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Re: Scanning windows from linux

On Monday 28 December 2009 05:20 in comp.os.linux.setup, somebody

> > identify> > >> If USB boot is supported on the target machine, then there are > >> various tools in various distributions for making a bootable USB > >> stick from which you could then scan the system, but none of those > >> USB-based distributions would then be designated virus scanners, so > >> you would probably have to add the antivirus software to the USB > >> stick manually. It can be done, but it's quite a bit of work. > > > This sounds great . This will surely be helpful :-) :-) > > I think, this approach can be tried out. I need to check for the USB- > > based Free distributions and need to check for the method to add the > > Free antivirus software to the USB stick. > > Mandriva is a distribution which is available on a USB stick, and there > are some others as well. =A0

I checked Mandriva website, yeah they are providing on USB stick based linux, and since it is a full fledged linux, i think the virus scanners might be supported without much hassles ! But it is not free :-(

Lemme know if there is any other USB Stick based linux flavour that is available for Free ?

Also, lemme know if there is a USB stick based linux flavour that would support virus scanners ?

No clear info from internet so far.

As I gather, the cost is not too high, but > alternatively, you can do it yourself using a freely downloadable > distribution and a USB memory stick you already own. =A0There are HowTos > about it on the web. ;-) >

Thinking on similar lines, i got an idea to try a Floppy based linux instead of USB. I know of MiniRTL(based on busybox) that did not have dependency on HDD except for the RAM (Even the RAM requirement is very minimal). Other than that, there are other flavours like 'Tomsrtbt', Asmutils based 'a-Linux' and various other Busybox based flavours. But,they are all Floppy based. But, floppy drive is not available in that machine :-(

Does tomsrtbt support USB stick based boot up ? I may check with the tomsrtbt user list regd this. Incase you have any information w.r.t tomsrtbt you can lemme know.

Another query that pops in my mind is that these minimal versions/flavours of linux might not have lot of features. They might be greatly stripped and hence not sure if they would be able to provide all required support for virus scanner or similar tools !! Any thoughts on this ?

Incase these minimal versions are not suitable for existing along with virus scanning utility in the USB stick, do lemme know.

> Can you lemme know the steptrs/links that talk in detail about this ? > > Google is your friend. ;-) >

Yeah, need to search/check the HOWTos in the internet to setup my own USB Stick based Linux so that it is Free . After that, the method to have the virus scanner on it should be tried out. I think this should be just straight forward just like having any other application on embedded linux.

>> On the other hand, you should be able to pick up a cheap second-hand > >> internal CD or DVD drive somewhere and mount it in the machine with > >> the broken CD player. > > > Yeah, this is another good idea, but in the current scenario, this is > > ruled out due to various reasons. >

PS - Have looped in comp.os.linux.embedded to get their thoughts also as it is going towards that direction also interms of footprints,utilities in FD based linux, USB stick based linux , Tiny linux flavours having support for virus scanner etc.

Thx in advans, Karthik Balaguru

Reply to
karthikbalaguru
Loading thread data ...

Ubuntu provides a utility to create a bootable USB stick.

Ubuntu provides clamav.

--
Mark Hobley
Linux User: #370818  http://markhobley.yi.org/
Reply to
Mark Hobley

formatting link
h-disk-distros This seems to have some good pointers to start with. DSL and Puppylinux seem to be very good. Nothing like setting up Ubuntu as it is a full blown linux. Pendrive linux seems to have started from Mandriva and unlike Mandriva Linux, i think this is also Free.

A) Ubuntu based USB has Synaptic Packet Manager system that could be used to install, remove, configure, or upgrade software packages, browse, sort and search the list of available software packages, manage repositories, or upgrade the whole system.

formatting link

I think, this can be used to get the virus scanner onto the USB stick once the Ubuntu is up from the USB stick. Need to check. But, No clear method is available on the method of addition of new software. Any ideas ?

B) In Puppy linux, i found specific statements that convey that one can use antivirus that is built-in or can be installed in Puppy.

formatting link
ted.htm But, did not get a clear link on the method of addition of new application to it. Any ideas ?

C) Pendrivelinux also seems to be full blown linux, and the virus scanner can be installed just as this application is installed in the below link -

formatting link
Lemme know if this Pendrivelinux method fine as conveyed in above link ?

s

Thx in advans, Karthik Balaguru

Reply to
karthikbalaguru

karthikbalaguru schrieb:

I'm also interested in a free (maybe trial) version of a Linux on an USB stick. Some time ago I tried to install such a system myself (BartPE?), but couldn't make it work with my machines. Now I don't know whether it's a matter of the software or of my BIOSes, why I couldn't boot from the stick :-(

Can you give a concrete link, or an search key?

DoDi

Reply to
Hans-Peter Diettrich

Of course not - last thing I heard nobody was giving away USB sticks for free yet. ;-)

You are not going to find one, since USB sticks cost money. Most distributions do however have the necessary tools for creating a USB-stick-based GNU/Linux distribution, and some may even have preconfigured and automated utilities to do such a thing for you.

Google is your friend.

Then you didn't look well enough. ;-)

Well, good luck with that then. The 2.6 kernel doesn't even fit on a floppy anymore, so you'd be stuck with an old kernel, which may not support all of your hardware. For instance, I don't even know whether

2.4 supports SATA hard disks.

If they are floppy-based, then they will certainly not hold any decent antivirus software, given the size of such software suits.

Then why even consider it? ;-)

That is not what it was designed for, but in theory, you should be able to make a bootable USB stick with the contents of that CD, yes. On the other hand, you'd be far better off with a more complete distribution, e.g. Knoppix.

I can't really help you with that. I've only used it once or twice, in order to detect hardware errors on one of my machines.

Yes, that is what I wrote higher up already. You'd be far better off with a "real" distro. There are several live-CD based distros, and other distros allow you to make a live-CD with a few simple mouseclicks, or a bootable USB stick. Look here and see whether you can find something to your liking:

formatting link

They will probably not have such scanners "on board", so you'd have to add them yourself. The simpler the base you start from, the more work you'll have at producing a bootable USB stick with a working distro

*and* a virus scanner.

USB sticks and floppy disks are not "embedded Linux". Embedded (GNU/)Linux is what you find in routers, cellphones and satnav systems, i.e. the "system on a chip" approach. Such systems usually don't come with antivirus software, and most of the time those devices are configured to not work as if they are complete UNIX systems.

For instance, a Linksys WRT router has a Linux-based system in firmware, but other than approaching it via a webbrowser to make a few changes to the settings, you can't do much with it, since the device was never designed for any other purposes than being a router. Alternative firmware downloads do exist, but they really *are* alternative, i.e. you'd have to install it yourself. And for your intended purposes, the issue is moot.

--
*Aragorn*
(registered GNU/Linux user #223157)
Reply to
Aragorn

Great ! This is interesting.

I searched for setting up ubuntu in USB stick and the below link -

formatting link

Another link that claims the installation of ubuntu in USB stick from Live CD is below -

formatting link
live-cd.php

Does clamav come by default after following the procedures mentioned in the below link ?

formatting link

Or, should we need to add clamav by setting up the network/internet once the ubuntu is up from the USB stick ?

Thx in advans, Karthik Balaguru

Reply to
karthikbalaguru

I got few links, but not exact info. I think the below link is one of the good input to start for USB stick based linux flavour.

formatting link
h-disk-distros

But, it does not clearly convey the method of addition of new softwares/applications to USB stick based linux.

I assume that i need to set up the network/internet and download the application/ software of interest(anti-virus, etc ) once the linux boots up from the USB stick and occupies the RAM.

Another possible method could be to add the software/application to a particular folder in USB Stick so that it gets added into a directory from where it could be executed to get installed once the ubuntu gets booted off the USB stick and occupies the RAM.

For setting up ubuntu in USB stick -

formatting link

Setting up ubuntu in USB stick from Live CD -

formatting link
live-cd.php

Incase of ubuntu,

formatting link
I think, after the below step, the application/software can be copied into the USB folder itself. ' Download UBconvert.zip and extract the files to the USB folder ' But, not sure. Any ideas ?

Any trick for adding the application/software so that the application comes by default when it gets booted up from the USB Stick instead of adding it everytime ? That is , it need not be installed once the linux gets booted up from the USB stick ?

Still searching for information w.r.t this. Lemme know if you got some information regarding this.

Nice link ! This link would be of great help to me. It is fantastic. Your response has been very helpful !!

Thx in advans, Karthik Balaguru

Reply to
karthikbalaguru

That is correct.

There are several methods for doing this, but if you're going to save it on a separate partition on the USB stick - as opposed to making it part of the boot image - then I recommend formatting that partition with a UNIX-style filesystem, i.e. ext2/3, reiserfs, XFS or JFS, but not with FAT32, as that does not honor the UNIX permissions and file ownerships.

Either use an ext2/3 or similar filesystem on the USB stick and save it to that, or add it to the boot image from which the GNU/Linux system boots up from the stick. If push comes to shove, you can temporarily save the downloaded files to a /tmpfs/ - i.e. a temporary filesystem in RAM while you are fiddling with the USB stick.

That link is known to just about every GNU/Linux user. ;-) As you didn't seem to know about it yet until I mentioned it here, you're probably not a real GNU/Linux user... :p

--
*Aragorn*
(registered GNU/Linux user #223157)
Reply to
Aragorn

Right, you need to add clamav, after you have built the stick, but this is very straightforward. The penstick will be updated to reflect changes as packages are added or removed. (It works justs like a regular installation).

I've got some notes on the creation of the bootable pendrive somewhere. I will try and dig them out for you.

Mark.

--
Mark Hobley
Linux User: #370818  http://markhobley.yi.org/
Reply to
Mark Hobley

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