L M F A O of COURSE there are virus's for linux OS's how do you think dedi server's get hacked? do you think twitter / facebook etc run on Windows? they are called rootkits by nature and there are 100's of them out there. why do you think there are linux AntiVirus applications and rootkit scanners.
NEWS FLASH they even have anti virus apps for Mac !!!! oO
Open your eyes and stop thinking like a child.
Well Sunshine it's been a while since I have been called a child but I will take that as a compliment! This also gives me an opportunity to educate the newbies that have already been burned by malware.
I'm not sure if you have a job in the security industry or that you even use a Linux distro but I can assure the answer for me to both questions would be in the affirmative. You are correct when you say no system is a 100% secure but that is stating the obvious and shades of grey are important in life. Keep in mind that many of the malware exploits for Linux were targeted specifically for server editions of the distros and not desktops because like Dillinger said,"That's were the money is!"
If you use a Linux Distro you might use Clam-AV and, yes, as you pointed out there is malware out there folks for Linux and, oh my gosh, they had ten new variants just this past month! Shocking! That said, AV-Test.org estimated that the number of malware samples totaled 22 million in 2009 and that number was to exceed 30 million variants in 2010. Almost all of this malware was targeted for Windows machines!
I think you can see where this is going folks! Ten malware variants for Linux and a million a month of new variants for Windows. So Sunshine I ask you this very simple question and be honest with me (and we will leave virtualization out of the picture because that's the right way to do this). You have to go to a known malware forum where the script kiddies play with new payloads for their torrents, why because it's your job! Now what would you feel safer visiting that site with? A fully patched PC Windows machine armed with the latest security engines and up to-date signatures or running Ubuntu without any AV software altogether? (And by the way I am not recommending unsafe computer practices but I am making a point here.)
If you said Windows now you're being childish and I'm LMAO and that's why they have 30 million different malware variants in the wild waiting for you. Because one day one will find you. It's just the numbers and odds working against you and the odds are more in your favor with a Linux distro. Also, watch out because the next wild west will be exploits for those smart phone platforms and keyloggers are just the tip of the new malware iceberg.
I like Ubuntu by the way because of its very good driver support, easy install and fast performance on old equipment. Plus it's free allowing you to break free of the Micrapple chains!
Cheers!