How to choose, use and configure a VPN in Parabola GNU/Linux-libre (My opinion)

Choosing the Right VPN for Parabola GNU/Linux-libre

Parabola GNU/Linux-libre attracts users who prize full software freedom, control over their system, and a minimal, rolling-release setup. It uses the pacman package manager and maintains only libre-licensed software in its official repositories. Typical desktop environments include Xfce, i3, LXQt and GNOME (all rebuilt to exclude non-free components). Because of this, any VPN solution must:

Be available (or easily buildable) via pacman or the Parabola ABS
Consist entirely of open-source components
Integrate cleanly with systemd for service management
Offer both CLI and NetworkManager support, given the distro’s minimal-to-full DE spectrum

With these criteria in mind, the three most suitable VPN solutions for Parabola GNU/Linux-libre are:

WireGuard – the modern, kernel-integrated tunnel protocol
OpenVPN – battle-tested, highly configurable, with community support
ProtonVPN CLI – an open-source, user-friendly client for Proton’s no-logs network

Comparison of Top VPNs

VPN Solution	Protocol	Integration	Key Features
WireGuard	WireGuard (UDP)	Kernel module `wg-quick` NetworkManager plugin	Ultra-low latency, minimal codebase, fast key-exchange
OpenVPN	OpenVPN (TCP/UDP)	`openvpn` CLI NM dispatcher	Highly configurable, wide server support, mature community
ProtonVPN CLI	OpenVPN / WireGuard	Python CLI client systemd unit	Built-in DNS leak protection, easy profiles, multi-hop

Installation and Configuration

1. WireGuard

WireGuard is part of the Linux kernel and shippped in Parabola’s repos as wireguard-tools. You can integrate it either via CLI or NetworkManager.

Install the tools:

pacman -Sy wireguard-tools

Create your keypair and configuration:

wg genkey  tee ~/.wireguard/privatekey  wg pubkey > ~/.wireguard/publickey

cat  /etc/wireguard/wg0.conf
[Interface]
PrivateKey = (cat ~/.wireguard/privatekey)
Address = 10.0.0.2/24
DNS = 1.1.1.1

[Peer]
PublicKey = SERVER_PUBLIC_KEY_HERE
Endpoint = vpn.example.net:51820
AllowedIPs = 0.0.0.0/0
PersistentKeepalive = 25
EOF

Bring the interface up and enable auto-start:

systemctl enable --now wg-quick@wg0.service

2. OpenVPN

OpenVPN is available as a libre package. Parabola’s packaging omits any non-free patches.

Install the client:

pacman -Sy openvpn

Place your provider’s .ovpn file in /etc/openvpn/client/. Suppose your file is named myvpn.ovpn:

cp ~/Downloads/myvpn.ovpn /etc/openvpn/client/

Start and enable the service:

systemctl enable --now openvpn-client@myvpn.service

Logs and status can be checked with:

journalctl -u openvpn-client@myvpn -f

3. ProtonVPN CLI

The official ProtonVPN CLI is fully open-source. You will need to build it from source using ABS (or directly from Git):

pacman -Sy git base-devel python-pip
git clone https://github.com/ProtonVPN/linux-cli.git
cd linux-cli
makepkg -si

Initialize and log in:

protonvpn-cli login your_protonvpn_username
# you will be prompted for your password and 2FA code if enabled

Connect to the fastest server:

protonvpn-cli c --fastest

To disconnect:

protonvpn-cli d

And to enable auto-connect on boot, you can use the provided systemd unit:

systemctl enable --now protonvpn.service

Conclusion

For a fully libre stack, WireGuard and OpenVPN will satisfy most Parabola users. If you’re looking for a ready-made, privacy-focused network with an easy CLI, ProtonVPN’s open-source client is an excellent third option. Each integrates cleanly with systemd and can be managed both via terminal and graphical front-ends when running Xfce, GNOME or other desktops.

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