- Proton VPN has released an official CLI for Arch, Debian, Ubuntu and Fedora
- The update aims to boost Linux users who prefer terminal commands
- Future versions include a selection of P2P, Tor and Secure Core connections.
Proton VPN has released its official command line interface (CLI) for a wider range of Linux distributions. The provider is already widely considered the best VPN for privacy enthusiasts, and this latest update solidifies its reputation by specifically addressing the technical needs of the Linux community.
According to an official announcement that the company shared on X, the new official CLI is now available for Arch, Debian, Ubuntu, and Fedora. By officially supporting these distributions, Proton ensures that the software is stable, secure, and receives timely updates directly from the source, rather than relying on third-party maintainers.
This is an important step forward, particularly for Arch Linux users, often humorously acknowledged in the community with the The “I use Arch, by the way” meme, which Proton jokingly referenced in their announcement, that they often have to rely on the Arch User Repository (AUR) for software that isn’t officially supported by vendors.
A victory for the command line
For the uninitiated, a CLI (Command Line Interface) works differently than the Graphical User Interface (GUI) that most people are used to. Instead of clicking icons and buttons with the mouse, users type text commands into a terminal to execute tasks.
While this may seem daunting to the average casual user, it is often the preferred method for advanced Linux users, developers, and system administrators.
CLI tools use fewer system resources than graphical applications and can be easily programmed or automated, making this version very attractive to those looking to integrate. VPN protection in complex system configurations or headless servers (computers without a monitor).
The OFFICIAL Proton VPN CLI is now available on: ✅ Arch (btw) ✅ Debian ✅ Ubuntu ✅ Fedora Next, we will be adding features that will allow you to specify P2P, TOR and Secure Core for your connection, and the ability to see all countries/cities. Here’s a quick demo and how to install it 👇 pic.twitter.com/kOxYEIcN25December 15, 2025
What comes next?
Releasing CLI on these platforms is just the first step. In the same announcement, the Switzerland-based privacy firm teased several future features that will improve the tool’s usefulness.
The team is working to add features that allow users to specifically target P2P (Peer-to-Peer) servers to torrents, Tor servers to improve anonymity and Secure Core servers. Secure Core is one of Proton’s standout features, which routes traffic through privacy-friendly countries like Switzerland or Iceland before reaching its final destination to protect it against network-based attacks.
Additionally, developers are adding the ability to view all available countries and cities directly within the terminal, giving users granular control over their virtual location without needing to leave the command line environment.
Why this is important for Linux users
This move comes shortly after Proton expanded the capabilities of Linux with features like split tunneling, showing a sustained effort to bring its Linux offering on par with its Windows and macOS counterparts.
Finding the best VPN for Linux can be a challenge. Many vendors offer a basic Linux client that lacks the feature set and polish of their core applications.
By implementing a feature-rich official CLI for the most popular distributions (Ubuntu and Fedora are giants in the desktop space, and Arch and Debian are mainstays of the enthusiast and server worlds), Proton is making high-level privacy accessible to a much broader demographic of users.
If you’re running one of these distros, you can check out the demo included in Proton’s social media post to see how to install the new CLI and get started.
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