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Get ClamAV running on Mac OS X (using Homebrew)
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clamav-mac.md

Get ClamAV running on Mac OS X (using Homebrew)

The easiest way to get the ClamAV package is using Homebrew

$ brew install clamav

Before trying to start the clamd daemon, you'll need a copy of the ClamAV databases.

Inside /your/location/to/brew/etc/clamav, you'll see 2 files:

  1. freshclam.conf.sample
  2. clamd.conf.sample

Create copies of the samples:

$ cp freshclam.conf.sample freshclam.conf && cp clamd.conf.sample clamd.conf

Open up freshclam.conf, comment out "Example" from line 8, and make sure

DatabaseMirror database.clamav.net

is enabled. Save your changes.

Then run

$ freshclam -v

to download the ClamAV databases. The output will look something like this:

Current working dir is /usr/local/Cellar/clamav/0.98.1/share/clamav
Max retries == 3
ClamAV update process started at Tue Feb  4 11:31:22 2014
Using IPv6 aware code
Querying current.cvd.clamav.net
TTL: 1694
Software version from DNS: 0.98.1
Retrieving http://database.clamav.net/main.cvd
Trying to download http://database.clamav.net/main.cvd (IP: 81.91.100.173)
Downloading main.cvd [100%]
Loading signatures from main.cvd
Properly loaded 2424225 signatures from new main.cvd
main.cvd updated (version: 55, sigs: 2424225, f-level: 60, builder: neo)
Querying main.55.76.1.0.515B64AD.ping.clamav.net
...

Open up clamd.conf, and

  1. Comment: "Example" from line 8
  2. Uncomment: LocalSocket /tmp/clamd.socket from line 85
  3. Save your changes

Next, let's look for the location of clamd by running: $ brew ls clamav

You should see the following:

/your/location/to/brew/Cellar/clamav/0.99.2_1/bin/clamav-config
/your/location/to/brew/Cellar/clamav/0.99.2_1/bin/clambc
/your/location/to/brew/Cellar/clamav/0.99.2_1/bin/clamconf
/your/location/to/brew/Cellar/clamav/0.99.2_1/bin/clamdscan
/your/location/to/brew/Cellar/clamav/0.99.2_1/bin/clamdtop
/your/location/to/brew/Cellar/clamav/0.99.2_1/bin/clamscan
/your/location/to/brew/Cellar/clamav/0.99.2_1/bin/clamsubmit
/your/location/to/brew/Cellar/clamav/0.99.2_1/bin/freshclam
/your/location/to/brew/Cellar/clamav/0.99.2_1/bin/sigtool
/your/location/to/brew/Cellar/clamav/0.99.2_1/include/clamav.h
/your/location/to/brew/Cellar/clamav/0.99.2_1/lib/libclamav.7.dylib
/your/location/to/brew/Cellar/clamav/0.99.2_1/lib/libclamunrar.7.dylib
/your/location/to/brew/Cellar/clamav/0.99.2_1/lib/pkgconfig/libclamav.pc
/your/location/to/brew/Cellar/clamav/0.99.2_1/lib/ (4 other files)
/your/location/to/brew/Cellar/clamav/0.99.2_1/sbin/clamd  <------------- clamd location is here
/your/location/to/brew/Cellar/clamav/0.99.2_1/share/clamav/ (4 files)
/your/location/to/brew/Cellar/clamav/0.99.2_1/share/man/ (13 files)

To start the clamd daemon, run the following:

$ /your/location/to/brew/Cellar/clamav/0.99.2_1/sbin/clamd

You should now be able to scan a file by doing:

$ clamdscan /some/location/myfile.txt
@jcpyun
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jcpyun commented Feb 13, 2019

Yeeeeeeeeeeeee

@jcpyun
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jcpyun commented Mar 4, 2019

Back here yet again

@jcpyun
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jcpyun commented Apr 3, 2019

Everytime I have to start clamav i come here. Maybe i should write a bash script

@tjisana
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tjisana commented May 22, 2020

freshclam.conf.sample and clamd.conf.sample can be found here /Users//homebrew/etc/clamav/

@Calorion
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So can I replace ClamXAV with this, or…?

@LoVka
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LoVka commented Jan 8, 2021

cool! thanks

@kylefarris
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But, how do you stop/kill the daemon?

@gilblawgeex
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perfect!!!

@wadeling
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wadeling commented Oct 26, 2021 •
edited

cool! help me a lot.
a little change in clamav version 0.104.0:

Uncomment: LocalSocket /tmp/clamd.socket from line 96

@demeralde
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Will this automatically start the daemon after rebooting?

@jcpyun
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jcpyun commented Jul 19, 2022

Back here again. You the mvp

@bennettierney
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first time here. thanks for the VERY useful instructions @mendozao. hello @jcpyun

@jcpyun
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jcpyun commented Jan 4, 2023

Back here again. Hello @bennettierney

@khushi5969
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hi, i have installed clamav
brew install clamav
i have config files of clamd.conf and freshclam.conf also

i am trying to start clamav service

brew services start clamav

Error: Formula clamav has not implemented #plist, #service or installed a locatable service file

does clamav have any service when installed with brew ? i do Not see any plist file for clamd also

@bennettierney
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I have returned. Let's see 👀 how this goes 🐐 ! hi @jcpyun

@bennettierney
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kudos to @mendozao, you have received my star 🌟

@remino
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remino commented Aug 12, 2023

Thanks for these instructions. Works pretty well.

I also want clamd to start automatically every time I restart my Mac, so I went ahead and added a service to do so in the Homebrew clamav formula and submitted a PR.

If that accept to merge it, as someone tried above, users will be able to run it as a service with brew services start clamav.

@remino
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remino commented Aug 13, 2023

It got merged! brew services start clamav now works. Or you may want to ensure it runs as root so it can scan the whole file system and start correctly on system boot with sudo brew services start clamav.

@sdasthagir
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Great instructions. Thank you @mendozao

@jcpyun @bennettierney - do I know you guys?

@jcpyun
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jcpyun commented Nov 15, 2023

What is going on gamers? I'm back here again
asuhhhhh @bennettierney @sdasthagir @mendozao

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