Installation

Choose a package

System	Recommended package
Any supported Linux distribution	Flatpak from Flathub
Ubuntu/Pop!_OS 22.04	Flatpak (the bundled GUI runtime supports this host)
Debian 12+, Ubuntu 24.04+, or another system with Python 3.11+	Release .deb packages
Portable installation	AppImage
Contributors	Source checkout

Required host software

Every format uses host clamscan and freshclam; it does not bundle the ClamAV engine or definitions. Daemon mode also requires clamd and clamdscan.

Debian or Ubuntu

sudo apt install clamav clamav-freshclam clamav-daemon

Fedora

sudo dnf install clamav clamav-freshclam clamd

Arch Linux

sudo pacman -S clamav

Run freshclam (or use ClamUI’s Database view) before your first scan. Select a backend if you want daemon scans.

Flatpak

Install Flatpak through your distribution package manager first. On Debian or Ubuntu:

sudo apt install flatpak

Then, on any distribution with Flatpak, add Flathub and install ClamUI:

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
flatpak install flathub io.github.linx_systems.ClamUI
flatpak run io.github.linx_systems.ClamUI

The Flatpak calls host ClamAV through flatpak-spawn --host. It needs host ClamAV even though its GUI is sandboxed. Its configuration is under ~/.var/app/io.github.linx_systems.ClamUI/.

For a directory outside the granted filesystem, grant the narrowest required access:

flatpak override --user --filesystem=/path/to/directory io.github.linx_systems.ClamUI

ClamAV Database, Scanner, and On-Access preferences target host distribution configuration—not sandbox copies—such as Debian’s /etc/clamav, Fedora’s /etc/freshclam.conf, and Fedora’s /etc/clamd.d/scan.conf. On Debian-family systems they require the trusted, version-matched clamui-privileged-helper_<version>_all.deb and its polkit policy. A Flatpak cannot install host files with sudo flatpak run … install-privileged-helper; without a valid helper, host changes fail closed. No RPM or pacman helper asset is currently supplied.

Debian or Ubuntu package

The full application package requires Python 3.11+; use it on stock Debian 12+, Ubuntu 24.04+, or a compatible newer distribution. Stock Ubuntu/Pop!_OS 22.04 provides Python 3.10, so use Flatpak there; its modern bundled runtime is independent of the host GTK and Python stack.

Download matching 0.4.1 release assets, then install both:

VERSION="0.4.1"
sudo apt install "./clamui_${VERSION}_all.deb" "./clamui-privileged-helper_${VERSION}_all.deb"
clamui

The application package is architecture-independent and declares GTK/PyGObject runtime dependencies. The helper owns the pkexec entry point and polkit policy for host ClamAV configuration.

AppImage

Set the current release version for the AppImage downloaded from GitHub Releases:

VERSION="0.4.1"
APPIMAGE="ClamUI-${VERSION}-x86_64.AppImage"
chmod +x "$APPIMAGE"
./"$APPIMAGE"

The AppImage includes Python and the GUI runtime, but still uses host ClamAV. A .zsync file is available for AppImageUpdate.

Source

Follow the development prerequisites to install the required system dependencies and uv, then create a source environment. Source installation needs Python 3.11+, GTK 4.6+, libadwaita 1.1+, GI bindings, and a GLib version accepted by PyGObject>=3.56.3 (GLib 2.80+). Ubuntu/Pop!_OS 22.04 ships GLib 2.72, so use Flatpak there or a newer development environment.

git clone https://github.com/linx-systems/clamui.git
cd clamui
uv sync --locked --extra dev
uv run clamui

See development for distribution packages and local Flatpak/AppImage builds.

File-manager and tray integration

The native package can install file-manager actions for Nautilus, Dolphin, and Nemo; the Flatpak exposes its integration from Preferences → Behavior → Configure Integration. A system tray requires a StatusNotifierWatcher; GNOME needs AppIndicator Support and native/source users need libdbusmenu bindings. See tray use and troubleshooting.

Verify downloads

Verify release packages before installation. See package signing for AppImage and Debian instructions.