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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Do you use an antivirus? Why, or why not? (lemmy.kde.social)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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With the increase popularity of the linux desktop and the steamdeck, will new viruses and malwares be developed for linux systems? should we better use an antivirus?

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

There are tools that do this but it's mostly for known issues or vulnerabilities (i.e. bad practice in coding or done after the fact). Some stuff runs code on at sandbox looking for sketchy behavior, but hackers may work around that by having malware that only activates in CD l specific circumstances or times.

There can also be "privilege escalation" exploits which can allow a rogue process to obtain root/admin, and even without the process would have full access to whatever the user does in terms of network/device/hardware/process access (or sudo, as applicable).

Not being able to run as root doesn't help all that much if the process is able to access sensitive saved data, files and/or the internet