Why These VPNs Shine on AryaLinux

AryaLinux is a source-based, rolling-release distro geared towards power users who don’t mind getting their hands dirty. It uses the OVI toolchain (with Rome for building from source and PISI for binary packages), and you’ll often find XFCE, MATE or KDE Plasma on the desktop. Kernel versions are up-to-date, so WireGuard support is baked in, but you won’t find .deb or .rpm installs floating around—everything is either compiled or packaged with PISI.

Given that environment, the ideal VPNs for AryaLinux are those that:

• Offer a native Linux CLI or standalone binary rather than a .deb/.rpm
• Support WireGuard or OpenVPN out of the box
• Provide clear instructions for installing on non-Debian/Fedora systems

Here are the top picks:

• Mullvad — rock-solid WireGuard support, open-source client.
• ProtonVPN — official CLI written in Python, easy to get via pip.
• NordVPN — extensive server network, works with OpenVPN configs.

Comparison Table

1. Mullvad

Mullvad’s Linux client is distributed as a tar.gz containing a standalone binary and systemd service files. It plays nicely with WireGuard, and you can drop it into your AryaLinux setup without fuss.

Installation Steps

# Install WireGuard tools with PISI
sudo pisi install wireguard-tools

# Download Mullvad client (replace version if needed)
wget https://mullvad.net/download/applications/linux/deb/latest -O mullvad-client.tar.gz

# Extract and install
tar xzf mullvad-client.tar.gz
sudo mv mullvad /usr/local/bin/mullvad
sudo chmod  x /usr/local/bin/mullvad

Configuration Connecting

# Log in (you’ll be prompted for your account number)
mullvad account login

# Start WireGuard-based connection
mullvad wg-quick up

# Check status
mullvad status

2. ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN offers an officially supported Python CLI. It’s easy to grab via pip—just ensure you have Python 3 and pip available through PISI.

Installation Steps

# Install Python3 and pip
sudo pisi install python3 python3-pip

# Install the ProtonVPN CLI
pip3 install --user protonvpn-cli

# Ensure ~/.local/bin is in your PATH
export PATH=PATH:HOME/.local/bin

Configuration Connecting

# Initialize the CLI (follow on-screen prompts)
protonvpn-cli init

# Log in with your Proton credentials
protonvpn-cli login your.email@example.com

# Connect to the fastest server
protonvpn-cli c --fastest

# Disconnect
protonvpn-cli disconnect

3. NordVPN via OpenVPN

NordVPN doesn’t publish a .deb-less client, but you can use their OpenVPN configs right away. Since the AryaLinux kernel supports WireGuard, you could explore community WireGuard scripts, but OpenVPN is rock-solid.

Installation Steps

# Install OpenVPN
sudo pisi install openvpn

# Download NordVPN OpenVPN configs
wget https://downloads.nordcdn.com/configs/archives/servers/ovpn.zip -O nordvpn-ovpn.zip

# Extract
unzip nordvpn-ovpn.zip -d nordvpn-ovpn

Configuration Connecting

# Copy a specific region file (e.g., United States)
sudo cp nordvpn-ovpn/us123.nordvpn.com.udp.ovpn /etc/openvpn/nordvpn.conf

# Start the VPN (enter your NordVPN username/password when prompted)
sudo openvpn --config /etc/openvpn/nordvpn.conf

And that’s it—you now have three robust VPN solutions, each tailored for AryaLinux’s unique workflow. Whether you prefer Mullvad’s simple binary, ProtonVPN’s Python CLI or NordVPN’s classic OpenVPN approach, you can enjoy secure browsing without wrestling with .deb or .rpm packages.