Using a VPN on Linux has always been a bit tricky if you’re not familiar with the terminal. Fortunately, NordVPN just changed that by rolling out a desktop client which you can use with your mouse, just like on Windows and macOS. It’s super convenient, but don’t celebrate just yet if you wanted to get Nord on your Steam Deck.
NordVPN is widely considered one of the best VPNs around, and it is regularly used on Linux. Before now, you’d have needed a fairly deep understanding of the intricacies of Linux, but this new client significantly broadens the field for the number of people who can use the popular VPN without quite as much Linux expertise.
Announced on the NordVPN blog on May 12th, the GUI (graphical user interface – a technical way of saying “mouse-driven”) version of NordVPN for Linux has all the same features as the older version. It’s just tidier and easier to use, making it ideal for a quick activation as a gaming VPN before you launch your favorite title.
How we used NordVPN on Linux before
While desktop users of NordVPN have been happily clicking their mice to select servers and connect, it has been a different story on Linux. Here, a CLI (command line interface, or “keyboard-driven”) is provided, via the Terminal session utility. This is like the Windows PowerShell and the macOS Terminal.
Connecting to NordVPN on Linux means opening the Terminal app and entering a command. This typically looks like “nordvpn c” to connect to the quickest, nearest server, although you can specify a server in a country or city.
It isn’t too difficult to use (a status area shortcut is available), but it isn’t user-friendly at all. It also takes longer if you want to select a specific server, which is where the new NordVPN Linux app really improves things.
Get the NordVPN app on your Linux desktop
Regardless of whether you’re already using the CLI version of NordVPN on Linux, the nordvpn-gui app can be installed with a single Terminal command:
sh <(wget -qO – https://downloads.nordcdn.com/apps/linux/install.sh) -p nordvpn-gui
After that, you have to enter your password to confirm installation. Once it’s finished installing, you just need to check that the NordVPN app is available on the apps list.
The Linux app looks and feels much like the other NordVPN apps on Windows, macOS, Android, and iPhone. It offers everything you need from your VPN, including a list of servers, quick access to specialty servers (such as P2P), a kill switch, and the ability to select protocols.
However, since this only runs on Linux desktops, it won’t run on Steam Deck. However, since NordVPN has expressed a desire to improve it based on user feedback, we might see it running on Steam Deck before too long.
Read our NordVPN review if you want to learn more about the service as a whole. We’ve also got a useful Minecraft VPN guide for anyone wondering what a VPN could do for them in that game specifically.
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