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i hate to burst anyones bubble but the linux kernels "safe" system is as strong as its weakest point, all you have to do is find a ring mode 0, or kernel mode leak and you've got total access to everything, lots of people install the latest greatest driver looking for performance, and given the distribution model for most open source stuff, it'd be easy to slip in a compromise.
Its exactly the same as windows, or any other OS, windows has a protected mode too, a lot of the viruses use user mode compromises to get around.
Attitudes like this is what will allow the virus writers to get in and dominate, since no one will install virus checkers believing their system is 'virus proof' or close to it. Its the same as a secure computer, there is no such thing (at least one thats useable)
one teeny buffer overflow or such can exploit the whole system, and as for it being cross platform, doesn't matter a clever exploit in one of *nixs myriad of services such as bind etc can be crafted to infect lots of different systems.. There are many many many holes in an OS.
Remember the first big killer worm was *nix based.
Big security holes exist, its just when they are found and how bad they are, they pop up all the time.
Even java has problems and its a sandbox model, which is meant to be ultra safe.
The kernel or 'sectioned off ' part is also protected in windows, but its rarely a kernel mode security hole thats required to propogate a virus, hell you can do it with an autoexec.bat
perhaps the author needs to read up on the bind, lpr exploits or the rootkits available for linux.
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