https://mullvad.net/en/help/install-mullvad-app-linux

Trying to install VPN and these are the instructions Mullvad is giving me. This is ridiculous. There must be a more simple way. I know how to follow the instructions but I have no idea what I’m doing here. Can’t I just download a file and install it? I’m on Ubuntu.

  • Pantherina@feddit.de
    0·
    11 months ago

    There are different “levels” that should be chosen for each software.

    • try to use Flatpak for most apps. Check flathub.org and try to find officially supported apps (☑️)
    • flatpaks can’t do everything though. Some apps need broad permissions, for example Browsers, VPN apps, many Terminal tools. These should be installed as native (.deb, .rpm) packages from repositories Examples: Waydroid, tlp, flatpak, distrobox, podman, virt-manager+qemu+qemu-kvm
    • sometimes those packages are very out of date. Especially on Debian and other “stable” distros, just avoid these for Desktop usage. In those cases compiling can help, but it will be hard to remove again, or update or anything. Honestly I have no idea how to do that really.
    • so if shit breaks, try Distrobox and install native packages for Fedora, Arch, Opensuse, as those may just work.
    • Nix can also help. On Ubuntu you should just be able to install that. A really modern and community focused beginner Distro family, UBlue has “fleek” which allows to install Nix anywhere, easily.

    As you are on Ubuntu, you may want unSnap. Ubuntu simply is not the “easy beginner Distro” anymore. It is very opinionated and does things like Snap that no other Distro is doing.

    If you are a beginner and want a Distro that just works, I highly recommend Fedora Silverblue from ublue.it. installing packages is not hard, and normally only done via Flatpak. The rest is like on other Distros, avoid installing random Appimages or .deb/.rpm files, as they are not verified.