Ubuntu
wine package

Wine and virus

Asked by Daniel R. O'Connor

I am running Ubuntu 9.04, I am interested in installing wine so I can run some windows based programs. But I have herd that windows viruses can run in wine. I don't keep any important files on my Ubuntu partition, or any at all for that matter, I just use it for doing things that require Internet. I use windows for all my reports and stuff. Because I only use Ubuntu for Internet what is the risk of installing Wine? and is there a virus scanner/remover I can use in it?

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actionparsnip
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gadolinio (gadolinio) said : 		#1

I use ubuntu and wine for some windows programs, but wine executes them only if i command it to do so. You can install wine but have the .exe files configured to be openen with another program as default (i have the program used for decompression), and wine as a "second option". That way, when you really want to execute it you right-click the exe file and select "open with wine windows program loader". If you happen to double-click it accidentally, it will be opened with the other program and not executed. In case you have downloaded a malicious .exe, and you choose to execute it without knowing that, well... you could mess things up. But as far as i know, and in my own experience, windows viruses don't execute themselves through wine without your permission.
Haha, it would be probably safer to use ubuntu for documents and important stuff :P
Hope you find this useful...

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Best actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#2

Yes they can run in wine but will be isolated to wine. If wine has access to your user files it may affect them but only with a windows virus. Windows virii will not affect Linux.

If the app you use doesnt connect to the web then you have nothing to fear.

If you do get a virus in wine, simply exit the apps and then you can virus scan the ~/.wine folder for virus' but I doubt you will ever need to do this. If you cannot clear it, simply delete ~/.wine and rerun it to get a new stock, clean folder. You will need to reinstall any apps however but again this is incredibly rare

In short, don't sweat it.

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Daniel R. O'Connor (603oconnord) said : 		#3

Thanks actionparsnip, that solved my question.