As an IT specialist based in London, I’ve had the chance to test many VPN services on privacy-focused distributions, and Linux Kodachi is one of the most demanding. It’s based on Debian and uses apt for package management, runs live, executes entirely in RAM, forces all traffic through Tor, applies DNS leak protections, and ships with its own VPN kill switch and traffic monitoring panels.
Any VPN you put on top of Kodachi has to integrate cleanly with apt, respect the RAM-only environment, behave correctly in a “VPN + Tor + custom firewall” stack, and provide a solid command-line client so you don’t bloat the system with heavy GUIs.

Why these VPNs are best suited for Linux Kodachi

• Mullvad – Has a Debian repo, excellent WireGuard and OpenVPN support, a strict no-logs policy, and a robust CLI with built-in kill switch and DNS protection that works nicely alongside Kodachi’s own firewall.
• ProtonVPN – Maintains an official Debian package, offers Secure Core servers, built-in DNS leak protection and a “network lock”, plus a Python-based CLI that’s very convenient in a live environment.
• NordVPN – Provides a dedicated .deb package, automatic kill switch, reliable obfuscated servers for bypassing censorship, and a huge server network – useful when running Kodachi from restrictive networks.
• Private Internet Access (PIA) – Well regarded in the Linux world, supports both OpenVPN and WireGuard, offers a lightweight Linux app and raw config files, and includes a stable kill switch and ad/malware blocker that fit well with Kodachi’s privacy philosophy.

Comparison table

Note: Kodachi already ships with its own VPN system preconfigured on top of Tor. These guides are meant for when you want to use your own provider (instead of, or in addition to, the built-in options).

Installation & configuration guides

Mullvad

Mullvad fits Kodachi very well: lightweight client, Debian repository, and a WireGuard-first approach that reduces CPU load on modest hardware.

1. Add Mullvad’s repository and install the client:

echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/mullvad-archive-keyring.gpg] \
https://repo.mullvad.net/deb stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mullvad.list

curl -fsSL https://repo.mullvad.net/deb/public.key \
  | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/mullvad-archive-keyring.gpg

sudo apt update
sudo apt install mullvad-vpn

2. Log in and connect using WireGuard:

mullvad account login YOUR_MULLVAD_ACCOUNT_CODE

# Enable internal firewall / kill switch
mullvad tunnel wireguard set default-on

# Optional: set default location
mullvad relay set location gb

# Connect
mullvad connect

3. Check status and leaks:

mullvad status
curl https://am.i.mullvad.net/connected

ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN is ideal if you already use other Proton services. Its CLI works nicely in a RAM-only environment and the “network lock” adds another layer on top of Kodachi’s own kill switch.

1. Enable the official ProtonVPN apt repository:

sudo apt install -y wget gnupg2

wget -qO - https://repo.protonvpn.com/debian/public_key.asc \
  | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/protonvpn-archive-keyring.gpg

echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/protonvpn-archive-keyring.gpg] \
https://repo.protonvpn.com/debian stable main" \
  | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/protonvpn.list

sudo apt update
sudo apt install protonvpn-cli

2. Initialize and log in:

protonvpn-cli login your_email@example.com

3. Connect with Secure Core and enable network lock:

# Turn on kill switch / network lock
protonvpn-cli ks --on

# Connect using Secure Core over UDP
protonvpn-cli c --sc --protocol udp

NordVPN

NordVPN stands out for its huge network and obfuscated servers, very handy if you’re running Kodachi from heavily censored networks.

1. Install the NordVPN Debian package:

wget -qO nordvpn-release.deb \
  https://downloads.nordcdn.com/apps/linux/install/debian/nordvpn-release_1.0.0_all.deb

sudo dpkg -i nordvpn-release.deb
sudo apt update
sudo apt install nordvpn

2. Log in and apply secure defaults:

nordvpn login

# Use NordLynx (WireGuard-based)
nordvpn set technology NordLynx

# Enable kill switch and CyberSec (malware/ad blocking)
nordvpn set killswitch on
nordvpn set cybersec on

3. Connect to a server (for example, the United Kingdom):

nordvpn connect United_Kingdom

Private Internet Access (PIA)

PIA offers a good balance between flexibility and simplicity: you can either use its Linux app, or just rely on OpenVPN/WireGuard profiles managed from the terminal – which fits Kodachi’s style very well.

1. Install the PIA client (optional, if you want its GUI/CLI):

wget -O pia-linux-latest.deb \
  "https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/installer/pia-linux-latest.deb"

sudo apt update
sudo apt install ./pia-linux-latest.deb

2. Or use OpenVPN profiles only (more in line with Kodachi):

sudo apt install -y openvpn unzip

# Download the OpenVPN ZIP from your PIA account and copy it into Kodachi
unzip pia-openvpn-configs.zip -d ~/pia-configs
cd ~/pia-configs

3. Create a credentials file:

cat > pia-auth.txt << 'EOF'
PIA_USERNAME
PIA_PASSWORD
EOF
chmod 600 pia-auth.txt

4. Connect using a region (example: Spain):

sudo openvpn \
  --config spain.ovpn \
  --auth-user-pass pia-auth.txt

As long as that openvpn process is running in the terminal, all traffic will exit through the PIA tunnel before hitting Tor, keeping Kodachi’s extra anonymity layer intact.

Conclusion

Linux Kodachi already pushes privacy far beyond a standard distro, but choosing the right VPN is what turns a “secure enough” setup into a properly hardened one.
Mullvad shines for its simplicity and anonymity, ProtonVPN adds Secure Core and a powerful network lock, NordVPN brings obfuscation and a massive network, and Private Internet Access gives you lightweight profiles plus tracker-blocking.
All of them integrate with Kodachi’s apt-based workflow, are easy to drive from the command line, and respect the RAM-only live environment – so you can keep a low profile without sacrificing flexibility.