- Proton launches an update of its Linux GUI VPN app in beta
- Proton VPN Linux CLI app also received an update
- CLI users can choose between a stable and beta update
Proton VPN has announced a major push to modernize its Linux offerings.
The Switzerland-based company has confirmed that a complete interface overhaul is in the works and at the same time released a massive feature update for command-line users.
A new face for the Linux GUI
David Peterson, CEO of Proton VPN took to social media to confirm that the company heard community feedback loud and clear.
“With the acceleration of additional features added to the ProtonVPN Linux Client (GUI) in recent roadmap cycles, the majority of requests are now for a (delayed) GUI update,” Peterson said. “Work has been progressing behind the scenes and the first milestone was reached last week.”
With the acceleration of additional features added to the @ProtonVPN Linux Client (GUI) in recent roadmap cycles, the majority of requests are now for a (delayed) GUI update. Work has been progressing on this behind the scenes, with the first milestone being reached last week: pic.twitter.com/5fuySP79q8January 25, 2026
That “first milestone” has been identified in the official release notes as a major internal update for the Linux GUI beta (version 4.14.0).
The application has been officially updated to GTK4, a modern toolset for creating graphical user interfaces. While the release notes clarify that “the visual appearance remains unchanged” for now, this architectural change is fundamental.
“It refreshes the underlying framework and paves the way for future UI enhancements,” effectively laying the foundation on which the new, modern look will sit.
Power to terminal
While the graphical upgrade is paving the way for the future, the immediate value for advanced users lies in the command line interface (CLI).
“For those who don’t enjoy GUI, we are also rapidly developing the Proton VPN Linux CLI features that we relaunched last year,” Peterson added.
- Stable version (v0.1.4): Users can now “browse available countries and cities to find their preferred location,” rather than simply selecting countries. This update also adds “improved server selection,” allowing direct connections to specialized P2P, Secure Core, and Tor servers.
- Beta Version (v0.1.5): For those who are ahead of the curve, the CLI beta channel has added support for a full list of configuration settings. These include “anonymous crash reporting, custom DNS, IPv6, kill switch, NAT type, NetShield ad blocker, port forwarding, and VPN accelerator.”
Why this matters
This dual approach, which modernizes the GUI framework for general users while powering the CLI for system administrators, reinforces Proton’s position in the open source community.
Unlike competitors who often treat Linux as an afterthought, Proton has consistently pushed to Better security by removing legacy configurations and ensuring your Linux apps are officially supported on more distributions.
For current users, the instruction is simple: if you are a CLI user, update your package through your terminal to get the latest feature set. If you prefer the graphical application, you can try the new GTK4 framework through the beta repositories, although the visual facelift is still to come.
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