please attach your c:\windows\Application Data\.clamwin\clamwin.conf file

[Schedule]
path =

[ClamAV]
infectedonly = 1
includepatterns =
excludepatterns = *.dbx|CLAMWIN_SEP|*.tbb|CLAMWIN_SEP|*.pst|CLAMWIN_SEP|*.dat|CLAMWIN_SEP|*.log|CLAMWIN_SEP|*.mp3|CLAMWIN_SEP|*.avi|CLAMWIN_SEP|*.mpeg|CLAMWIN_SEP|*.mpg|CLAMWIN_SEP|*.dbf
priority = Low
logfile = C:\WINDOWS\All Users\.clamwin\log\ClamScanLog.txt
freshclam = C:\Program Files\ClamWin\bin\freshclam.exe
scanarchives = 1
clamscan = C:\Program Files\ClamWin\bin\clamscan.exe
maxsize = 10
detectbroken = 0
maxfiles = 500
scanole2 = 1
quarantinedir = C:\WINDOWS\All Users\.clamwin\quarantine
maxlogsize = 1
moveinfected = 0
enablembox = 0
scanrecursive = 1
database = C:\WINDOWS\All Users\.clamwin\db
maxrecursion = 5
clamscanparams =
debug = 0
removeinfected = 0

[UI]
reportinfected = 1
traynotify = 1
version = 0.88.1
standalone = 0

[Updates]
checkversion = 0
dbupdatelogfile = C:\WINDOWS\All Users\.clamwin\log\ClamUpdateLog.txt
enable = 1
checkversionurl = https://clamwin.sourceforge.net/clamwin.ver
dbmirror = 65.110.48.11
updateonlogon = 0
frequency = Daily
weekday = 2
time = 00:26:00

[EmailAlerts]
enable = 0
from = clamwin@yourdomain
to = admin@yourdomain
smtppassword =
smtpuser =
smtphost =
smtpport = 25
subject = ClamWin Virus Alert

[Proxy]
host =
password =
port = 3128
user =

hmm, nothing wrong and that database server ip as well as the whole config file works here on win98se no problems. I am not sure what is wrong and how can I be of further help. I am short of options.

I mad a cygwin build of freschlam 0.88.1 to see if the problem is in clamav code or replacement of cygwin. Please download this file:
https://files.clamwin.com/freshclam-0.cygwin.zip
and unpack it to "c:\program files\clamwin\bin" folder, back up your existing freshclam.exe first. Then try downloading the db and let me know the results.

The new update works perfectly:

------------ cut -------------------

ClamAV update process started at Wed Apr 12 16:15:53 2006
main.cvd is up to date (version: 37, sigs: 46700, f-level: 7, builder: ccordes)
daily.cvd updated (version: 1395, sigs: 4035, f-level: 7, builder: sven)
Database updated (50735 signatures) from 65.110.48.11 (IP: 65.110.48.11)

------------- cut ------------------

The only files different were:

cygwin1.dll
freshclam.exe

I then put the older freshclam.exe (.881) back in and get:

---------- cut ------------------

freshclam daemon 0.88.1 (OS: win32, ARCH: x86, CPU: i686)
ClamAV update process started at Wed Apr 12 16:18:26 2006
ERROR: DNS Resolver: gethostbyname() for dns failed
WARNING: Invalid DNS reply. Falling back to HTTP mode.
ERROR: Can't get information about 65.110.48.11: Host not found
ERROR: No servers could be reached. Giving up
Trying again in 5 secs...
ClamAV update process started at Wed Apr 12 16:18:26 2006
ERROR: DNS Resolver: gethostbyname() for dns failed
WARNING: Invalid DNS reply. Falling back to HTTP mode.
ERROR: Can't get information about 65.110.48.11: Host not found
ERROR: No servers could be reached. Giving up
Trying again in 5 secs...
ClamAV update process started at Wed Apr 12 16:18:26 2006
ERROR: DNS Resolver: gethostbyname() for dns failed
WARNING: Invalid DNS reply. Falling back to HTTP mode.
ERROR: Can't get information about 65.110.48.11: Host not found
ERROR: No servers could be reached. Giving up
Giving up on 65.110.48.11...
ERROR: Update failed. Your network may be down or none of the mirrors listed in freshclam.conf is working.

-----------cut -------------------

Hope this helps.

Damn! I'm really sorry I didn't have time to check back until now, since I could have helped, but am glad secretclam is around!

Transferring the cyg-fresh version now... Exactly same results.

Looking like a bug, since freshclam wasn't even attempting to connect to the net b4. Thanks to secretclam and alch.

it looks very weird it seams that your win98 box cannot resolve any hostname using gethostbyname()
I may add more explicit error messages, but sure I cannot fix it if gethostbyname() fails.

I'm just testing it on an Italian win98se

Edit:
works fine, I'll try to use static address / dns instead of dhcp

Edit2:
works fine also with static ip

I've a "similar" reproducible thing when I set a dns that doesn't reply for forwarding (so it returns an error, without dns it will hang),
but it cannot be fixed since I have no way to make it works without gethostbyname()

please try this version
https://files.clamwin.com/freshclam2.zip

back up freschlam.exe and libclamav.dll in "c:\program files\clamwin\bin", then unpack the archive contents into "c:\program files\clamwin\bin".

also uninstall/reinstall does nothing here, since clamav binaries are not using registry

Results of new freshclam2.zip - did not work

------- cut -------------
ClamAV update process started at Wed Apr 12 21:54:39 2006
WARNING: Invalid DNS reply. Falling back to HTTP mode.
ERROR: Can't get information about 65.110.48.11: Host not found
ERROR: No servers could be reached. Giving up
Trying again in 5 secs...
ClamAV update process started at Wed Apr 12 21:54:39 2006
WARNING: Invalid DNS reply. Falling back to HTTP mode.
ERROR: Can't get information about 65.110.48.11: Host not found
ERROR: No servers could be reached. Giving up
Trying again in 5 secs...
ClamAV update process started at Wed Apr 12 21:54:39 2006
WARNING: Invalid DNS reply. Falling back to HTTP mode.
ERROR: Can't get information about 65.110.48.11: Host not found
ERROR: No servers could be reached. Giving up
Giving up on 65.110.48.11...
ERROR: Update failed. Your network may be down or none of the mirrors listed in freshclam.conf is working.
-------------------
Completed
-------------------
------- cut ------------

Moving back to older freshclam-0.cygwin.zip freshclam.exe version...
looks good again...


---- cut ----
ClamAV update process started at Wed Apr 12 21:58:22 2006
main.cvd is up to date (version: 37, sigs: 46700, f-level: 7, builder: ccordes)
daily.cvd is up to date (version: 1395, sigs: 4035, f-level: 7, builder: sven)

-------------------
Completed
-------------------

------- cut ------------

try this one:
https://files.clamwin.com/feshclam-0.88.1.1.zip

Please remove the IP address form your configuration and use either database.clamav.net or db.local.clamav.net or db.us.clamav.net
good chances are it'll fix the problem

Downloaded freshclam3.zip and installed new freshclam.exe

All variations seemed to work ok now:

FixIP -> Ok
database.clamav.net -> Ok
db.local.clamav.net -> Ok
db.us.clamav.net -> Ok


----- cut ---------

ClamAV update process started at Thu Apr 13 01:44:55 2006
main.cvd is up to date (version: 37, sigs: 46700, f-level: 7, builder: ccordes)
daily.cvd is up to date (version: 1395, sigs: 4035, f-level: 7, builder: sven)

-------------------
Completed
-------------------

------- cut ----------


I also unzipped to a virgin 88.1 machine behind the same firewall
It worked 100% ok also, here is the log:

---- cut ----
ClamAV update process started at Thu Apr 13 01:48:27 2006
main.cvd is up to date (version: 37, sigs: 46700, f-level: 7, builder: ccordes)
daily.cvd updated (version: 1396, sigs: 4037, f-level: 7, builder: arnaud)
Database updated (50737 signatures) from 205.139.192.213 (IP: 205.139.192.213)

-------------------
Completed
-------------------

-------------------
Completed
-------------------
---- cut ----

The problem appears fized in all cases here.

Thank You again for the diligent efforts.

Regards,

cool, we will release an upated version soon, we'll wait a bit to see if anything else surfaces up.

So just to be clear, the last link is the "fixed" non-cygwin freshclam, right? (feshcalm...zip [sic])

Thanks, alch.

yes, this is a non-cygwin freshclam