Our Linux app officially supports Kali Linux.
These instructions explain how to download and install the early access version of the Proton VPN Linux app. The early access gives you access to new features before they are released publicly, but it is still in development.
By using the early access version and sharing your feedback, you are helping us find and address bugs. However, if you are new to Linux or concerned about your threat model or, we recommend you download the stable version of our Proton VPN Linux app.
How to install the stable version of the Proton VPN Linux app for Kali Linux
Important: You cannot upgrade from the early access version of our Linux app to the stable version. You will need to uninstall the early access app and then install the official app. Similarly, if you are using the community-developed version of our Linux app or the stable version of the Proton VPN Linux app, you should uninstall it before installing the new app. See the Notes section at the end of this article for instructions.
1. Get the early access version of the DEB setup package for the Proton VPN repository
Download the early access version of the Proton VPN DEB package
2. Install the Proton VPN repository
Double-click the downloaded DEB package to install the repo using your default package manager.
3. Update the apt-get package list
Then enter:
sudo apt-get update
4. Install the app
And finally:
sudo apt-get install protonvpn
The Proton VPN Linux app is now ready to secure your internet browsing and allow you to access the internet without censorship blocks. However, please note that the system tray icon may not work on Kali Linux. This is because the system tray icon requires dependencies that have been deprecated.
Learn how to use the Proton VPN Linux app
Your feedback helps us develop apps that meet your needs.
Let us know what you think of our early access Linux app
Notes
1. How to uninstall the official app
To uninstall the official app:
sudo apt-get autoremove protonvpn
Then uninstall the stable app repo with:
sudo apt purge protonvpn-stable-release
Remove any leftover files:
rm -rf ~/.cache/protonvpn
And
rm -rf ~/.config/protonvpn
2. Uninstall the early access app
The instructions to uninstall the early access app are identical to the instructions for uninstalling the official app (see above), except that to remove the early access repo and keys, use the following command instead:
sudo apt purge protonvpn-beta-release
3. How to uninstall the old community Proton VPN app
The old community Linux app should be uninstalled before installing our new official app. To do this, open Terminal and enter:
protonvpn configure
Select option 7) Purge Configuration. Then uninstall through your usual package manager. If the package is installed system-wide, use the command:
sudo pip3 uninstall protonvpn-cli
If not, then use:
pip3 uninstall protonvpn-cli
4. How to disable the kill switch if you have uninstalled the official app
You should disable the kill switch before uninstalling our official app. If you don’t then your system may become unable to access the internet. To remove the kill switch after the app has been uninstalled:
a) Identify Proton VPN connection names by running the command:
nmcli connection show --active
This will display a list of all your system’s active connections.
b) Look for any connections with the pvpn- This usually includes pvpn-killswitch and pvpn-ipv6leak-protection, and may include pvpn-routed-killswitch. Delete all these connections using the following command:
nmcli connection delete [connection name]
For example:
nmcli connection delete pvpn-killswitch
c) Re-run the following command to verify that Proton VPN connections have been deleted:
nmcli connection show --active
If any Proton VPN connections remain, delete them as described above.
5. Required dependencies
Our Linux app needs one of the following dependencies installed in order to work. Installing both of these dependencies is not recommended as it may cause problems:
- KWallet or
- Gnome-keyring
Note that most distros come pre-installed with one of these dependencies, so usually, no additional configuration is required.
Also needed is:
- systemd
