Proton VPN maintains the Proton VPN app, which is available in the Arch User Repository (AUR) and can be installed using your favorite package manager.
The guide below uses Pamac, the default package manager for Manjaro that can be used on any Arch-based distro. If you use a different package manager, the instructions should be similar. Please note, though, that Pacman does not have access to the AUR, which is why we have opted to use Pamac in this guide.
If you are using the community-developed version of our Linux app, we recommend you uninstall it before installing the new app. See the Notes section at the end of this article for instructions on how to do this.
1. Update your local repository
Open Terminal and enter the following command:
pamac update --force-refresh
2. Verify that Proton VPN is now in your local repository
Enter the following command to list all the Proton VPN packages in your repository:
pamac search --aur protonvpn
If no Proton VPN packages are returned, check your internet connection and repeat Step 1 and Step 2 to ensure the packages appear.
3. Build and install Proton VPN
Run:
pamac build protonvpn
4. Import the PGP key
You will be prompted to Trust Proton AG <opensource@protonvpn.me> and import PGP key. Ensure the PGP key fingerprint exactly matches
6A55 7192 8D22 22D8 3BC7 456E 4EDE 055B 645F 044F
If it does, then go ahead and click y to import it. If your package manager fails to fetch or import the key, please see Note 5 below.
Linux system tray icon
Our Linux app can show a system tray icon that stays active when you close the main Proton VPN window and allows you to easily Quick Connect or Disconnect.
To install the system tray icon, open Terminal and enter:
sudo pacman -Syu libappindicator-gtk3 gnome-shell-extension-appindicator
Restart your system.
Once installed, simply log in with your Proton account credentials. If you do not yet have an account, you can sign up for a Free Proton VPN plan for Linux.
You are now ready to protect your online activity and access blocked content with Proton VPN.
Learn how to use the Proton VPN Linux app
Notes
1. Uninstall the official Linux app
To uninstall the official Linux app, use the following command:
pamac remove protonvpn
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 without first 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- prefix. 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
Depending on the desktop environment you choose, Manjaro should come preinstalled with one of these dependencies, so usually, no additional configuration is required. You will also need:
- systemd
- NetworkManager
5. Manually install the PGP key
If your package manager fails to fetch or import the key, you can import it manually using the steps below. Please note that we use Pacman for this (not Pamac, as used in the main setup guide above).
a) Download our public PGP key
Click the link https://repo.protonvpn.com/debian/public_key.asc to download.
b) Add the key to Pacman
In Terminal enter:
pacman-key --add /path/to/downloaded/public_key.asc
(Replace /path/to/downloaded/ with the path to wherever you downloaded your key)
c) Ensure that the key has been added to pacman keyring
Enter:
pacman-key --finger 6A5571928D2222D83BC7456E4EDE055B645F044F
d) Sign the key
Run:
pacman-key --lsign-key 6A5571928D2222D83BC7456E4EDE055B645F044F
