Our app officially supports the latest stable Debian version. It should also work with most distros based on Debian (not Ubuntu Server or Raspbian), but they are not officially supported.
1. Get the Proton VPN repository setup DEB package
This package contains the repository configuration and keys that are required to install the Proton VPN app.
Double-click the downloaded DEB package to install the repository using your default package manager.
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:
The following command updates the list of available packages and their versions. Doing this allows you to install the Proton VPN App. Open Terminal and enter:
sudo apt-get update
4. Install the Proton VPN Linux app
Last step! Type this command:
sudo apt-get install proton-vpn-gnome-desktop
Linux system tray icon
By default, the GNOME desktop doesn’t support tray icons. To enable this functionality on Debian-based distributions, run:
On Debian 11, 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.
2. Disable Kill Switch if you have uninstalled the app
The Kill Switch can be easily disabled from within the official Linux app, but this will not be possible if you uninstalled the app first without disabling the Kill Switch. This may result in your system being 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.
3. 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 required is:
systemd
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.
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:
