How to choose, use and configure a VPN in Parrot (formerly Parrot Security OS) (My opinion)

Choosing the Right VPN for Parrot OS

Parrot OS, formerly Parrot Security OS, is a Debian-based distribution tailored for penetration testers, security researchers and privacy-conscious developers. It uses APT (apt-get/apt) as its package manager, ships by default with desktop environments such as MATE and KDE Plasma, and is packed with tools like Metasploit, Anonsurf and Tor. Because Parrot is designed for advanced users, your VPN choice should integrate smoothly with APT, offer robust CLI tooling, support modern protocols like WireGuard and provide leak-protection for DNS and IPv6.

Below are the VPNs that best fit Parrot’s workflow and security posture:

Mullvad – Open-source client, Debian repository, strong WireGuard support, strict no-logs.
ProtonVPN – Official Debian repo, CLI GUI options, native support for WireGuard via Proton CLI, DNS leak protection.
NordVPN – Debian package, user-friendly CLI, supports both OpenVPN and WireGuard (NordLynx), audited no-logs policy.
IVPN – Simple CLI client, .deb package, multi-hop support, strong focus on privacy.

Feature Comparison

VPN	Debian/Apt Repo	CLI Tool	GUI App	WireGuard	No-Logs Policy
Mullvad	Official APT repo	Yes	Yes (GTK)	Yes	Strict
ProtonVPN	Official APT repo	Yes (`protonvpn-cli`)	Yes (Qt)	Yes	Strict
NordVPN	Official APT repo	Yes	Yes (Electron)	Yes (NordLynx)	Strict
IVPN	.deb package	Yes	No	Yes	Strict

Installation and Configuration

Mullvad

Mullvad’s client is fully open-source, integrates with APT and supports both OpenVPN and WireGuard.

# Add Mullvad’s APT repository and key
echo deb https://repo.mullvad.net/deb/ stable main  sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mullvad.list
curl -fsSL https://repo.mullvad.net/gpg  sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/mullvad-archive-keyring.gpg

# Update and install the Mullvad client
sudo apt update
sudo apt install mullvad-vpn

# Log in and connect (replace with your Mullvad account number)
mullvad account login YOUR_ACCOUNT_NUMBER
mullvad connect

Check status with mullvad status. By default WireGuard is enabled to force OpenVPN, run mullvad vpn set protocol openvpn.

ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN provides both a CLI and GUI client, with native WireGuard support via protonvpn-cli.

# Install dependencies
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y wget apt-transport-https

# Add ProtonVPN’s official APT repository
wget -q -O - https://repo.protonvpn.com/debian/public_key.asc  sudo apt-key add -
echo deb https://repo.protonvpn.com/debian stable main  sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/protonvpn.list

# Install the ProtonVPN client
sudo apt update
sudo apt install protonvpn-cli protonvpn-gui

# Login and connect
protonvpn-cli login you@example.com
protonvpn-cli c

Use protonvpn-cli d to disconnect. To force WireGuard, add --protocol wireguard on connect.

NordVPN

NordVPN offers a streamlined CLI tool, plus NordLynx (WireGuard) support. Perfect for scriptable connections on Parrot.

# Add NordVPN’s repository sh

Use nordvpn status and nordvpn disconnect to manage your session.

Final Thoughts

For Parrot’s security-minded audience, Mullvad, ProtonVPN and NordVPN stand out thanks to their native Debian support, strong CLI tools and modern protocols. Choose the one whose features align best with your workflow, then follow the above steps to install and secure your traffic with ease.

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