Proton VPN, the Swiss-based privacy-focused company, has unveiled substantial updates to its Linux applications, aiming to modernize the user experience for both graphical and command-line interface users.
Modernizing the Linux GUI
David Peterson, General Manager at Proton VPN, acknowledged the community's feedback regarding the Linux GUI client. He stated, "With the speedrun of additional features added to the ProtonVPN Linux (GUI) client in recent roadmap cycles, most requests are now for a (overdue) GUI refresh." He further mentioned that work on this update has been progressing behind the scenes, with the first milestone achieved last week. (protonvpn.com)
The initial milestone involves a significant under-the-hood update for the Linux GUI beta (version 4.14.0), which includes updating the application to GTK4, a modern toolkit for creating graphical user interfaces. While the visual appearance remains unchanged for now, this architectural shift lays the groundwork for future UI enhancements. (protonvpn.com)
Enhancements for Command-Line Users
For command-line interface (CLI) users, Proton VPN has introduced several improvements. The latest stable release (version 0.1.4) allows users to browse available countries and cities to find their preferred location, rather than just selecting countries. It also offers improved server selection, enabling direct connections to specialized P2P, Secure Core, and Tor servers. (protonvpn.com)
The beta release (version 0.1.5) adds support for a comprehensive list of configuration settings, including anonymous crash reports, custom DNS, IPv6, kill switch, NAT type, NetShield Ad-blocker, port-forwarding, and VPN accelerator. (protonvpn.com)
Implications and Future Plans
These updates reflect Proton VPN's commitment to enhancing the Linux user experience. By modernizing the GUI framework and expanding CLI features, Proton VPN aims to provide a more robust and user-friendly service for Linux users. Users are encouraged to update their packages via the terminal to access the latest features. For those preferring the graphical app, the new GTK4 framework is available through the beta repositories, with a visual facelift planned for future releases. (protonvpn.com)
Sources
- Proton VPN Linux GUI app release notes
- Proton VPN Linux CLI release notes
- Proton VPN 2025-2026 fall and winter roadmap
Proton VPN's Recent Developments:
- Proton VPN kills off legacy OpenVPN configs in push for better security, Published on Monday, January 19
- Proton VPN expands Linux capabilities with new split tunneling feature, Published on Thursday, August 140news16