Always on VPN?

rinkimekari

I am currently using Proton VPN with the OpenVPN protocol that came pre-installed with Solus Budgie.

So as I was messing around in settings, I came across the option to turn on the VPN automatically when connected to a certain WiFi network. However, whenever I check the box, the settings app closes and the option is not enabled, leaving me to remember to turn on my VPN every time I use my laptop. Is there a way to fix this?

Also, would it be a good idea for the developers to add a universal "always enable VPN when connected to WiFi" option?

Thanks for any and all help!

jppelt

rinkimekari I use the protonVPN client and just turn on VPN at the start of every session. It is always on but I am usually plugged into an ethernet access point. The only issue, I need to -d prior to sleeping or after logging back in. But then, back to c --sc and good to go.

Not sure that helps given you seem to want something to turn off/on when accessing via WiFi.

brent

You are asking for two different things: auto-on for a specific network ("certain") and auto-enable for any wifi connection according to your last sentence. Unless I'm getting that wrong.
Anyways, I'm wondering if you could beat the wi-fi connection right out of the gate by keeping VPN on, as in launching in autostart and forgetting about it. Unless it's a timing thing?

synth-ruiner

brent Anyways, I'm wondering if you could beat the wi-fi connection right out of the gate by keeping VPN on, as in launching in autostart and forgetting about it. Unless it's a timing thing?

openvpn integrates into the network manager rather than being a separate program afaik

brent

synth-ruiner interesting, thank you, that makes sense. maybe OP could controi it via system service.

rinkimekari

brent Would you be able to elaborate on that? Not quite sure how to do that. Also synth-ruiner Is there a command I could use to start the VPN? There is an option to start something at boot via command, so that might work. The way I set it up is just downloading the config files and creating a VPN using one of them.

brent

rinkimekari Was spitballin hypothetically as I'm not qualified to make that happen. Elaboration would be: If OpenVPN is a component that 'integrates'--to steal synth-ruiner 's words--into network manager, then maybe it could be manually controlled via systemctl (https://linuxconfig.org/how-to-use-systemctl-to-list-services-on-systemd-linux) or thru the native System Monitor if you have Budgie. I don't have the expertise/experience in these kinds of moves, nor the confidence, and I don't advise it if your knowledge level is where mine is---I just wondered if it could be possible.
edit: I'd love to have one day without a typo anymore🙂

rinkimekari

brent I found a process that look like it could be OpenVPN, thought I'm not sure what's wrong with it. In the list, it showed this:
_____UNIT________________LOAD____ACTIVE__SUB____DESCRIPTION
● openvswitch.service not-found inactive dead openvswitch.service
It seems like it's there but broken, but my VPN is working perfectly. (My IP address is in a city a few states away from where I live.)
Not quite sure what to do with this information, because it's the only relatively VPN looking thing on the entire list.

Edit: I decided to check the disabled list and found openvpn-client@.service and openvpn-server@.service both in the disabled state with the vendor preset enabled. Still not sure what to do. I'll look further into it later.

brent

rinkimekari I can't answer this.
Set aside 15-20 minutes, and read the top few openvpn threads (https://discuss.getsol.us/?q=openvpn)...I suggest this only so you have a better sense of its operation. One of those threads may accidentally solve what ails you or give you the light bulb moment. I'm not a user.
Good luck here. In man openvpn its creators call it a daemon, so that's why I thinking it was possible. At the end of ideas for me.
Wait for some better replies.