The Proton VPN Linux app officially supports MX Linux. Please see What Linux versions does Proton VPN support? for a list of which versions are currently supported.
1. Our DEB package will install the Proton VPN repository on your system
This package contains the repository configuration and keys that are required to install the Proton VPN app.
Download the Proton VPN DEB package
2. Install the Proton VPN repository
Just double-click the downloaded DEB file and follow the prompts given by your default package manager (or right click →Install Deb files on the Xfce desktop).
Please don’t try to check the GPG signature of this release package (dpkg-sig –verify). Our internal release process is split into several part and the release package is signed with a GPG key, and the repo is signed with another GPG key. So the keys don’t match.
If you want to check the repo package integrity, you can check its checksum with the following command:
echo "c68a0b8dad58ab75080eed7cb989e5634fc88fca051703139c025352a6ee19ad protonvpn-stable-release_1.0.3-2_all.deb" | sha256sum --check -
3. Update the apt-get package list
The following command updates the list of available packages and their versions. Doing this allows you to install the Proton VPN App.
In a terminal window, enter:
sudo apt-get update
4. Install the app
The final step is to enter this command:
sudo apt-get install protonvpn
Linux system tray icon
If you wish, the Proton VPN app for Linux can display a system tray icon that shows your connection status and makes it easy to Quick Connect or Disconnect from a VPN server.
Please note that we don’t support the system tray icon on Debian 11 because the package gir1.2-appindicator3-0.1 has been depreciated and is not present on Debian 11. However, a system tray icon is supported on Debian 12 on our upcoming new Proton VPN app for Linux. You’re welcome to help test-run a beta version of our new app.
sudo apt install gnome-shell-extension-appindicator gir1.2-appindicator3-0.1
During the setup process, you may be asked to select your default displays manager. If you don’t know which it is, you can find it using the following command:
grep '/usr/s\?bin' /etc/systemd/system/display-manager.service
Now Restart your system, open the Proton VPN app, and log in with your Proton account credentials (sign up for a Free Proton VPN plan for Linux if you haven’t done so yet).
You are now ready to access the internet while bypassing censorship blocks and preventing anyone from looking over your shoulder.
Learn how to use the Proton VPN Linux app
Notes
1. How to uninstall the Linux app
Open a terminal window and enter:
sudo apt-get autoremove protonvpn
Remove any leftover files:
rm -rf ~/.cache/protonvpn
And
rm -rf ~/.config/protonvpn
2. How to disable the kill switch if you have already uninstalled the app
You should disable Kill Switch before uninstalling our official app. Failure to do so may leave your system unable to access the internet. To remove the kill switch after the app has been uninstalled:
a) Discover the Proton VPN connection names by running the command:
nmcli connection show --active
This will display a list of your PC’s active connections.
b) Look for any connections with the prefix 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) Enter the following command again to verify that Proton VPN connections have been deleted:
nmcli connection show --active
If any Proton VPN connections are still left, delete them as described above.
3. Required dependencies
The Proton Linux app needs one of the following dependencies installed on your system to work (most systems have one of them pre-installed, so you probably don’t need to do anything here). Please note that having both of these dependencies on your system can cause conflicts, and so is not recommended.
- KWallet
- Gnome-keyring
You’ll also need:
- Systemd
(But again, this is probably already pre-installed on your system.)
4. Try out our beta Linux app
The beta version of our Linux app gives you access to new features before they are released publicly, but it is still in development. By using the beta version and sharing your feedback, you can help us find and address bugs.
Please note that we only officially support the beta app on Debian, Ubuntu, and Fedora. It should work on MX Linux, but support for this distribution may be limited.
Important: You cannot upgrade from the beta version of our Linux app to the stable version. You will need to uninstall the beta app and then install the official app. Similarly, if you are using the stable version of our Linux VPN app, you should uninstall it before installing the early beta version.
If you would like to install the beta version instead of the stable release of this app, open a terminal window and:
1. Download the beta package. Enter:
wget https://repo.protonvpn.com/debian/dists/unstable/main/binary-all/protonvpn-beta-release_1.0.3-2_all.deb
2. Install the Proton VPN beta repository containing the new app. Run:
sudo dpkg -i ./protonvpn-beta-release_1.0.3-2_all.deb && sudo apt update
3. If you’re running the old (v3) Proton VPN app or CLI (stable or beta versions), simply run:
sudo apt update && apt upgrade
If you don’t have Proton VPN installed, run:
sudo apt install proton-vpn-gnome-desktop
To check for updates and ensure that you’re running the latest version of the app, enter:
sudo apt update && apt upgrade
System tray icon (beta)
By default, the GNOME desktop doesn’t support tray icons. To enable this functionality on Debian-based distributions (such as MX Linux), run:
sudo apt install libayatana-appindicator3-1 gir1.2-ayatanaappindicator3-0.1 gnome-shell-extension-appindicator
You’ll need to restart your computer. Once you’ve done this, open the Extensions app and ensure that Ubuntu AppIndicators is toggled on before launching the app.
How to remove the beta Linux app
To uninstall the new Linux app, open a terminal and enter:
sudo apt purge "protonvpn*" proton-vpn-gnome-desktop && sudo apt autoremove
