Viruses and Knoppix

[jiggaman]

Hello all,

Just wondering if anyone knew, if I boot knoppix off of a cd and just use it to browse the web, am I able to get a windows virus since windows is installed on the HD?

I wanted to use an old laptop and boot knoppix off cd to log into bank accounts and such since there really aren't any linux viruses, but was wondering if I could still get viruses since windows is on the HD and I'm accessing the HD, or if windows needs to actually be running for windows viruses to function.


thanks.

[OErjan]

uhm, if you download the virus it may infect your computer when you start windows, but... not very likely.
the virus will to 95%+ certainty be just another file as it is not set to run at boot.
true if you edit some files (regedit) it may become active, but that is basically to manually install the virus, not very likley and not very bright.

[jiggaman]

Thanks for the info. Since I'd be using an old computer, I'd probably never boot windows again. I'd only use it to boot Knoppix off of cd to surf the web.

So as long as I only boot off cd I guess I'd be safe.

[hal8000]

Using the knoppix CD to surf the web, itis not possible to get a virus.

However if you downloaded an email with infected attachement, it wont harm linux, but could
infect a windows system if opened

[gradofan]

Using the knoppix CD to surf the web, itis not possible to get a virus.

However if you downloaded an email with infected attachement, it wont harm linux, but could
infect a windows system if opened

Hi... I'm a Linux NewBee and have some basic questions.

Do you mean... if I open the infected email, or attachment, in a net email account while I'm using Windows, then it can infect my Windows O/S - right?
-lin
Not that it can effect my Windows system, if I open the infected email, or attachment, in Linux - right?

Or, can such an infection affect my Windows system, if I just open it, while I'm using Linux - when I shut it down, and later boot Windows???

And... related... I got Linux because I thought, it would allow me to surf the web with much lower liklihood of being infected with a trojan, or a key logger. Is that correct?

I would like to use my system of online financial transactions, with little risk of a key logger capturing my security codes, and allowing a breach of my accounts. Will using Linux allow me to achieve that?

Also - should I use Linux to conduct my financial transactions, or should I use it only for all my other web browsing, and restrict Windows for conducting my financial transactions? I'd like to use Windows, because I suspect it has greater compatibility with some of my financial sites.

Forgive my rudimentary questions - I'm not a "techy" and have never used Linux before this past weekend.

Thanks for your help.

GF