this post was submitted on 24 Mar 2024
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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I've always preferred to use OpenVPN configuration files for setting up VPNs on Linux, rather than using the VPN providers app.
Basically, you need to install a few packages:
openvpnandnetworkmanager-openvpn. This second one is optional, but it allows you to simply pick a VPN connection from the same drop-down applet you connect to WiFi from.Then, all you do is head to https://account.protonvpn.com/downloads, download the OpenVPN configuration files, extract them somewhere, then use the network manager menu to pick one of the servers. When you're adding the connection, it'll require your VPN login info. This isn't the same as your regular login though, to find that, head to https://account.protonvpn.com/account, and the credentials are listed under "OpenVPN/IKEv2 Username".
Once this is setup, connecting to a VPN is as simple as opening your network applet, then clicking on your VPN of choice. You can add as many VPN connections as you want to switch between servers easily. Really handy to not need a VPN providers' specific app just to connect to a server.
Yeah but vpn servers get blacklisted way too often. You're going to need to download a new config everytime
Personally never ran into this. And if I did, downloading an archive full of configuration files takes 10 seconds and adding a new connection takes no longer. Not a big deal imo.
Yeah but connecting to a new connection in command line is even faster
protonvpn-cli c -fTrue. I made a bash script for that, and it runs on boot. Super easy and seamless.
I like having a visual method, and having it in my connections menu makes the most sense to me. But fair point, the CLI route is quickest.
Protonvpn also has a gui though. I mean I think having the openvpn setup has some advantages since some systems might not be natively supported or don't have the need for changing servers, however, I've tried using that on my personal devices and it just wasn't for me.
Hey fair enough, to each their own. I like my method because it feels 'native' to the given DE, like it was included by default. I've used multiple gui apps from different providers, don't really miss any features they had that my method doesn't.
Thank you for the great answer, and help. But I think its for now ( I'm a newbe) to much ways , I'm just learning 😀