Choosing a VPN for Openwall GNU/Linux

Openwall GNU/Linux (OWL) is a security-focused, minimal distribution tailored for system administrators and security specialists. It’s built around a hardened kernel (grsecurity/PaX), comes without systemd, and uses its own rpkg tool for package management—think of it as a lightweight wrapper around RPM with manual dependency follow-up. By default there’s no heavy desktop environment, though users can install light X11 managers such as Fluxbox or Xfce via rpkg. In this environment, VPN clients should:

• Install cleanly via rpkg or be usable as standalone CLI tools
• Avoid rooting for systemd or GUI front-ends
• Offer both OpenVPN and WireGuard in case you need maximum compatibility

Based on those criteria, the top contenders are:

• Mullvad – Provides both native OpenVPN configs and a standalone WireGuard approach simple CLI tool in RPM form.
• ProtonVPN – Official Python-based CLI and .rpm on their website supports OpenVPN WireGuard.
• Private Internet Access – Offers standard .rpm packages plus easy-to-import OpenVPN profiles widely used by server admins.

Comparison of VPN Providers on OWL

Installation Configuration on Openwall GNU/Linux

Mullvad VPN

Mullvad offers an RPM package for its CLI, then uses your account number for authentication. You can also download OpenVPN configs directly.

1. Install dependencies and the Mullvad CLI:

# Update local repo data
rpkg -g update

# Install OpenVPN and WireGuard tooling
rpkg -i openvpn wireguard-tools

# Download Mullvad CLI RPM
wget https://mullvad.net/download/app/rpm/latest -O mullvad.rpm

# Install Mullvad CLI
rpkg -U mullvad.rpm

2. Log in and connect via WireGuard:

# Log in with your Mullvad account number
mullvad account login YOUR_ACCOUNT_NUMBER

# List available servers
mullvad relay list

# Connect via WireGuard (replace SERVER_ID)
mullvad connect wireguard SERVER_ID

# Check status
mullvad status

If you prefer OpenVPN:

# Download a specific country config
mullvad relay set location SE  # for Sweden
mullvad config openvpn > mullvad.ovpn

# Run OpenVPN
openvpn --config mullvad.ovpn

ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN provides a Python-based CLI and an RPM you can install directly. It’s suitable for users who need WireGuard or OpenVPN under a single interface.

# Update and install dependencies
rpkg -g update
rpkg -i python3-pip openvpn wireguard-tools

# Download ProtonVPN RPM
wget https://repo.protonvpn.com/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/protonvpn-cli-release.rpm

# Install ProtonVPN CLI
rpkg -U protonvpn-cli-release.rpm
rpkg -i protonvpn-cli

# Initialize ProtonVPN CLI
protonvpn-cli login your_protonvpn_username

# Connect using WireGuard by specifying a country code
protonvpn-cli c --protocol wireguard --cc NL

# Or connect with OpenVPN
protonvpn-cli c --cc US

Private Internet Access (PIA)

PIA supplies an RPM and an archive of OpenVPN profiles. You can choose whichever you prefer.

# Update repo data and install OpenVPN
rpkg -g update
rpkg -i openvpn

# Download PIA repository RPM and install
wget https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/installer/pia-openvpn-setup.rpm
rpkg -U pia-openvpn-setup.rpm

# Optionally fetch latest OpenVPN configs
wget https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/openvpn/openvpn.zip -O pia.zip
# Unzip and pick a server, e.g. us-east.ovpn
unzip pia.zip

Then connect:

openvpn --config us-east.ovpn --auth-user-pass
# You’ll be prompted for your PIA credentials

Final Notes

• Because OWL doesn’t ship with ufw or firewalld by default, consider crafting iptables rules for a VPN kill switch.
• Always verify your DNS leaks by querying dig @resolver1.opendns.com myip.opendns.com before and after connection.
• Keep your rpkg -g update cycle active to receive both security updates for OWL and any VPN client improvements.