Support Documentation :: Setup Tutorials :: ExpressVPN :: LINUX

Use the following rough steps to setup ExpressVPN on Linux. The details of these steps will depend on your flavor of Linux. In general, you're setting up an OpenVPN connection using our configuration files.

 

Install the OpenVPN client.  For example, on Ubuntu, you'd do this with the following

Open a terminal session

Go to Applications > Accessories > Terminal

 

 

 

In the terminal screen, enter the command:

       sudo apt-get install -y network-manager-openvpn

 

 

 

 

 Once the OpenVPN module is installed, close the Terminal application.  You will know it is installed when you are returned back to the command line prompt.

 Log into our website via a browser on Ubuntu. Click on "VPN Account Details", and download your configuration files to your Ubuntu home folder.

 

 

 

Once you are logged in you will see the file listed for manual configurations.  Please double click it.

 

Choose to save the file as per below. 

 

 

Once the file is saved, the file will appear under downloads.

 

 

Unzip the configuration file that you downloaded. You may place your cursor over the file, right click and choose “extract here”

 

 

 

 

You will be notified that the extraction completed successfully.

 

 

 

 

You will now see two files, the zip file you downloaded and the same filename “unzipped”.

 

 

Double click on the file that does not have the suffix zip.  It will open to show its contents.  Please note the ovpn files.

 

 

 

 

Click on the Network Manager icon on your desktop bar Notification Area. This icon can be in the shape of 2 computer screens   or arrows   or a signal meter  if you use a Wi-Fi connection.

 

Select VPN Connections, click Configure VPN

 

 

On the VPN tab, click on the “import” Button and navigate to the expressvpn folder you extracted. (If you have followed these instructions it will probably be under your download folder)

 

 

 

 

Select any of the *.ovpn files that you'd like to try from the extracted configuration files. Click Open. 

 

 

 

Uncheck the “connect automatically” button. Click “Save”.

Click “Close”.

 

 

 

 

Reboot your machine.

 

Once it has restarted, click on the Network Manager icon on your desktop bar Notification Area. Select VPN Connections; click the ExpressVPN server you imported.  In the example below the connection is 4-US_East_Coast.

 

 

 

The icon will blink for a 10-30 second period.  Once the VPN is connected, you will see a message stating the VPN connection has been successfully established.  You will also see a “lock” on the top bar of the Network Manager icon.

 

 

 

 

To check that you're connected OK, go to http://www.whatismyip.com and check that you now have one of our IPs. Also try going to facebook.com or other sites that are usually blocked for you and make sure they work now.

 

Running into problems with these steps or have suggestions to improve them?

Please let us know. Thanks!