How to Choose and Set Up a VPN on Linux
Distinguish a supported GUI, an official CLI, and manual configuration, including package and feature differences.
Linux support can mean a graphical app, a command-line client, or manual configuration. Those are different installation paths and can expose different features.
Check your distribution and package
Confirm the supported distribution, release, architecture, and package format. Follow the provider’s repository or download instructions. Do not run an installation command copied from an unrelated forum without checking what it does.
Package format can affect features. Surfshark currently documents a kill-switch difference between its Snap or .deb packages and Flatpak. A general “Linux supported” label does not establish parity.
Choose the supported connection method
Use the current app or CLI guide. A standard WireGuard or OpenVPN configuration may be available separately, but only if the provider still supports that method. Mullvad no longer supports OpenVPN.
Manual files can contain private keys or service credentials. Store them securely and avoid posting them with a troubleshooting log.
Verify routes and recovery
Check which interface carries the intended traffic, how DNS is handled, and what happens after the connection stops. A manually imported profile does not inherit a separate app’s firewall controls automatically.
Before enabling persistent blocking, keep the documented recovery steps available. Check local-network access, package updates, sleep recovery, and reconnection after reboot.
Ask a precise support question
Include the distribution, package source, app or CLI version, protocol, and error. Remove keys, tokens, account identifiers, and public network details from anything shared publicly.