How to choose, use and configure a VPN in SystemRescueCd (My opinion)

Choosing the Right VPN for SystemRescueCd

SystemRescueCd (recently rebranded to SystemRescue) is an Arch-based live rescue distribution aimed squarely at sysadmins, network engineers and forensic specialists. It boots as a read-only ISO, runs mostly in RAM and uses pacman as its package manager. By default you’ll find lightweight window managers like Fluxbox or i3, plus a core set of CLI tools—there’s no heavy GNOME or KDE desktop here.

When selecting a VPN for SystemRescueCd, you should look for these criteria:

CLI-only support—no GUI installers
Ability to import .ovpn or WireGuard configs
Minimal dependencies (so you don’t bloat your RAM-only OS)
Reputable performance and uptime for remote access, tunnelling or secure downloads

Below are the standout providers that meet those needs on a live, Arch-based rescue distro.

Comparison Table

Provider	CLI Support	Protocols	Performance Reputation	Learn More
Mullvad	OpenVPN WireGuard configs	OpenVPN, WireGuard	Excellent speeds, strict no-logs	Mullvad official site
ProtonVPN	OpenVPN configs	OpenVPN	Solid speeds, audited no-logs	ProtonVPN official site
NordVPN	OpenVPN configs	OpenVPN	Fast, well-established provider	NordVPN official site
IVPN	OpenVPN WireGuard configs	OpenVPN, WireGuard	High privacy focus	IVPN official site

Deep-Dive: Installing Configuring the Top VPNs

1. Mullvad (OpenVPN WireGuard)

Mullvad is popular for fast WireGuard tunnels and straightforward OpenVPN configs. On SystemRescueCd you’ll install minimal packages and run directly from RAM.

Step 1: Install necessary tools

pacman -Sy --noconfirm openvpn wireguard-tools unzip curl

Step 2: Download your WireGuard config

cd /root
curl -O https://mullvad.net/download/wireguard-configs/latest/archive.zip
unzip archive.zip -d mullvad-wg
cd mullvad-wg

Step 3: Bring up the tunnel

wg-quick up mullvad-
# Test connectivity
ping -c 3 1.1.1.1

For OpenVPN, download the “Linux RSA” bundle from Mullvad and run:

curl -O https://mullvad.net/download/openvpn-configs/latest/archive.zip
unzip archive.zip -d mullvad-ovpn
cd mullvad-ovpn
openvpn --config us-sfo.conf

2. ProtonVPN (OpenVPN)

ProtonVPN provides a simple ZIP of .ovpn profiles that work without extra dependencies beyond OpenVPN.

Step 1: Install OpenVPN and helper tools

pacman -Sy --noconfirm openvpn unzip curl

Step 2: Fetch and extract ProtonVPN configs

cd /root
curl -L -o protonvpn.zip https://api.protonvpn.ch/vpnconfig/all.zip
unzip protonvpn.zip -d protonvpn-ovpn

Step 3: Start an OpenVPN session

cd protonvpn-ovpn
# Choose a server, e.g. ProtonVPN-Free-IRELAND-udp.ovpn
openvpn --config ProtonVPN-Free-IRELAND-udp.ovpn

Enter your ProtonVPN username and password when prompted.

3. (Bonus) NordVPN / IVPN via OpenVPN

Installation is identical: just replace the curl URL with their ZIP or individual .ovpn links, then launch openvpn –config. Both providers supply clear instructions on their websites and work well in a minimal, RAM-only Arch environment.

Wrapping Up

Because SystemRescueCd loads a bare-bones Arch environment with pacman and minimal GUI, your safest bet is to stick with VPN providers that allow pure OpenVPN or WireGuard configuration. Mullvad and ProtonVPN stand out for their performance, transparency and ease of setup in a RAM-only rescue context. After following the steps above you’ll have a secure tunnel running directly from your live rescue system—no persistent OS tweaks required.

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