freshclam.conf - Configuration file for Clam AntiVirus Database Updater

The file freshclam.conf configures the Clam AntiVirus Database Updater, freshclam(1).

The file consists of comments and options with arguments. Each line that starts with a hash (#) symbol is a comment. Options and arguments are case sensitive and of the form Option Argument. The (possibly optional) arguments are of the following types:

STRING

String without blank characters.

SIZE

Size in bytes. You can use 'M' or 'm' modifiers for megabytes and 'K' or 'k' for kilobytes.

NUMBER

Unsigned integer.

When an option is not used (hashed or doesn't exist in the configuration file) freshclam takes a default action.

Example

If this option is set freshclam will not run.

DatabaseOwner STRING

When started by root, drop privileges to a specified user.

Default:

AllowSupplementaryGroups

Initialize supplementary group access (freshclam must be started by root).

Default: disabled

DatabaseDirectory STRING

Path to a directory containing database files.

Default: /var/lib/clamav/

Checks NUM

Number of database checks per day.

Default: 12

UpdateLogFile STRING

Enable logging to a specified file. Highly recommended.

Default: disabled.

LogSyslog

Enable logging to Syslog. May be used in combination with UpdateLogFile.

Default: disabled.

LogFacility

Specify the type of syslog messages - please refer to 'man syslog' for facility names.

Default: LOG_LOCAL6

PidFile

This option allows you to save the process identifier of the daemon.

Default: disabled

LogVerbose

Enable verbose logging.

Default: disabled

DNSDatabaseInfo STRING

This directive enables database and software version verification through DNS TXT records.

Default: enabled, pointing to current.cvd.clamav.net

DatabaseMirror STRING

Server name where database updates are downloaded from. In order to download the database from the closest mirror you should configure freshclam to use db.xy.clamav.net where xy represents your country code. If this option is given multiple times, freshclam(1) tries them in the order given. It's strongly recommended that you use db.xy.clamav.net as the first mirror and database.clamav.net as the second.

Default: database.clamav.net

MaxAttempts NUM

Freshclam(1) tries every mirror this number of times before switching to the next mirror.

Default: 3 (per mirror)

HTTPProxyServer STR, HTTPProxyPort NUM

Use given proxy server and TCP port for database downloads.

HTTPProxyUsername STR,HTTPProxyPassword STR

Proxy usage is authenticated through given username and password.

Default: no proxy authentication

LocalIPAddress IP

Use IP as client address for downloading databases. Useful for multi homed systems.

Default: Use OS'es default outgoing IP address.

NotifyClamd [STRING]

Notify a running clamd(8) to reload its database after a download has occurred. Optionally a clamd.conf(5) file location may be given to tell freshclam(1) how to communicate with clamd(8).

Default: The default is to not notify clamd. See clamd.conf(5)'s option SelfCheck for how clamd(8) handles database updates in this case.

OnUpdateExecute STRING

Execute this command after the database has been successfully updated.

Default: disabled

OnErrorExecute STRING

Execute this command after a database update has failed.

Default: disabled

While not reasonable, any configuration option from clamd.conf(5) may be given.

/etc/clamav/freshclam.conf

Thomas Lamy <thomas.lamy@netwake.de>

freshclam(1), clamd.conf(5), clamd(8), clamscan(1)