This simple antivirus tool is the easiest way to scan your Linux PC for threats - for free

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.

It's long been debated whether Linux needs antivirus protection. I tend to fall on the side of not needing it , but I rarely share files with Windows users. However, on those rare occasions when I have to share files with Windows users, you can bet I want to make sure that they are free of viruses.

To that end, I depend on ClamAV to ensure I'm not sending malicious files to other people.

ClamAV is one of the more popular AV solutions for Linux. It's open source, free, and can run via the command line or a GUI. The thing is, I'm not a big fan of the default ClamTK GUI. I find that it looks out of date and isn't very intuitive.

There's another option, however, called ClamUI, which is much more modern-looking and easy to use. ClamUI simplifies the process of updating the ClamAV database, gives you quick access to logs, and makes running scans easy.

Also: Try this new Linux security threat scanner to keep your system safe - you'll thank me

One of the best features of ClamUI is the Profile option, where you can select what to scan from a drop-down list of profiles, including your home folder, a full scan, or a quick scan. Or, you can manually scan specific directories.

You can even run EICAR tests with ClamUI. For those who don't know, EICAR tests use harmless sample files to safely test whether antivirus and anti-malware software is working correctly. That feature alone is very handy because you can randomly check to ensure that a database update is accurate and effective.

The EICAR test is done with a single click in the Scan area.

ClamUI is installable via Flatpak. If your distribution of choice has Flatpak built into its GUI app store, open the app store, search for ClamUI, and click Install.

If your distro doesn't bundle Flatpak support into the GUI app store, you can install the app with this command:

flatpak install flathub io.github.linx_systems.ClamUI

Once installed, you'll find the ClamUI app in your desktop menu.

Also: I've used Linux for 30 years, and this free security suite does it all - almost perfectly

If you're looking for a ClamAV GUI, you probably already have ClamAV installed. If not, you'll need to do so. You may not find ClamAV in your distro's app store, but you can install it via the command line like so: