https://mullvad.net/en/help/install-mullvad-app-linux
Trying to install VPN and these are the instructions Mullvad is giving me. This is ridiculous. There must be a more simple way. I know how to follow the instructions but I have no idea what I’m doing here. Can’t I just download a file and install it? I’m on Ubuntu.
That’s not how you do it.
Click ‘Downloads’ on the Mullvad website.
Scroll to the bottom section ‘Unable to use the app’
Click ‘OpenVPN’.
Download OpenVPN config.
You already have OpenVPN installed, skip all fancy installation steps.
Click network settings in the taskbar, ‘New connection’, ‘OpenVPN’, ‘Import configuration’.
Turn on your new VPN connection. Done.
It seems Mullvad has the OpenVPN option tucked away as the very last option even though OpenVPN seems to be the easiest method. Why is that?
Because OpenVPN lacks the most important feature of them all - it will not remind you to top up your account balance.
Because they want to lock you into their app and make you think VPNs are complicated so you actually pay for the service.
As I’ve heard it, wireguard is much more secure.
More Performant, yes. More Secure? Not sure about that
I went with OpenVPN because it’s installed on Ubuntu by default. Wireguard needs one extra apt-get command.
I don’t think that Wireguard is more secure, its’s simpler and thus easier to audit, but OpenVPN was audited to the gills already.
why tf wouldn’t OP be better served by a provided repo? Literally a add it to the sources.list and never think about updates again.
Because installing some random app is worse than simply using pre-installed system service.
Both are security audited, but I’d still rather trust OpenVPN.
THIS!
Not one more repository to add, sign, reload at each update. And can get compromised.
Not one more piece of software to run that may, or may not, run properly (looking at you ProtonVPN)
Just download the wireguard or openvpn configs to some desired exit points, load them into NetworkManager as described, and BINGO you have an integrated way of switching desired location, a visual icon in the taskbar confirming your status, and no extra hassle.
Did you know that qbittorrent can be told to only work if the VPN is on? There are places where it matters.
And to answer your question, no, that is not normal. If a piece of software isn’t available for your distribution, then consider finding another. Like, here, using NetworkManager to do the job!