How to install and configure AVG free anti-virus on an Ubuntu VPS

AVG Free is a version of the AVG anti-virus, spyware and malware protection software which is free for private and non-commercial use. One of the main uses of AVG is on mail servers as a server-side email virus scanner.
To install AVG Free on an Ubuntu VPS follow the very easy steps described below.

Make sure your Ubuntu 14.04 Linux VPS is fully up to date using:

apt-get update
apt-get upgrade

Download AVG Free to a directory on your server:

cd /opt
wget http://download.avgfree.com/filedir/inst/avg2013flx-r3118-a6926.i386.deb

Install AVG Free:

sudo dpkg -i avg2013flx-r3118-a6926.i386.deb

After installing the package, update the virus definitions by running:

sudo avgupdate

Run the following command to configure AVG Free to scan your emails for known viruses, spyware and other malware:

/opt/avg/av/bin/avgsetup

AVG command line setup
Copyright (c) 2013 AVG Technologies CZ

Your location:  Start

Welcome to the AVG for Linux/FreeBSD Deployment Wizard.
The Wizard will help you deploy AVG according to your needs.

Please choose what you want to do now:

M) Set up the TCPD protection for E-mail Server
O) Set up On-Access for Real-time protection
E) Exit

Type [M|O|E]: M

AVG command line setup
Copyright (c) 2013 AVG Technologies CZ

Your location:  Start -> E-Mail Deployment

Deploying TCPD for E-mail protection

Please select the E-Mail server you want to secure:

D) Auto detection
P) Postfix
S) Sendmail
Q) Qmail
A) Amavisd interface
B) Go to back
E) Exit

Type [D|P|S|Q|A|B|E]: D

AVG command line setup
Copyright (c) 2013 AVG Technologies CZ

Your location:  Start -> E-Mail Deployment -> Sendmail configuration

AVG for Milter library configuration – sendmail

Please enter the number of the port for inet socket (to use the default value 10024, press ‘Enter’): press ‘Enter‘

Do you want to enable AVG certification in e-mail body? (y/N): N
Do you want to enable AVG certification in e-mail headers: scan? (Y/n): Y

Do you want to enable AVG certification in e-mail headers: spam? (Y/n): Y

Please select a configuration mode:

A) Auto – try to set up the system automatically.
M) Manual – enter the path to a configuration file manually.
B) Go to back
E) Exit
Please type [A|M|B|E]: A
File /etc/mail/sendmail.cf is detected

Configuration for /etc/mail/sendmail.cf is ready.
Backup of the /etc/mail/sendmail.cf file has been created: /etc/mail/sendmail.cf_avgbackup.
Do you want to apply the configuration now?
Please type Yes or No: Yes

Success
It is necessary to restart the service sendmail. Do you wish to restart the service?  (Y/n): Y

That is it. The AVG mail scanning is now enabled and active.

 

Scan files and directories using AVG

 

You can scan files and directories on-demand by running avgscan. Avgscan is a command line anti-virus scanner.

Listed below are some important options from the avgscan man page:

-l, --heal    Automatically heal infected object.

-t, --delete  Automatically delete infected object.

-h, --help   Display help.

For example, to thoroughly scan /home directory and it’s sub-directories recursively (‘paranoid’ scan’), and store the report in the /var/log/avgscan.log file, run the following command:

avgscan -aPcijk -r /var/log/avgscan.log /home

Of course you don’t have to do any of this if you use one of our Managed Hosting services, in which case you can simply ask our expert Linux admins to install AVG anti-virus for you. They are available 24×7 and will take care of your request immediately.

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