How to use the Proton VPN Linux CLI
The Proton VPN CLI (command-line utility) runs from the Linux terminal. It’s officially supported on the latest stable versions of:
- Debian
- Ubuntu
- Fedora
It may work on other Linux distributions, but support for other distros may be limited. Note that the Linix CLI is different from our official Proton VPN Linux GUI app, which has a graphic user interface.
We’ll be adding more advanced features as development continues.
How to install the CLI for Linux
You can install both the official Proton VPN Linux GUI app and the Linux CLI, but you can’t run them both at the same time.
Debian and Ubuntu
1. Install the Proton VPN Linux repository as you would for the official Proton VPN Linux GUI app. Follow steps 1 and 2 in the following guides (if you prefer, you can use the beta repos instead):
If you already have the official GUI app installed, you don’t need to do this.
2. Run:
sudo apt install proton-vpn-cli
Fedora
1. Install the Fedora Proton VPN Linux repository as you would for the official Proton VPN Linux app (GUI). Follow steps 1 and 2 in the following guide (if you prefer, you can use the beta repo instead).
If you already have the official GUI app installed, you don’t need to do this.
2. Run:
sudo dnf install proton-vpn-cli
As part of the install process on Fedora, you’ll be asked to accept an OpenPGP key. To do this when prompted, tap y <enter>.
OpenPGP key 0xAD10060B: UserID : “Proton Technologies AG opensource@proton.me“
Fingerprint: 7BB2808996C47DC9EECDA475F7EB64B08C03490D
How to use the CLI for Linux
How to sign in
1. Open a terminal window and enter:
signin [username]
2. You’ll then be prompted to enter your Proton password. As usual with the Linux command-line, you won’t see any on-screen feedback when you do this, so just hit [Enter] when you’re done.
How to connect to a VPN server
To connect to the fastest VPN server available on your plan, run:
protonvpn connect
To connect to a specific countr, runy:
protonvpn connect --country [Country]
For [Country], you can use country code (US, GB, DE) or its full name inside quote marks. For example:
protonvpn connect --country US
or
protonvpn connect --country "United States"
To connect to a specific city, run:
protonvpn connect --city [City]
For [City], simply enter a single-word city name or use quotes for multi-word names. For example:
protonvpn connect --city miami
or
protonvpn connect --city "New York"
To connect to a specific server, run:
protonvpn connect [server name]
You can find a list Proton VPN server names here. For example:
protonvpn connect CH#242
Note that country, city, state, and server names are not case sensitive, so it doesn’t matter if you use capital letters or not.
How to disconnect and sign out
To disconnect the VPN, enter:
protonvpn disconnect
Note that you’ll still be signed in to your Proton VPN account. If other people use this computer, its a good idea to sign out. To do this, run:
protonvpn signout