Bitdefender: Linux antivirus made simple
We've covered a few Linux antivirus tools here on Ghacks (see "Install Avira Antivirus on Linux" or "Rescue that infected Windows drive with Trinity Rescue" or the articles covering ClamAV). All of those solutions are solid, but none of them offer the Windows-like ease of use that Bitdefender offers.
Now, before you begin this journey with Bitdefender, know that this tool is not free, nor open source. The Linux port of Bitdefender is proprietary and you will have to pay for a license. There is a trial license to use to see if this tool is worth purchasing. I think, after using it, you will find it is worth the purchase price.
In this article I will show you how to install and use Bitdefender on Linux.
Before we begin
You might be asking yourself Why would I purchase a proprietary antivirus software for Linux?" I have often advocated one of the best solutions for disinfecting a Windows drive is to remove that drive and attach it to a Linux machine and run an antivirus software on the mounted drive. Bitdfefender is a perfect solution for that task. With a proprietary software you will remain up to date on virus definitions as well as have the support of the company that makes the software. These are must-haves in the world of business. Why not have them at home as well?
Installation
The installation of Bitdefender is simple. Download the executable binary installation file and save it in your ~/Downloads directory. Now follow these steps:
- Open up a terminal window.
- Give the newly downloaded file executable permissions with the command chmod u+x BitDefender-Antivirus-XXX.run Where XXX is the release number.
- Issue the command sudo./BitDefender-Antivirus-XXX.run (Where XXX is the release number)Â to install the software.
- Agree to the license.
- Allow the installation tool to install the GUI package.
- That's it. You are now ready to run BitDefender.
Usage
To run the BitDefender GUI you can issue the command bdgui, which will open up the main window (see Figure 1). As you can see, the GUI is very reminiscent of any given Windows antivirus GUI.
One of the first things you should do is run a definitions update. This is done by clicking the Update button. When you do that a small window will open giving you the progress of the update. The download can be fairly large so give it plenty of time to finish.
To run a scan you simple click on the Scanner button and then, in the new window, select the directory you want to scan. Of course, should you want to scan your entire Linux machine you would select / (the root directory) for scanning.
I will warn you. On my systems I tend to retain a lot of distribution ISO files (for testing and  so on). These take a LONG time to scan, so you might want to set the *iso extension as an exception to scanning (if you trust your iso sources of course).
Final thoughts
Outside of that, you will find the BitDefender antivirus solution as simple to use as its Windows counterparts. The GUI is well designed and the product works exactly as you would expect. If you are looking for an antivirus that is user-friendly and reliable, but for the Linux operating system, BitDefender might be your tool.
Other way: don’t install that crappy AV!
I had GOM player slip this in on an update.
Hi! You can also find detailed instructions here: http://www.avg.com/ww-en/secure-search-uninstall I hope it helps. Thanks.
if anyone actually took the time to read through their earnings statement would understand the importance of the toolbar, it’s a cash cow, and can’t blame them for pushing it to uninformed users.
it’s not a company to bet on when it’s driven mostly by short term revenue rather than innovation…
The sitesafety plugin is spyware which cannot be removed from your browser EVER. I have uninstalled the toolbar, and made the error if saying “Yes, keep sitesafety for secure web searches” which means FOREVER. I have deleted all files pointing to AVG, because they will no longer uninstall through control panel add/remove. “Could not uninstall at this time try again later” I don’t want to DISABLE it I want it GONE. But it keeps regenerating. AVG Secure Search directory keeps coming back to life in my Programs Folder, even though I removed everything called AVG in document and settings profiles for administrator, all users, myself, default users, it keeps coming back. It keeps UPDATING with Firefox’s update plugin option, so I am unable to auto update my other VALID plugins due to that one being auto updated and reinstalling everything too. NEVER USE AVG for anything, THEY refuse to help remove it too. They say it is something I must have done. YES, I made the mistake of clicking “Yes, keep avg secure search while removing the toolbar” I have read elsewhere that this IS THE KILLER DECISION. It makes removing secure search impossible.
I cannot seem to block AVG security search toolbar from reinstalling. Whether I use windows uninstall or Revo, I get “Could not uninstall at this time try again later. Revo does show all the files it thinks are related to AVG secure search toolbar, which are scattered throughout my drive, and I select all and delete. The next day I get a new task-bar pop up asking to activate, I decline, but look in the programs and there is AVG secure search listed again!!! I tried in Chrome to block any cookies from AVG, [*.]avg.com, Blocked, under privacy setting. Any thoughts. I also have Symantec endpoint protection but it has no clue this is going on. Any ideas?
“So what’s the purpose of the toolbar? It ships with a link scanner that displays security information about websites. This is similar to what Web of Trust does. The toolbar itself offers search, weather information, a link to a speedtest and other features that are not really related to security.” Relevant security information about known/unknown websites; a SMALL matter you omitted. Similar to Web of Trust but not the same; another omission In math terms no equal. No, these features are not related to security but are securely offered. Correct me on the last point if I am wrong. I will ask AVG as I conclude with our conversation. “Martin Brinkmann… He is passionate about all things tech and knows the Internet and computers like the back of his hand.” Yea, sure. And at my age I am just to believe it “because I read it on the Internet.” What? Did you write this yourself, Martin? Not ALL of us fall for the same old lame lines. Superior products come from Germany as do Sweden. AVG will tell anyone, for free, how to uninstall their free product line. How would I know? I asked them! Oh, but pardon me. My day and age has passed; you “blogger’s” know everything know adays. Asking a company is tantamount to stupid these days for you young people. I would suppose you consider all the times AVG Safe Search and Surf Shield saved a computer one time as to all the other useless apps out there that freeze a computer to be the main danger to the computer. And we are talking computers, Mr Brinkmann, as a cell phone is a computer with the ability to make a call. Verses a true mobile phone back in my day. Well, you have better things to blog about than an old man like me. In the end, sir, the problem IS the end user and not a company who builds free products for those who know not how to employ them. Try writing about the ineptitude of the end-user. After all if everyone knew their computers OS and how to…… Well, safe to say, Mr. Brinkmann, your work shall never end.
All I have left on my pc is AVG secure search. When I try the normal Uninstall page of Control Panel, it just hangs and I end up having to restart. The longest we have left it is 4 hours. I have also tried Revo, as another forum swears by it. Same problem.
Even the AVG site gives you both the Unistall option (that doesn’t work) and the Add Ons option (I use Firefox). Neither work at all.
Whatever I do, it just hangs. I cant get rid of it. Please help.
AVG CRAP can be easily removed with FILE UNLOCKER, COMPLETELY REMOVED! After
removing AVG CRAP, restore IE by downloading Microsofts IE repair software. PRESTO – NO
MORE AVG BULLSHIT or lame Indian tech support asking for payment to remove their own
garbage. AVG installs if you download winzip7 from softpedia, and system information wizard from other download sites.
I removed all instances of vprot.exe from my registry and startup (run). I then removed everything under “C:\Program Files (x86)\AVG Secure Search”. Then I edited the properties of the “AVG Secure Search” directory, removing inheritance and leaving my account as having the only access and finally, I denied my accounts right to traverse folder/execute file. After a several reboots for good measure, I am having no problem.
Since the directory exists, AVG can’t create it and the system has no rights to the one that exists, so whatever process keeps reinstalling it, is shutdown cold.