virus.Linux.Satyr.a
Staog
Vit - Virus.Linux.Vit.4096
Winter - Virus.Linux.Winter.341
Winux (also known as Lindose and PEElf)
Wit virus
Zariche - Linux.Zariche.A (and variants)
ZipWorm - Virus.Linux.ZipWorm
Worms
Adm - Net-Worm.Linux.Adm
Adore
Bad Bunny - Perl.Badbunny
Cheese - Net-Worm.Linux.Cheese
Devnull
Kork
Linux/Lion
Linux.Darlloz - Targets home routers, set-top boxes, security cameras and industrial control systems
Linux/Lupper.worm
Mighty - Net-Worm.Linux.Mighty
Millen - Linux.Millen.Worm
Ramen worm - targeted only Red Hat Linux distributions versions 6.2 and 7.0
Slapper
SSH Bruteforce