- How to set up ExpressVPN OpenVPN using Ubuntu Network Manager
- Jump to…
- 1. Find your ExpressVPN account credentials
- 2. Set up the VPN
- 3. Connect to a VPN server location
- Disconnect from a VPN server location
- How to manually configure OpenVPN on Linux
- Jump to…
- 1. Find your ExpressVPN account credentials
- 2. Install and connect to the VPN
- Disconnect from a VPN server location
- How to set up and use the ExpressVPN app for Linux
- Jump to…
- Download the installer
- Install and activate the app
- Install the app
- Command line install for the app
- Activate the app
- Connect to a VPN server location
- Disconnect from a VPN server location
- Connect to a different VPN server location
- Connect to a specific VPN server location
- Connect to the Smart Location
- Switch to a different VPN protocol
- Open the app manual
- Use the autocomplete feature
- Use the auto-connect feature
- Use the ExpressVPN browser extension
- For users who installed their browser from the Ubuntu Software Center
- Uninstall the app
- Troubleshoot your connection
How to set up ExpressVPN OpenVPN using Ubuntu Network Manager
Last updated: July 19, 2021
Need a VPN for Linux?
Love ExpressVPN? Want a free month?
This tutorial will show you how to manually set up ExpressVPN on Linux via Ubuntu Network Manager.
Not all ExpressVPN locations may be available for manually configured connections. To use the full list of VPN locations, use the app setup.
Important: The OpenVPN manual configuration does not offer the same security and privacy benefits as the ExpressVPN app. If you are located in a country with a high level of internet censorship, you are recommended to use the ExpressVPN app for a more stable VPN connection. Prefer app setup? See the instructions for setting up the ExpressVPN app for Linux or setup for other Linux distributions.
Jump to…
1. Find your ExpressVPN account credentials
Go to the ExpressVPN setup page. If prompted, enter your ExpressVPN credentials and click Sign In.
Enter the verification code that is sent to your email.
On the right, with OpenVPN already selected for you, you will see your username, password, and a list of OpenVPN configuration files.
Click the location(s) you want in order to download the .ovpn file(s).
Next, scroll down to Optional, then click ZIP file to download the VPN keys and certificates.
Keep this browser window open. You will need this information for the setup later.
After downloading the ZIP file, go to the Downloads folder (or the location you saved the file to). Locate the file, right-click it, and select extract here to unzip it for later.
2. Set up the VPN
On your desktop, click ⋮⋮⋮. In the search bar, type Network.
Select Network.
Next to VPN, click .
Click Import from file…
Select the ExpressVPN OpenVPN configuration file you downloaded earlier. Click Open.
In the Identity tab, under Authentication, enter the following details:
- Type: Select Password with Certificates (TLS).
- User name: Enter the username you found earlier.
- Password: Enter the password you found earlier.
Next, click Advanced…
Under the General tab, enter the following details:
- Use custom gateway port: Check this box, then enter 1195.
- Data compression: Select LZO.
- Use custom tunnel Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU): Check this box, then enter 1500.
- Use custom UDP fragment size: Check this box, then enter 1300.
- Restrict tunnel TCP Maximum Segment Size (MSS): Check this box.
- Randomize remote hosts: Check this box.
Select the Security tab. Make sure the following options are selected.
- Cipher: Select AES-256-CBC.
- HMAC Authentication: Select SHA-512.
Select the TLS Authentication tab. Under Additional TLS authentication or encryption, enter the following details:
- Key File: Locate the folder where the ZIP file was saved earlier, then select the ta.key file. Click Open.
- Key Direction: Select 1.
Click OK.
Click Add.
3. Connect to a VPN server location
To connect to a VPN server location, go to Network, then toggle the new VPN profile on.
If prompted, enter the password provided for the OpenVPN configuration.
Once you are connected to ExpressVPN, you will see an icon that says “VPN” at the top right corner of your desktop.
Check your location and IP address to confirm the VPN connection is working.
Disconnect from a VPN server location
To disconnect from a VPN server location, click the VPN icon at the top right corner of your desktop. Select the VPN profile, then click Turn Off.
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How to manually configure OpenVPN on Linux
Последнее обновление: 19 июля 2021
Нужна VPN для Linux?
Нравится ExpressVPN? Хотите месяц бесплатно?
This guide will show you how to manually set up ExpressVPN on Linux using the OpenVPN protocol with ExpressVPN’s configuration files.
Not all ExpressVPN locations may be available for manually configured connections. To use the full list of VPN locations, use the app setup.
Important: The OpenVPN manual configuration does not offer the same security and privacy benefits as the ExpressVPN app. If you are located in a country with a high level of internet censorship, you are recommended to use the ExpressVPN app for a more stable VPN connection.
Prefer app setup? See the instructions for setting up the ExpressVPN app for Linux.
Jump to…
1. Find your ExpressVPN account credentials
Go to the ExpressVPN setup page. If prompted, enter your ExpressVPN credentials and click Sign In.
Enter the verification code that is sent to your email.
On the right, with OpenVPN already selected for you, you will see your username, password, and a list of OpenVPN configuration files.
Click the location(s) you want in order to download the .ovpn file(s).
Keep this browser window open. You will need this information for the setup later.
2. Install and connect to the VPN
Refer to the corresponding section for your Linux distro below.
Note: The following steps were tested on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (Focal Fossa).
To install the packages, enter the following in the Terminal window:
$ sudo apt install openvpn openvpn-systemd-resolved
Enter your password. Then, enter Y to continue.
To launch OpenVPN, enter the following:
$ sudo openvpn —config /[path to file]/my_expressvpn_[server location].ovpn —script-security 2 —up /etc/openvpn/update-systemd-resolved —down /etc/openvpn/update-systemd-resolved —dhcp-option ‘DOMAIN-ROUTE .’ —down-pre
Note: Replace [path to file] with the path to where the ExpressVPN configuration file was downloaded, and [server location] with the location shown in the file name.
Enter the username and password you found earlier.
After you are connected to ExpressVPN successfully, you will see the words “Initialization Sequence Completed.”
To keep the VPN connection active, keep the Terminal window running in the background.
Note: The following steps were tested on Debian 10 (Buster).
To install the packages, enter the following in the Terminal window:
$ sudo apt install openvpn resolvconf
Enter your password. Then, enter Y to continue.
To launch OpenVPN, enter the following:
$ sudo openvpn —config /[path to file]/my_expressvpn_[server location].ovpn —script-security 2 —up /etc/openvpn/update-resolv-conf —down /etc/openvpn/update-resolv-conf
Note: Replace [path to file] with the path to where the ExpressVPN configuration file was downloaded, and [server location] with the location shown in the file name.
Enter the username and password you found earlier.
After you are connected to ExpressVPN successfully, you will see the words “Initialization Sequence Completed.”
To keep the VPN connection active, keep the Terminal window running in the background.
Note: The following steps were tested on Fedora 32. These steps should also work for CentOS.
To install the packages, enter the following in the Terminal window:
$ sudo dnf install openvpn
To configure DNS, enter the following:
$ sudo cp /usr/share/doc/openvpn/contrib/pull-resolv-conf/client.
$ sudo chmod +x /etc/openvpn/client.
$ sudo sed -i -e ‘s|\bresolvconf\b|ignore-&|’ /etc/openvpn/client.
To launch OpenVPN, enter the following:
$ sudo openvpn —config /[path to file]/my_expressvpn_[server location].ovpn —script-security 2 —up /etc/openvpn/client.up —down /etc/openvpn/client.down
Note: Replace [path to file] with the path to where the ExpressVPN configuration file was downloaded, and [server location] with the location shown in the file name.
Enter the username and password you found earlier.
After you are connected to ExpressVPN successfully, you will see the words “Initialization Sequence Completed.”
To keep the VPN connection active, keep the Terminal window running in the background.
Disconnect from a VPN server location
To disconnect, enter Ctrl + C in the Terminal window.
Источник
How to set up and use the ExpressVPN app for Linux
Last updated: August 4, 2021
Need a VPN for Linux?
Love ExpressVPN? Want a free month?
This tutorial will show you how to set up the ExpressVPN app for Linux.
ExpressVPN is compatible with these Linux operating systems:
- Ubuntu: All LTS and interim releases currently supported by Ubuntu’s standard support window
- Debian: 9 (Stretch) and 10 (Buster)
- Fedora: 34
- Arch: Latest rolling release
- Raspberry Pi (armhf): 9 (Stretch) and 10 (Buster)
- Mint: Linux Mint 20.1 and Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) 4
Important: ExpressVPN does not officially support any distro not listed above. If your distro is based on any of the above operating systems, you can still set up and use ExpressVPN on it by following this tutorial. However, ExpressVPN will not provide fixes for any issues on these distros.
If you prefer to control the ExpressVPN Linux app with a graphical user interface (GUI), you can do so with the ExpressVPN browser extension for Chrome and Firefox. Install the browser extension after setting up the app.
Prefer manual setup? See the instructions for manual setup for OpenVPN (via the Terminal) and OpenVPN (via Ubuntu Network Manager).
Prefer video? You can follow along with the embedded clip or watch the video on YouTube here.
Jump to…
Download the installer
Go to the ExpressVPN setup page. If prompted, enter your ExpressVPN credentials and click Sign In.
Enter the verification code that is sent to your email.
On the right, select your Linux operating system.
Note: Debian and Mint users should select Ubuntu. You can find which Ubuntu or Fedora operating system you are running. Go to the Terminal, then enter:
If you see a “64” (for example, “x86_64”), you are using a 64-bit Linux distribution. In this case, you should download the 64-bit installer.
Click Download.
Select Save File. Click OK.
Keep this browser window open. You will need the activation code for the setup later.
Install and activate the app
Install the app
Note: If you cannot install the app directly with the GUI, you can install it using the command line.
Go to your Downloads folder. Locate and right-click the installer file you downloaded earlier. Click Open with Other Application > Software Install > Select.
Click Install.
Enter your password, then click Authenticate.
The installation will start immediately.
After the installation is complete, go to the Terminal.
In the Terminal window, run this command:
Command line install for the app
In the Terminal window, run this command:
Depending on your distribution, run one of the following commands:
Ubuntu / Debian / Mint:
sudo dpkg -i [installer filename]
Fedora:
sudo dnf install [installer filename]
Arch:
sudo pacman -U [installer filename]
Enter your user password to install the file.
For Arch, enter y to proceed with the installation.
Activate the app
Open a new Terminal. Run this command:
Paste the activation code you found earlier. Note the code won’t appear on the screen. Press Enter.
You can help improve ExpressVPN by sharing anonymized diagnostic reports. Enter Y to accept or n to decline.
If you want to opt out of sending diagnostics to ExpressVPN in the future, run this command:
expressvpn preferences set send_diagnostics false
Connect to a VPN server location
In the Terminal window, run this command:
If you are connecting for the first time, ExpressVPN will use the Smart Location feature to select a server location, which is recommended to you based on factors such as speed and proximity.
If this is not your first time connecting, ExpressVPN will connect to the server location you were most recently connected to.
Once you are successfully connected, you will see the “Connected to…” message in green.
By default, you will see a notification indicating that ExpressVPN is connected.
Note: A single ExpressVPN subscription can be used simultaneously on five devices, regardless of platform. If you try to use more than five devices simultaneously with one subscription, you will see the screen below:
Disconnect from a VPN server location
To disconnect from a server location, run this command:
ExpressVPN will disconnect from the server it is connected to.
By default, you will see a message indicating that ExpressVPN is disconnected.
Connect to a different VPN server location
To find a list of recommended locations to connect to, enter the following command in the terminal:
By default, ExpressVPN will suggest the location that provides the most optimal experience for you, called Smart Location, at the top of the list.
To see a list of all available locations, enter:
expressvpn list all
Connect to a specific VPN server location
To connect to a specific server location, enter:
expressvpn connect [LOCATION]
expressvpn connect [ALIAS]
For example, to connect to USA – New York, enter:
expressvpn connect «USA — New York»
expressvpn connect usny
Connect to the Smart Location
To connect to the Smart Location:
expressvpn connect smart
Switch to a different VPN protocol
VPN protocols are the methods by which your device connects to a VPN server. For the best experience, ExpressVPN recommends using the Automatic protocol option. This is selected by default and automatically picks the protocol most appropriate for your network.
In some cases, switching to a different protocol can give you faster connection speeds.
To switch to Lightway – TCP, run the following command:
expressvpn protocol lightway_tcp
To switch to Lightway – UDP, run the following command:
expressvpn protocol lightway_udp
To switch to OpenVPN – TCP, run the following command:
expressvpn protocol tcp
To switch to OpenVPN – UDP, run the following command:
expressvpn protocol udp
To use the Automatic option, run this command:
expressvpn protocol auto
Open the app manual
To view a full list of the app’s functions, run this command:
Different commands will be listed there.
Use the autocomplete feature
After you type a command, hit the tab key twice to see a list of all available options.
For example, typing
and hitting the tab key twice will list all the available protocols.
Use the auto-connect feature
You can set the ExpressVPN app to automatically connect to your last connected location on start-up by entering:
expressvpn autoconnect true
You will see the Auto-connect is enabled message.
If this is your first time connecting, ExpressVPN will connect using Smart Location.
To disable this function, run this command:
expressvpn autoconnect false
Use the ExpressVPN browser extension
If you prefer to control the ExpressVPN Linux app with a graphical user interface (GUI), you can do so with the ExpressVPN browser extension for Chrome and Firefox.
To get the ExpressVPN browser extension, run one of the following commands:
This will open the page for downloading the ExpressVPN browser extension. Click Get Extension.
For users who installed their browser from the Ubuntu Software Center
If you installed your web browser from the Ubuntu Software Center, you may find that the ExpressVPN browser extension is unable to communicate with the ExpressVPN Linux app. To resolve this issue:
- Back up your browser settings and bookmarks.
- Go to the Ubuntu Software Center and uninstall your browser.
- Open the Terminal.
- Enter $ sudo apt update
- Depending on your browser, enter $ sudo apt install chromium-browser or $ sudo apt install firefox
- Open your browser by entering $ chromium-browser or $ firefox
- Get the ExpressVPN browser extension by entering expressvpn install-firefox-extension or expressvpn install-chrome-extension
Uninstall the app
To uninstall the ExpressVPN app, run this command:
Ubuntu / Debian / Mint:
sudo dpkg -r expressvpn
Fedora:
sudo dnf remove expressvpn
Arch:
pacman -R expressvpn
Troubleshoot your connection
If you are experiencing issues with your app, follow these troubleshooting steps:
Was this article helpful?
We’re sorry to hear that. Let us know how we can improve.
A member of our Support Team will follow up on your issue.
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