As a UK-based IT specialist who’s spent more than a few evenings tinkering with Vine Linux, I can tell you that selecting a VPN on this distro involves more than copying what works on Ubuntu or Fedora. Vine Linux uses the apt-rpm package manager, favours lightweight environments such as JWM or Xfce (though KDE and LXQt are also available), and often runs on modest hardware in Japanese households. Given these traits, you’ll want a VPN client that’s:

• Packaged or easily built via apt-rpm
• Efficient on memory (ideal for JWM/Xfce)
• Compatible with a slightly older, very stable kernel
• Configurable purely from the terminal or via a simple GUI front-end

The following VPN solutions are the most suitable for Vine Linux:

• OpenVPN – battle-tested, in the official repos, works with easy-rsa, strong community support.
• WireGuard – next-gen, lightweight codebase, needs a backport or DKMS module on older kernels.
• SoftEther VPN – multi-protocol server/client, runs from source, excellent for NAT traversal.
• strongSwan – robust IPsec suite, more complex but ideal if you need native IPsec.

Below is a concise comparison tailored to Vine Linux users (no mention of subscription fees, just tech specs):

From the above, OpenVPN and WireGuard stand out for ease of install and performance on Vine Linux. Below are step-by-step instructions to get each up and running.

OpenVPN on Vine Linux

OpenVPN is already in the Vine repos, so installation is straightforward. We’ll also add easy-rsa for certificate management and the NetworkManager plugin if you prefer a GUI approach.

1. Update package lists and install:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install openvpn easy-rsa networkmanager-openvpn

2. Initialise your PKI directory:

make-cadir ~/openvpn-ca
cd ~/openvpn-ca

3. Follow the easy-rsa instructions inside ~/openvpn-ca to build your CA, server and client certificates. Once you have client1.ovpn, copy it:

sudo cp ~/openvpn-ca/pki/issued/client1.crt /etc/openvpn/client/
sudo cp ~/openvpn-ca/pki/private/client1.key /etc/openvpn/client/
sudo cp ~/openvpn-ca/pki/ca.crt /etc/openvpn/client/
sudo cp client1.ovpn /etc/openvpn/client/client1.conf

4. Start the service:

sudo systemctl enable openvpn-client@client1
sudo systemctl start openvpn-client@client1

If you prefer NetworkManager, open your desktop’s network settings, add a VPN connection, and import client1.ovpn.

WireGuard on Vine Linux

WireGuard offers exceptional performance, but since Vine’s default kernel may not ship with the module, you’ll need DKMS.

1. Install tools and DKMS source:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install wireguard-tools wireguard-dkms build-essential git

2. Ensure the kernel build headers are present (adjust for your exact kernel version):

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-(uname -r)

3. The DKMS package should build and install the WireGuard module automatically. Verify:

sudo modprobe wireguard
lsmod  grep wireguard

4. Create your WireGuard configuration:

sudo mkdir -p /etc/wireguard
sudo wg genkey  tee privatekey  wg pubkey > publickey

Then edit /etc/wireguard/wg0.conf:

[Interface]
PrivateKey = 
Address = 10.0.0.2/24
DNS = 1.1.1.1

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

5. Bring the interface up and enable on boot:

sudo wg-quick up wg0
sudo systemctl enable wg-quick@wg0

At this point, your Vine Linux machine should be routing through WireGuard. You can monitor the status via:

sudo wg show

With those two solutions in place, you’ll find secure, high-performance tunnels on Vine Linux without fighting the package manager or desktop environment. Enjoy safe browsing!