Updating importance

[Pete]

Billy A. Pumphrey wrote:

>Ok, thanks for the reply Miguel and Julian.  I do have Sophos running on it and it updates every 2 hours I believe.  So yes, as far as virus that is updated in a timely fashion and I was more speaking of MailScanner its self.  From what you said updating it is simple, which is good, and I should just keep a look out for certain updates and would be needed to coincide with the virus scanner engine or something to that effect to catch new things that are out.
>
>I have saved some of the emails that were talking about updating so that I hopefully wouldn't be completely clueless when that time comes around for me, however if its simple hopefully someone can make a few simple setps to update because the emails didn't quit tell how to but just how to tell what version and such.  I didn't know if it was a matter of needing to backup the configs and doing the update then importing the configs, or just applying the update.
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Miguel Koren O'Brien de Lacy [mailto:miguelk at KONSULTEX.COM.BR]
>Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2004 10:00 AM
>To: MAILSCANNER at JISCMAIL.AC.UK
>Subject: Re: Updating importance
>
>Billy;
>
>I assume you mean Mail Scanner itself and not the anti-virus engine or
>pattern. The pattern especially should be updated as frequently as
>possible because they all work by comparison with known virus
>definitions. As to Mail Scanner itself, there are some occasions, which
>are ususally very evident on this mailing list, when an update is
>important to catch a new type os virus mechanism or interpret a new or
>changed resut from a virus scanner that you may be using. Those updates
>are very infrequent in my history with Mail Scanner (about 3 years). I
>usually update anyway though, a few weeks after a stable release is
>available because it's pretty simple and usually has some new features I
>think I may use (but I never do).
>
>But I also believe in the golden rule that if it works well for you,
>don't touch it!
>
>Miguel
>
>Billy A. Pumphrey wrote:
>
>
>
>>Can someone explain the importance of updating, if it is important?  I
>>am still learning Linux and I have MailScanner running with someone's
>>help and I don't want to screw it up if it is not critical to update.
>>However if it is critical to update, Its probably time that I dive into
>>it again.
>>
>>Thank you
>>Billy
>>
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I too havent updated for a while, mainly because i cant really find any
good reasons to convince myself. Currently stopping a massive percentage
of spam and really havent had ANY bother with mydoom, except the reciept
emails coming through, i dont use the access maps, if addressed to
*@mydomain.com then its accepted, once day i will get around to getting
access maps working nicely, untill then we just deal with that, its not
a bog deal.

I plan on a hardware upgrade this quarter and will go for all the latest
kit then, and will switch from using Red Hat to maybe SME (used to be
esmith), since this seems to be FAR less bloated, very weel supported
and fasterer than red hat (RH that i build anyway).

If you dont have some solid reason for upgrading then.....