Answering my own question on the /var/run and the /run directories. There is a link between the two, I just didn’t go up a level in the directory structure. The question about the error still remains though.

Hello,

I’m getting the following error on clamav on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS when I look at the service status:

Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/clamav-daemon.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)

  Drop-In: /etc/systemd/system/clamav-daemon.service.d

           └─extend.conf

   Active: active (running) since Tue 2018-10-09 12:12:22 EDT; 4s ago

     Docs: man:clamd(8)

           man:clamd.conf(5)

https://www.clamav.net/documents/

  Process: 14202 ExecStartPre=/bin/chown clamav /run/clamav (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)

  Process: 14199 ExecStartPre=/bin/mkdir /run/clamav (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)

Main PID: 14207 (clamd)

    Tasks: 1

   Memory: 225.1M

      CPU: 3.902s

   CGroup: /system.slice/clamav-daemon.service

           └─14207 /usr/sbin/clamd --foreground=true

Oct 09 12:12:22 hermes systemd[1]: Starting Clam AntiVirus userspace daemon...

Oct 09 12:12:22 hermes systemd[1]: Started Clam AntiVirus userspace daemon.

Oct 09 12:12:22 hermes mkdir[14199]: /bin/mkdir: cannot create directory ‘/run/clamav’: File exists

I got a response from someone about this error but I can’t seem to find their email. One thing I noticed is that the clamd.conf file sets the “LocalSocket” to the  “/var/run/clamav” directory, however the error refers to the “/run/clamav” directory. I don’t see a symlink for those two directories, but the clamd.ctl file looks like the exact same file in both directories. If I delete the /var/run/clamav directory, I don’t get the error, but if I restart clamd again I get the error again. I’m not sure what the problem is, and I hope someone can help.

Thanks a lot