Install Sophos Linux

Owned by Christopher Mueller
Last updated: Apr 21, 2020 by dbarnett (Deactivated)
3 min read

Installing Free Sophos Antivirus for Linux in Ubuntu/Linux Mint/elementary OS

When it comes to PC security, Sophos is a highly respected and famous brand. They have made a free version for Linux that comes with a virus scanner and a removal tool. What more, it also includes a real-time scanner that can detect threats on the fly. Let’s check out how to install it on your P. This guide is tested on Ubuntu 17.10, but should also work on older versions too.

  1. Go to the Sophos website and download the latest copy of the Sophos Antivirus for Windows. You may have to accept their terms and provide an email ID during free registration.

    Download Sophos Antivirus for Linux

  2. The downloaded package is a compressed archive file. It should look like sav-linux-free-9.tgz. The version number may be different based on when you download it. I’m assuming that the downloads are going here. In case it’s different in your case, navigate to it in the terminal using ‘ls’ and ‘cd’ command.

    Launch ‘Terminal’ and propagate to the ‘Downloads’ directory.

    Terminal Window
    Use ls command to list all directories to know where to navigate.
    ls
  3. Use the cd command to go inside the ‘Downloads’ directory.

    cd Downloads

  4. Again, ls command to see contents of ‘Downloads’ directory.
    ls

  5. Use the tar command to extract the contents of the .tgz file. Replace the filename after -xvzf with your downloaded file name.
    tar -xvzf sav-linux-free-9.tgzY

  6. ou should see the list of extracted content in the Terminal. Use the ls command to see inside the extracted content.
    ls

  7. Use the cd command to propagate into the sub-directory.
    cd sophos-av

  8. Use the following command to run the sh installer.
    sudo sh ./install.sh

  9. Press <enter> and <space> to scroll to the bottom of the super long agreement and enter ‘Y’ to confirm the installation.

  10. You will see a prompt whether to install Sophos in /opt/sophos-av directory. That is typical of the Linux directory structure. Go ahead and press <enter>.
    Where do you want to install Sophos Anti-Virus? [/opt/sophos-av]

  11. Next, it will ask if you want to enable on-access scanning. It is a great feature that will detect malware on the fly when transferring files. It will consume some RAM in the background, but it’s worth it.
    Do you want to enable on-access scanning? Yes(Y)/No(N) [Y]
    Enter ‘Y’ and press <enter>

  12. Choose what type of updating you want. I chose ‘s’.

    Which type of auto-updating do you want? From Sophos(s)/From own server(o)/None(n) [s]

  13. Key in ‘f’ to select free Sophos Antivirus, which will have no support.

    Do you wish to install the Free (f) or Supported (s) version of SAV for Linux? [s]

  14. Enter proxy info if needed. I have none, so I entered ‘Y.’

    Do you need a proxy to access Sophos updates? Yes(Y)/No(N) [N]

  15. Installation complete!

    Installation Complete

    Fetching free update credentials.
    Installing Sophos Anti-Virus....
    Selecting appropriate kernel support...
    When Sophos Anti-Virus starts, it updates itself to try to find a Sophos kernel interface module update. This might cause a significant delay.
    Sophos Anti-Virus starts after installation.

    Installation completed.
    Your computer is now protected by Sophos Anti-Virus.