Kapitano was a software with a easy job: to provide the ClamAV scanning engine a contemporary face on Linux. It relied on the ClamAV database, a large, continually up to date listing used to smell out all kinds of nasties like viruses, worms, and Trojan horses.

Since ClamAV is primarily a command-line software, it is dependent upon a GUI (frontend) for customers preferring to not stay within the terminal. There are apps like ClamWin on Home windows, ClamXav on Mac, and, till lately, Kapitano on Linux.

Now, the dev behind the Linux frontend, “zynequ,” has marked the challenge as “Not Maintained” following what he described as private assaults and harsh phrases.

It began when a person created a problem on the challenge’s Codeberg web page with the title, “Kaptiano resulted in 24 positives- for win.exploits and Trojans.” Within the publish, they claimed the antivirus frontend was producing false positives on their Linux Mint system.

The person famous that every one the flagged recordsdata have been associated to the Kapitano Flatpak itself and ended with a quite aggressive warning. The entire thing appeared “unusual,” they stated, concluding with, “program has ZERO opinions, and will stay that means till supply code is verified by an unbiased supply. DO NOT DOWNLOAD!”

Zynequ, the challenge’s writer, responded by calmly referencing the wiki and explaining that the issue was with ClamAV itself, not his software. Kapitano, constructed with GTK4 and libadwaita, is only a wrapper that sends instructions to the clamscan utility however has no say in what will get flagged.

For reference, that is the code that’s associated to your issues:

On technique scan_for_malware and update_malware_definitions, you’ll be able to see that it simply calls clamscan and freshclam.

The developer additionally referred to as the person out for the “private assaults.” He addressed the zero opinions scenario, stating that this was hardly a conspiracy for the reason that challenge was very new, launching again in June. Zynequ insisted that there’s nothing “fishy” about their code and that it’s totally open for evaluate.

The interplay soured from there. After zynequ closed the problem, the person created a replica one, then proceeded to resubmit the grievance underneath problem #13, this time with a distinct title: Kapitano developer is a malicious actor. Get this malware distributor blocked.

After a heated backwards and forwards with the dev, the person lastly posted, “Your challenge is off of my laptop computer disk. Let it relaxation. Goodbye.”

This alternate is what led to the zynequ publishing their remaining observe. They defined that Kapitano was “a interest challenge, created in my free time with none monetary help,” and that it is onerous to remain motivated when “private assaults” are directed in direction of you.

I am sorry to say that this challenge is not being maintained.

Not too long ago, I had an disagreeable expertise […], the place I used to be accused of distributing malware. Though I defined that the problem wasn’t brought on by the app, the dialog escalated into private assaults and harsh phrases directed at me.

This was all the time a interest challenge, created in my free time with none monetary help. Incidents like this make it onerous to remain motivated. That stated, I am genuinely grateful to everybody who tried the app, and I admire the eye it obtained.

Zynequ famous that the challenge’s code was now launched into the general public area underneath The Unlicense, that means anybody might fork it and do no matter they need with it. Kapitano shall be delisted from Flathub, and the Codeberg repo will nonetheless be alive for a couple of months earlier than they delete it and shut their account for good.