It’s always sad to see a long-standing bit of open-source software put itself out to pasture (a euphemism for going way of the dodo, which is a metaphor becoming extinct or obsolete, which together are needless inclusions for the start a news post).
A few weeks back the iconic IRC client Hexchat announced it is no longer under active development, citing a lack of manpower and will.
This week the developer of ClamTk announced it is no longer maintained. The seemingly sole dev has chosen to step away for a mix of personal, technical, and modernity-related reasons, adding: –
“My goals were to give back to Linux, which gave me a lot, and to get better at programming. I probably did not do either. I did get more knowledgeable about how packaging works, but I suppose that’s not relevant.”
Not familiar with ClamTk?
ClamTk was first released in 2004 as a user-friendly Linux frontend to the open-source ClamAV antivirus engine (note: ClamAV is a separate, distinct project whose development is overseen by the Talos Group, at Cisco Systems and is not affected by this decision).
The single most effective anti-virus tool we have isn’t an apt install away: it’s ourselves
Now, you can cook a hotdog on the heat generated by the debates folks have on the subject of whether Linux needs antivirus software. For me, fixating on “viruses” is foolish anyway given that attack vectors are more sophisticated today.
Malware, phishing, browser-based backdoors, obfuscated code in widely-used open-source projects, social engineering, password leaks, and even good ol’ fashioned trickery (we’ve seen crypto-miner and crypto-stealer apps in the Ubuntu snap store).
Yes, this all reads like I’m making a tangential point to bump the word count —Moi? 😉— but the point is that whatever OS you use you should never rely on one bit of software, be it FOSS or not, to keep you covered.
The single most effective anti-virus tool you have isn’t an apt install away it’s yourself, innit!
Anyway, I’m still pretty bummed to hear that this app is ‘passing on’. Maintaining software can be a thankless task, more so when its niche (as many assume Linux virus scanners to be), subject to debate, and lacking engaged contributors to keep things ticking over.
I used ClamTK a bit back in my netbook days. It was either preinstalled in the Xandros-based Linux distro ASUS put on the EeePC 701 (above) or it was one of those “recommend to install” things listed in blog posts of the era (enough for me to actually listen to them).
— Hey, I wasn’t long out of Windows XP. I was conditioned to assume any app I installed would “gift” me pr0n-laden pop-up (at best) or yet-another dodgy browser toolbar (at worst), so I ran that thing regularly on Linux out of habit!
I don’t know ClamTK‘s maintainer, Dave M, personally but I found his announcement a hard, dispiriting read. He sounds like he could do with …Well, a hug but also a bit of acknowledgement for his efforts.
Dave may not feel like he “gave back to Linux” with ClamTk but he most assuredly has.
ClamTK has been in the Debian and Ubuntu archives for as long as I’ve been writing this blog (and hey, I went to school with Spinosauridae). Not every bit of software is a trendy staple. Most apps, tools, and doohickeys sit until required — reassurance, if you will.
For me, that’s exactly the role ClamTK played for many folks. It might not have been top of people’s “must have apps for Ubuntu” but it’s existence was a important bulwark, even if just psychologically (though in a world of dual-boots don’t overlook the usefulness).
Still, with security threats ever-evolving so must the tools used to detect, monitor, and curtail them. Perhaps it’s time for a more agile, modern Linux security tool to emerge — and a bit of collective common sense!
Thanks DJ.