ClamAV and Anti-Spam

laughingbuddha · Mon Mar 10, 2008 9:35 pm

Hi,

I'm due to install a new server soon, my first live Plesk install as my last 3 installs have been on non-live servers.

I'm going to use CentOS 5 and Plesk 8.3

On my current WebFusion (Pipex) Plesk 7 VPS I use Spam Assassin but no anti virus (due to WebFusion admin). How ever I want to offer my clients anti-virus as well as anti-spam as standard.

What is the best option for this (cheapy cheap) to protect my clients, and what are the install steps on a clean server?

Matt

Galactic Zero · Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:30 am

Make sure DrWeb is not installed, then make sure psa-spamassassin is uninstalled.

Yum install spamassassin clamd razor pyzor dcc qmail-scanner

Then set your configs in local.cf and qmail-scanner.ini then run qmail-scanner-reconfigure.

That should get you all sorted out.. do some searches here is you get lost.

Unread post by **scott** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:42 am

Ive got image-spam rules in clamav now too. (did you know it could do that?

)

laughingbuddha · Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:13 pm

Ok, I had you right up till you said:-

"Yum install spamassassin clamd razor pyzor dcc qmail-scanner"

I'm new to Plesk and Linux and have until recently been using Windows Server (in my old job). I just finished writing a Plesk and CentOS 5 install guide, mainly for my own use to procedure server installs. I wrote this using advice and help from the users over at the Plesk forum.

Matt

laughingbuddha · Tue Mar 11, 2008 9:14 pm

Right I did a quick google and found the following:

http://forum.swsoft.com/showthread.php?t=45118

In this thread on the plesk forums, this guy was aiming to secure his newly installed server.

He is using the Atomic repository, FC4 (I will use the latest build of CentOS 5), he also installed OSSEC. What is that, and should I install it too? Are the steps he took in 10th post on that thread good steps to follow?

I will in the middle of the year commit to the paid Atomic services, but for now to get my server up and running I will use the free services.

Also when I take the server for hosting I will be adding additional dedicated ips to the server (haven't yet look at how to do this), will this effect anything I'm doing in the initial setup and install of the server, and can I add the ips in the Plesk GUI or do I have to do it at OS level?

Sorry for the many questions, but I'm a newbie, technicaly minded but still new to Linux and Plesk.

Matt

Unread post by **scott** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:43 am

Step 1) set up the atomic, and optionally plesk yum channels:

wget -q -O - http://www.atomicorp.com/installers/atomic |sh

Step 2) install the packages listed above with:

yum install spamassassin clamd razor pyzor dcc qmail-scanner

laughingbuddha · Wed Mar 12, 2008 8:47 am

Ah, cheers.

What config actions do I need to take if any?

Galactic Zero · Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:42 am

Set your spam score, configure bayes if you are going to use it, delete, bounce etc... Most of that is in the qmail-scanner.ini with comments as to what each does. Set your score and rewrite subject message, bayes info if you are going to use it in the local.cf file.

make sure you run qmail-scanner-reconfigure after you modify the qmail-scanner.ini file and restart spamassassin if you modify the local.cf.

You would also want to setup sa-update as a cron as well as setting a cron for freshclam to autostart on server boots. Freshclam drops a file in the /etc/cron.daily so all you have to do is add it to the crontab. Searchs on this forum will answer most of your config questions. I know I've asked a lot here and have found alot of answers here also from searching.

laughingbuddha · Wed Mar 12, 2008 11:07 am

Wicked, thanks.

I'm going to chuck together a test box to do a test install this week prior to installing my live server.

Just noticed that pesk do all but the unlimited plesk plus as monthly licences.....buggers.

Unread post by **scott** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 2:26 pm

You shouldnt have to manipulate freshclam, /etc/cron.daily means it gets run daily.

Galactic Zero · Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:12 pm

hum.. my freshclam was in there but wasn't starting automatically on reboot of server....

Unread post by **scott** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 8:41 am

It doesnt run as a daemon, its configured to update every 24 hours as a client.

Galactic Zero · Thu Mar 13, 2008 10:13 am

Ok, that makes sense now...

what are the advantages and disadvantages to running it as a daemon?

One advantage is faster updates of the DB.
Overhead the disadvantage?

Unread post by **scott** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 8:05 am

I was told by the clam folks that they only make at most 2 updates a day (that might have changed). So I was trying to design in being a "good-neighbor" to their bandwidth.

laughingbuddha · Fri Mar 14, 2008 11:40 am

Good idea