Get the vpn.now app on Linux
A native GTK app with one-click connect and a narrowly scoped, root-owned tunnel helper. The complete Debian/Ubuntu package is recommended.
26 KB · works with your free vpn.now account.
Install the protected package
On Debian or Ubuntu, install the .deb above. It supplies the unprivileged GTK app plus the narrowly scoped, root-owned tunnel helper:
$ sudo apt install ./vpn.now-linux.deb
The package pulls in GTK, libsecret, WireGuard tools, and polkit automatically and adds vpn.now to your apps menu.
The optional AppImage is a portable interface only. It can connect when the protected VPN Now helper has already been installed by a system package; it will never copy a user-writable executable into a root process.
No account yet? You can create a free one in under a minute, no card needed. The same login works across every vpn.now app.
Before you connect
The app requires GTK 4, libsecret, WireGuard tools, polkit, and VPN Now's root-owned helper. The .deb installs these components with auditable ownership and permissions.
For another distribution, use manual setup until its signed VPN Now system package is available. The AppImage alone intentionally cannot make privileged network changes.
How it connects
The app itself runs as your normal user. It holds no special rights and runs no background daemon. When you press connect, your desktop shows its standard authorization dialog to bring the connection up. You approve it the same way you approve any system change, and that one prompt is the only elevated step.
The config it writes is owned by you and locked to mode 0600 so other users cannot read it. When the tunnel comes down, the temporary config is removed. Your account token lives in the system keyring through libsecret, which is GNOME Keyring or KWallet, not in a plain text file.
A fresh private key is delivered over HTTPS and is not retained by vpn.now. We store only the matching public key. You can read the exact VPN protocol details, or set the tunnel up by hand with our manual setup guide.
What you get
- Encrypted tunnel brought up only when you connect.
- Your token is stored in your system keyring (GNOME Keyring or KWallet).
- The .deb uses a root-owned helper limited to validated VPN up/down operations.
Requirements
- A 64-bit Linux desktop with GTK 4.
- polkit (pkexec). The .deb installs WireGuard and VPN Now's root-owned tunnel helper automatically through apt.
Why the system package is safer
A VPN must make privileged routing and interface changes. The system package installs one root-owned helper with fixed up/down operations and strict config validation while the interface remains unprivileged.
We publish the AppImage SHA-256 so you can confirm the file matches the build on this page. Package signing is not enabled for the current preview, so verify the checksum before you run it.
A signed .rpm and a NetworkManager backend are on the roadmap. You can also run a tunnel on the network itself; see how to run a VPN on your router. For other distributions and headless boxes, the manual setup guide is the right path today.
Verify your download
Every official build ships with its SHA-256 checksum. Matching the hash of your file against the value below confirms you have the genuine, untampered build and not a repackaged copy from anywhere else.
vpn.now-linux.deb
SHA-256: ef2e3a5439f103af1f4b2a2ed62a96250196fc4f40f08efffe9af363c9fef309
Check it with shasum -a 256 vpn.now-linux.deb on macOS or Linux, or certutil -hashfile vpn.now-linux.deb SHA256 on Windows.
Verify vpn.now-linux.AppImage
vpn.now-linux.AppImage
SHA-256: 4771ca7637a17898359d3756d4e503838e6ebb67cea77d80da07929a9bc17348
Check it with sha256sum vpn.now-linux.AppImage on Linux.
Linux questions
Which distributions are supported?
The complete package currently supports 64-bit Debian and Ubuntu desktops. The portable AppImage UI requires VPN Now's root-owned helper from a signed system package before it can connect.
Do you have a .deb or .rpm?
The .deb is available now. A signed .rpm and a NetworkManager backend are on the roadmap. The AppImage is a portable UI and intentionally does not elevate user-writable tunnel tools.
Is it safe?
We publish its SHA-256 below so you can verify the file you downloaded matches. The app holds no secret beyond a token you can revoke from your account.
vpn.now on your other devices
One account covers them all.
See every option on the vpn.now apps overview, or set up by hand with the manual setup guide.