OpenVAS stands for Open Vulnerability Assessment System and is a network
security scanner with associated tools like a graphical user front-end. The
core component is a server with a set of network vulnerability tests (NVTs)
to detect security problems in remote systems and applications.
OpenVAS products are Free Software under GNU GPL and a fork of Nessus.
To build a complete OpenVAS scanner installation, however, you have to compile
and install the packages in the following sequence:
1. openvas-libraries
2. openvas-scanner
3. openvas-client
The openvas-client GUI is needed to interact with the OpenVAS scanner, however
there are some new optional modules:
1. openvas-manager for storing and organizing scans on a central server in a
SQL database
2. openvas-administrator for User-, Feed- and Settings-Management
3. greenbone-security-assistant for a web-based Vulnerability Management
This package provides the OpenVAS manager, it will also install an rc script
to start the manager at system startup, however read carefully the README
provided in the package doc folder as it outlines some important configuration
prerequisites.