New Linux user here. Is this really how I'm supposed to install apps on Linux?

It's less complicated than it looks like. The text is just a poorly written mess, full of options (Fedora vs. Ubuntu, repo vs. no repo, stable vs. beta), and they're explaining how to do this through the terminal alone because the interface that you have might be different from what they expect. And because copy-pasting commands is faster.

Can’t I just download a file and install it? I’m on Ubuntu.

Yes, you can! In fact, the instructions include this option; it's under "Installing the app without the Mullvad repository". It's a bad idea though; then you don't get automatic updates.

A better way to do this is to tell your system "I want software from this repository", so each time that they make a new version of the program, yours get updated.

but I have no idea what I’m doing here.

I'll copy-paste their commands to do so, and explain what each does.

sudo curl -fsSLo /usr/share/keyrings/mullvad-keyring.asc https://repository.mullvad.net/deb/mullvad-keyring.asc
echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/mullvad-keyring.asc arch=$( dpkg --print-architecture )] https://repository.mullvad.net/deb/stable $(lsb_release -cs) main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mullvad.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install mullvad-vpn

The first command boils down to "download this keyring from the internet". The keyring is a necessary file to know if you're actually getting your software from Mullvad instead of PoopySoxHaxxor69. If you wanted, you could do it manually, and then move to the /usr/share/keyrings directory, but... it's more work, come on.

The second command tells your system that you want software from repository.mullvad.net. I don't use Ubuntu but there's probably some GUI to do it for you.

The third command boils down to "hey, Ubuntu, update the list of packages for me".

The fourth one installs the software.

So usually people do install Linux software from trusted software repositories. Linux practically invented the idea of the app store a full ten years before the first iPhone came out and popularized the term "app."

The problem with the Mullvad VPN is that their app is not in the trusted software repositories of most Linux distributions. So you are required to go through a few extra steps to first trust the Mullvad software repositories, and then install their VPN app the usual way using apt install or from the software center.

You could just download the ".deb" file and double click on it, but you will have to download and install all software security updates by hand. By going through the extra steps to add Mullvad to your trusted software repository list, you will get software security updates automatically whenever you install all other software updates on your computer.

Most Linux distros don't bother to make it easy for you to add other trusted software repositories because it can be a major security risk if you trust the wrong people. So I suppose it is for the best that the easiest way to install third-party software is to follow the steps you saw on the website.

Download the .deb and double click it. https://mullvad.net/en/download/app/deb/latest

People seem to be making this a more difficult job than it needs to be. Yeah I get we're powerusers but can't we drop that for 2 minutes while giving advice so a new user can actually get a job done quickly? Windows EXEs don't automatically update either. Sure it might not be the best way to do it but it's fast and not confusing. (EDIT: Apparently this specific program actually has it's own auto updater)

Things take time to learn. Throwing all of the existing knowledge of repo management at a new user at once does not work.

As others have mentionned downloading the .deb and running it will also work, but I feel nobody gave your a tldr of why you may want to follow those instructions instead, so here it is:

Those instructions configure your package manager (apt) with a new repository for this application.

The upside to that is that anytime you will look for updates, this app will also get updated.

It's a bit more work up front, but it can pay off when you have dozens of app updating as part of normal system operations.

Imagine a world where windows updates would also update all your software, that's what this is.

That's not how you do it.

Click 'Downloads' on the Mullvad website.

Scroll to the bottom section 'Unable to use the app'

Click 'OpenVPN'.

Download OpenVPN config.

You already have OpenVPN installed, skip all fancy installation steps.

Click network settings in the taskbar, 'New connection', 'OpenVPN', 'Import configuration'.

Turn on your new VPN connection. Done.

This is one of the hardest walls for people to jump over mentally, from scavenging the internet for binaries to using a package manager.

I think ideally one should understand what they're doing, I think that if you did you would realise it's not hard, just different from what you're used to. Usually you install things using the graphical package manager, of which there are a lot, since I don't know which one you are using nor have I used any of them in a long while, I'll use the terminal as an example (same reason the site uses terminal commands), but all of this is almost assuredly possible via GUI.

To install things you usually do sudo apt install , this is a huge advantage on Linux, it works similar to your phone in that everything gets updated together but also it installs dependencies separately, which means that instead of having 10 copies of the same library for 10 programs that use it (like on Windows) you get a single one, which is part of the reason binaries are smaller on Linux.

The problem with this approach is that some programs are NOT listed there, the only programs there are the ones the maintainers of your distro (Ubuntu in this case) can review and approve. So you can have a lot of different solutions for this:

The first and most obvious for Windows users is to download the .deb from the website and just run that like you would a binary on windows, i.e. double-clicking it, or from the terminal you can run sudo dpkg -i . This works, but you lose the advantages of a package installed via your package manager, i.e. you would get the same experience as on windows, so it's not ideal.

The second way is the one they're describing, essentially you're adding a new repository to the package manager, that the people who wrote the program are maintaining (instead of Ubuntu guys), this is a two step process, sudo curl -fsSLo /usr/share/keyrings/mullvad-keyring.asc https://repository.mullvad.net/deb/mullvad-keyring.asc that command is downloading the file https://repository.mullvad.net/deb/mullvad-keyring.asc and putting it in /usr/share/keyrings/mullvad-keyring.asc, this is needed because repositories are not trusted by default, that would be a security nightmare, you can do this via GUI if your problem is with the terminal , just download the file and copy it to that location, it's just harder to explain than giving you a command. Then it's adding the repository to the repository list, the command is echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/mullvad-keyring.asc arch=$( dpkg --print-architecture )] https://repository.mullvad.net/deb/stable $(lsb_release -cs) main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mullvad.list that command has a lot to unwrap, in essence it's editing the file /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mullvad.list and writing a line like deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/mullvad-keyring.asc arch=amd64] https://repository.mullvad.net/deb/stable focal main" there, but because the guy who wrote this doesn't know your architecture (e.g. amd64) nor your version (e.g. focal) he wrote a command that gets that information from your system, you can instead write the file yourself if you know those. Then install via package manager as normal.

There's a third way which is more recent which is install via snap/flatpak which is similar to install via package manager, except you don't add new repos.

There's a fourth way which is manually, usually when you compile stuff you install them manually.

I know it's a lot to take in, but I'm of the opinion that if you understand what's happening it makes things easier.

The comment section here is a perfect example of why people don't use Linux

My favorite part of this thread is everyone just saying copy and paste the commands so it will work. Like we should totally get users into the habit of running random commands off the net as root.

That page lists multiple installation methods, for multiple distros. There simplest one for you is just two steps.

1. Download .deb installer

2. Run apt install ~/Downloads/MullvadVPN-*_amd64.deb

It's not that complicated. That's just confusingly written. And caters to a wide range of users.

"I have no idea what I’m doing here" <- Happens in the beginning. How about you start by trying to know what exactly you are doing? Let me give you a fasttrack...

1. The first command you get in the instructions is curl. It is generally used to download stuff from a networked server.

   1.1. To understand the -fsSLo in the command, I strongly advise you to check out the manual of curl using man curl in a terminal.

2. The second command in the instructions is echo "something" | sudo tee some/file

   2.1 Here you see 3 commands echo , sudo and tee. 2.1.1 Again, you can use man command-name to check the manual pages for these commands 2.2 There is a | symbol over here. It is called the "pipe symbol", which is what you can use to search for it. It is usually difficult to search for the symbol itself and I haven't found a man page for it, but open man bash and look for "Pipelines" and you'll know what it is about. Use Link, Link and Link to help yourself understand this.

3. The commands in "Install the package" use the apt program. This is a Package Manager. Its job is to read package information that package developers have made and try to not let the system become unusable.

   • e.g. If you have a program called Xorg from 5 years ago, and a program called mesa from 5 years ago and Xorg depends upon mesa to work. Here, if you replace your mesa with a new, recent mesa yourself, there is a good chance Xorg will not work. The Package Manager prevents that from happening.

4. The gist of what the instructions are making you do is, telling the Package Manager that there is another place from where you want it to look for packages.

To understand man pages better, check out this link.

Don't think too badly of people dissing you in the comments. They are tired and fed up of help vampires. Hopefully, you can try not to become one.

• Try and build your own process of understanding the commands you see on the internet before entering them into the terminal.
• The comments telling you to just follow the instructions, are coming from the perspective that you don't have the patience and determination to understand them yourself, which, a lot of people don't. I will leave it upto you to determine which one you decide to be. It is, however, a bad idea to follow instructions on any website, just because it "seems legit". You can't really say you "trust" the site until you have the ability to find out for yourself whether you want to trust it.

Check this out

I don't want to sound arrogant but is reading a few paragraphs then copying and pasting 3 different commands into a terminal really that difficult?

It will make life easier in the long run as having a repo added will update the software with sudo apt upgrade in the future.

The same MFs on here that rush to tell someone that Linux is easy and intuitive are the same ones that can't keep a small talk conversation for more than 5 mins, a social activity that humans have been doing for thousands of years.

My words might be a little broad, harsh, and even hurtful, but just a reminder that not all of us are good at learning the same things.

We didn't all come out of the womb knowing how to socialize or use Linux, but if we look back far enough, we can all relate to the struggles it takes to learn something new, and how much it sucks when someone treats you like you're stupid just because things sometimes don't click

The instructions on that page make it so that every time you run a system update, mullvad automatically updates as well. If you're happy doing the updating yourself, you can download the deb file from here: https://github.com/mullvad/mullvadvpn-app/releases

This is not the only way to install apps but as a Linux user there will be times when you will need to use the terminal. Might as well know that from now.

The instructions they gave are really simple and straightforward. If you struggle with that, you may want to learn a bit about the terminal.

But since you're on Ubuntu there is a much easier way: go to Mullvad downloads page and download the deb file. Double click it and the Ubuntu App Store should open and install it. If not, open the App Store and search for gdebi and install it. Now right click the deb you downloaded, and click "open with..." and choose gdebi from the list.

It should check dependencies and give you an "install" button. Click that and wait for it to finish. Then simply launch Mullvad as normal.

In general on Linux you install apps by looking in the distro repo: either by searching the App Store or by using the terminal.

To do it from the terminal type:

1. 'sudo apt update'. Enter your password.

2. After it's updated type 'apt search [name of app] and press enter. It will give you a list of apps with that name. Eg apt search lollypop (a music player). Then if you see it listed, you know it's in the repo.

3. To install it type 'sudo apt install lollypop' and press enter. It will tell you how large it is and if you want to install it. Type "y" and press enter. It will finish it in a few seconds.

Done. Launch the app as normal.

There is also something called Flatpak's which you can get from flathub.com You will also find instructions there on how to install flatpak on your system but typing a few commands.

Welcome to Linux. You'll either embrace and love it or abandon it.

Yes, it is. You can achieve the same usung GUI of course, but this would be more difficult to describe because there are multiple GUIs and they change with new distro versions.

This is more convenient than "downloading and intalling" a file because you don't have to track updates manually, the package manager will do this for you. You have to read something about what package manager is and how does it work. It is the main concept of all linux distros except LFS.

As others have already pointed out, a lot of Linux software is installed from repositories in a standard way, and once you do that, it updates automatically.

However, as you've already discovered, there's more than one way to install Linux software. Repositories are still the most common way, but installing single .deb's (Debian based distributions) or .rpms (RedHat packaging format) is still there and there are more like Snap, Flatpak and Appimage. You can also often just download the source and compile it yourself. It's a very diverse ecosystem, not like the controlled worlds of WIndows and Mac.

In this case you can download the .deb file, and pretty sure you can even install it through the file manager, just like in Windows (I don't use Ubuntu, but I think it will just start GUI installation if you double-click on a .deb file).

But lot of things in Linux are still done through the terminal, like changing configurations and, yes, installing things.

Getting used to it takes a while, especially if you're not used to modern Windows administration through PowerShell.

The important part is trying to figure out what each of the commands do and that the output actually means. Software that supports Linux normally has very clear instructions (like in this case), but it does require willingness to change habits, technical curiosity and some trial and error (patience). It's not quite as polished experience as the commercial OS's. There's still a lot of rough edges for the user.

Good luck on your Linux journey!

While lvxferre's instructions are the ideal, there's a simpler option

Download the mullvad.deb file.

Doubleclick on it from your file manager and it should automatically instsll

Every time you start mullvad it will check if the version is current and prompt you (with a link to click on) to upgrade if it's not.

Note that works on mint, should work on ubuntu unless they've disabled dpkg

Chance that your Ubuntu version already supports OpenVPN and wireguard (check your settings -> network). If so, just download wireguard/OpenVPN config files from mullvad: https://mullvad.net/account/openvpn-config?platform=linux

Asking why something is the way it is makes you more of a “Linux user” than many.

You make a valid criticism; there’s definitely a learning curve to installing software if you choose to do it that way (since it’s not similar to other OSs), and it’s not automatically explained to new users by using the OS.

Here’s the understanding of it I’ve come to, if you’re interested:

Like others have said, the .deb file would be the equivalent of an .exe file on Windows. Like many .exe files, unless they include an auto-updater, they won’t automatically update.

A key difference I would like to point out is that Linux package managers often update and manage parts of the OS in addition to extra software. Windows and macOS both update their OS separately.

“Ubuntu Software Center” is similar to the “Microsoft Store” on Windows and the “App Store” on macOS. Like those, it’s user friendly and provides automatic updates, but it also doesn’t have every app. You can ensure those apps are safe because the company behind the OS verifies them.

“apt-get” is the default package manager for Ubuntu. That is the tool doing the heavy lifting underneath, and what those commands Mullvad gave are for.

Mullvad could have provided a script to download and run that executes those commands for you, but then you wouldn’t know what it’s doing, especially with it needing admin permission. With how security-oriented Mullvad’s brand is, I think that’s one potential reason they explain the steps and have the user do it instead.

You can just install wireguard from your distros built in repository. Then use the mullvad wireguard conf downloader.

One time setup, and your wireguard gets updated by your distro update. No need to add a new repository.

If you go to: https://mullvad.net/en/download/vpn/linux

And click the "download .deb" button (It says underneath "Works on Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 11+ (64bit only)". As long as your Ubuntu is up-to-date, this will work fine)

you get a file ("MullvadVPN-2023.6_amd64.deb") you can run just like on Windows (similar to MullvadVPN-2023.6.exe)

opening the file should open a GUI for installing the file

Keep in mind, to update Mullvad VPN, you would need to download a newer .deb file (after an update is released). It shows the latest version above the download buttons, below the "Mullvad VPN for Linux text" This is the same as how it is on Windows

Edit: This is not intended as good advice, just a simple way to install Mullvad VPN. The smartest solution would be to add the repo.

2nd Edit: While this is how Mullvad provides their software, it is never ideal to install random .deb packages or add third party repos without being sure that the ones who provided the package/repo is trustworthy.

Many, perhaps even most, installation guides for software use commands because the graphical alternatives can vary wildly between desktops and distributions. So using commands in guides is usually the more likely to work.

That said, what Mullvad does is stupid. The downloadable deb and rpm files should just initialize the update repository. That is what Google does with their Chrome download. Basically download the file, double click on it, confirm installation. That's it. Users don't need to do that manually for Chrome.

Luckily, there are only a few cases remain for this type of installation. Most regular things should be either in your distribution's regular repository or on Flathub.

Download the .deb from their downloads page and run it, just like you would either a .exe on Windows. Their instructions list that as an option further down on the page. Should be higher up imo

Normally you'd just run sudo apt install ... but in this case you are adding a new repository so you have to follow the extra steps of adding the signing key and so on first.

What distro are you running? I think you should be able to just find the app in the app store.

If not, the webside includes the download link literally in the first paragraph: https://mullvad.net/en/download/vpn/linux

Just download and double click the package, that should bring up your app store, and then click install you will be fine.

You can achieve this through graphical utilities.

Self-updating apps aren't a big thing on Linux, so the Windows way isn't an option...

The signing key is important for security reasons, so you definitely need to add that. After adding the repo you can just use Synaptic or whatever app store thingy Ubuntu uses.

Most of the time you shouldn't need to fiddle with the command line and the apps you will need are available through the Software Centre and the entire process will work like on Windows.

For me, Linux was the first operating system I used that had an app store or software centre and I was pretty glad to not need to...

• open a browser,
• navigate to a site,
• (hope it is the right site...)
• download a binary executable,
• open a file explorer,
• launch the binary,
• click through a list of options and agreements,
• and finally delete the binary.

Can’t I just download a file and install it?

Yes, there are instructions on the page for that, the section is titled 'Installing the app without the Mullvad repository'

Hello new Linux user! So yes, your correct when installing apps on Linux sometimes you might need to do it via command line other times you'll get a nice install file you can double click. It's really down too the software manufacturers on how they choose to package it.

In general with Linux you'll find there's still a lot of command line usage compared to Windows or osx. On those platforms for most users they would barely touch a terminal except in some kind of bug fixing emergency.

Some distros come with their own app store built in (like the windows or osx app store) and allow you to install a bunch of apps via the gui.

What version of Linux did you go for out of interest? Some are much more beginner and use friendly than others.

Also note that Mullvad has a pretty technical user base and target audience, and thus their documentation is likely geared towards them. You could also consider using Mozilla VPN, which offers pretty much the same advantages (they use Mullvad's servers), at the same price if you pay annually, and is easier to use.

I think if you read through this you have pretty much everything you asked about. As for understanding what these sorts of commands do in the future I think ChatGPT is actually really useful for stuff like this with good documentation. Just ask what the commands do and it is usually quite helpful. Someone already said it but you have to want to learn this. If you want something easy to use and you don’t have to learn buy a Mac, you want great software compatibility buy a windows pc. If you want something that is more private and a community effort use Linux but unless you are using steam os on a steam deck it is not even close to being as user friendly as the others. I hope this changes but the current goals and mindsets of people in this community will prevent Linux from becoming easy to use and in the case of steam os you just need lots of money to make it an easy experience. There are a million other reasons that Linux’s current state is this way but this is the gist.

Not at my computer, but you might check if there is a snap or flatpak

https://mullvad.net/en/download/vpn/linux

Download the .deb

People here saying you can just download and run the .deb just like the .exe

Aren't you forgetting the "add +x permission" step?

Not specific to Mullvad, but you can use flatpak or your distro's package manager (probably apt) to install programs, On Ubuntu, you can open the software program and search the programs to install it, that should be the first thing to do when you want to install something rather than going to the website.

my tactic if the site looks trustworthy is always:

• find the explanation for the distribution I use
• ignore literally all the text
• just copy paste and execute everything that looks like a command in order in the terminal works like 8/10 times

sudo synaptic for a graphical package manager.

Otherwise, just use sudo apt-get if the program you want isn't there, you may need to download the source and compile it yourself

AFAIK, most distros will also have a package manager/software center where you install flatpaks (or snaps if you are on ubuntu). Think of flatpaks akin to mobile apps where everything needed is all together in one package. Not all apps will be flatpaked though, and VPNs tend to be nearly always direct binaries due to needing some higher level permissions than what flatpaks will allow.

Essentially, what im saying is no, not all apps need to be manually installed, but some might need to for one reason or another. And sometimes, knowing a little about how some of these apps are installed might actually help you understand linux a little more (it has in my case)

Open the terminal and copy and paste the commands found in their install guide for Ubuntu:

# Download signing key 
sudo curl -fsSLo /usr/share/keyrings/mullvad-keyring.asc https://repository.mullvad.net/deb/mullvad-keyring.asc

# Add the stable repository
echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/mullvad-keyring.asc arch=$( dpkg --print-architecture )] https://repository.mullvad.net/deb/stable $(lsb_release -cs) main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mullvad.list

# Install 
sudo apt update
sudo apt install mullvad-vpn

More or less: yes.

It's copy and pasting 5 lines into the terminal and hitting enter. It's not that hard. If it's not worth the 15 seconds of 'work' you probably don't need the software that badly.

And it's not the default. Usually you shouldn't add random software sources and download software from some websites. Your Linux package manager should be the source for software. (Software Manager / Store / Synaptics, ... whatever Ubuntu calls it) It installs software with one or two clicks with the mouse, the software there is tested and tied into the rest of the systems and tens of thousands of packages are available. No malware guaranteed, and updates are handled automatically.

And with other Operating systems it's also ridiculous: You need to find the website of some software, avoid malware and copycats that advertise similar software with ads, click download, click 'yes' I accept a download with a harmful extension. Then you need to open the file manager and double click on it. Then a window opens and you need to click 'next'. Accept the terms. Give permission to install and maybe remove a few ticks and choose a location. I'd say it's about the same amount of work and the downside is it doesn't necessarily handle updates and security fixes.

I think Ubuntu doesn't have Mullvad available in their own repository. I took another approach and imported their settings/profile into the VPN/network manager that is available per default on many Linux distributions. No install required at all. But importing the settings isn't easier, so YMMV here. And I think you have to create a profile for each and every country/endpoint which is a bit cumbersome, depending on what you're trying to do with the VPN.

I know you're on ubuntu, but installing programs depends on your distribution. Some programs are in your software library, some aren't. But there will always be a way to get the program. For instance, I use Gentoo and Mullvad. The way I set it up is with Wireguard so I control it through the terminal, this is because Gentoo has no mullvad app. Otherwise, you can often add new libraries to your system. Again, on Gentoo Steam is not in my repository by default. So, I added the steam repository to my system so I could get it. For Mullvad, I'm pretty sure they offer a deb package, which Ubuntu can use. Otherwise, some other distributions offer a mullvad app in their repository by default. Try other distributions and see what clicks. A lot of linux is experimentation. I personally prefer doing a lot of things fairly manully, so I use Gentoo with essentially only a terminal for control. Linux Mint, Devian, Arch, Void, Nix, Gentoo; there's tons of choices so there's going to be something that you click with.

If Mullvad is not available as a Snap or Flatpak (2 ways of installing self-sufficient auto-updateable packages without dependencies on other packages) then youre probably stuck with either adding this 3rd party repository (something which isn't always recommendable either) which gives you automatic updates or using a .deb installation file like you would probably prefer and then manually retrieving updates when needed.

Anyways, others have told you as much already anyways. What I'd like to add is that it is definitely worth it to learn to work the terminal. I get that there are many people looking for an alternative to Windows or just an open approach to computing in general without looking for added complexity. Who wants complexity right? Whether such an experience exists in the Linux world is probably subjective. Ubuntu has definitely been a safe bet for the flattest learning curve required since its inception in 2004. But its still a niche thing that won't experience user-friendly support from everyone (ie Mullvad).

So one could conclude that in order to truly be "free" (as in Free Software freedom) one needs to claim that freedom. You will fuck things up. You will learn from your mistakes. You will regroup and you will grow as a user and dare I say PC-curious person.

That is simple. About as simple as it gets. The more complex method involves figuring out what VPN software Mullvad really uses, figuring out your keying material, fighting with NetworkManager...

tl;dr - Follow the directions.

Yes and with good reason. To prevent people like yourself from downloading and running malware.

My advice is get zorin or popos and see if there is installer in their software store. I am a new user like you are well and this sense to be common, i resroted to keep it on old laptop ,as server so in install and thin necessary things and then dinner user it at all. Linux Community on Lemmy is humbug, they will downvote as soon as you say Linux is not for regular person

Yeah no, generally you just copypaste the software website's instructions. Many programs can be installed through the app store (or equivalent install commands) but a lot of aoftware you just gotta copypaste the code. Many also just provide an inataller.
The meme about linux software being much easier to install is true in some cases, but mostly bullshit. even if its just sudo apt install vlc you generally still want to check the website to make sure its the best way, or you end ip with an out of date version.

Updating software on linux is better pretty much automatic without annoying popups most of the time though.

This post is proof that Linux desktop isn’t as good, perfect and polished as everyone says it is. Stop living in the delusion.

Change your distribution to MX Linux and use MX Package Installer there. Select Mullvad VPN from "Popular Apps" tab there and MXPI will do all these steps for you.

That's what I hated as a beginner on debian/ubuntu as well. On fedora it's straight forward. Adding repo and then isntalling the app.

This is a troll, clearly. Purge this guy.