Use a virus scanner like ClamAV or Nessus on your Linux system.
Use a virus scanner like ClamAV or Nessus on your Linux system.
She got a thumb drive from eBay with sewing machine templates. It feels suspicious, so I considered installing Linux on an old laptop and using an OS that doesn’t automatically install malware. Then I thought about scanning the drive before opening it on a Windows machine. I’m new to this but want to understand more about security. My worry is the drive might load something without my antivirus checking it first.
You can install ClamAV by loading Ubuntu and running "sudo apt-get install clamav". After that, update the definitions with "sudo freshclam". Then scan your files using "clamscan" (add the folder and file to the end). Be aware you might need sudo for root scans. That’s roughly what I know—still learning as a Linux newbie!
I recommend using the drive and connecting it to a Linux system. I assume the templates are simply image files, so transfer them to the Linux machine. Afterward, you can reformat the USB and reinsert the images.
I'm happy to assist, though the advice from @Razor Blade does seem reasonable when evaluating malware checks. My suggestion comes from aligning with your particular needs.
Yes, a Linux OS scan can detect malware threats. It seems this is the intended purpose.
It's still worth checking those files. Many viruses embed code into numerous files, so extra caution is needed. If I were you, I'd start by scanning the entire drive, run a Windows VM in VirtualBox using the program it uses, then examine the templates to ensure there are no corruption issues. If possible, resave them and re-upload them to another drive. Once that's done, perform a full scan with Malwarebytes, Avast, or AVG on your main PC before accepting the files as safe. I sometimes go overboard, though.