The f-prot live-install on Knoppix 3.4 downloads f-prot and its complete, up-to-date virus definitions each time it is run. It works beautifully with a high-speed internet connection, but I haven't tried installing it over a dialup connection.

It has to download all the virus definitions, not just the new ones, each time you boot up and run the live-install. There just isn't room on the Knoppix cd for the f-prot program and a basic set of virus definitions, and apparently Klaus Knopper has concerns about it not being Free-as-in-freedom.

If anyone knows of a good way to carry f-prot and a basic set of virus definitions around on a USB thumbdrive, with incremental updates downloaded quickly over the 'net, please post it here.

The BitDefender cd, LinuxDefender_Live!_v1.5.6_CeBIT.iso, was based on the c't Knoppix 3.4 iso. It had a built-in Windows virus scanner with the definition database updated over the net, and support for Captive ntfs read-write access. I haven't actually tried it, though, and it doesn't seem to be available on the BitDefender site anymore. Try http://gddistrowatch.tuwien.ac.at/?newsid=01481#0

For "native" MS-Windows antivirus, PCWorld.com has a review ( http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article...,113462,00.asp ) of four free-as-in-beer programs that are quite good, with scheduled scans and definition updates. They recommend Alwil's Avast ( http://www.asw.cz/i_idt_1016.html ) as the best of the bunch. Make sure all your MS-Windows using friends are running it, and you'll have less work to do helping them recover from virus infections.