The simplest way to configure an OpenVPN connection in Linux Mint is via the built-in network manager. Just create a new connection, enter your VPN login information, and import your provider’s OpenVPN configuration files. This is something Linux newcomers often struggle with, which is why I’ve created a step-by-step guide to setting up OpenVPN connections on Mint.
Quick guide to configuring an OpenVPN connection in Mint
Some VPNs have their own Linux apps, but if yours doesn’t, you may still be able to connect by manually configuring an OpenVPN connection through the network manager. There are a couple of trade-offs with this method, though.
First, you won’t have access to any of your VPN’s additional features, such as tracker-blocking or obfuscation. Second, you must manually create a new connection for each server you’d like to use. That means a little more work upfront if you’re someone who likes to region-hop, but even then, the entire process should take less than 10 minutes. Here’s how to set up a new OpenVPN connection in Linux Mint:
- Download your VPN’s OpenVPN configuration files. These are usually linked to in the website’s help section or on the account overview page once you’ve logged in. I’d recommend asking customer support for help if you’re having difficulty finding them.
- Click the network icon in the bottom-right, then hit Network Connections.
- Click the plus icon and pick Import a saved VPN configuration.
- Navigate to the OpenVPN configuration files from earlier and choose the server you’d like to connect to, then click Create.
- Type your login details in the User name and Password fields then click Save. Note that NordVPN requires you to use specific service credentials instead of your regular username/password for this step.
- Hit the network icon again. This time, you should see a toggle switch labeled VPN Connections. Tap this, and the VPN will connect. If you’re repeatedly asked for a password (and are sure you entered it correctly), choosing a different server should resolve the issue.
Three ways to set up OpenVPN connections in Linux Mint
Commercial VPN apps have traditionally focused on Windows, Android, MacOS, and iOS users. This slowly changed over the last decade, and today, most major providers offer some form of Linux support.
To show you how to begin, I personally set up three OpenVPN connections using Linux Mint 22.3. One was manually configured with IPVanish’s .ovpn files, another relied on NordVPN’s command-line interface, and the last used ExpressVPN’s GUI app.
Switching to OpenVPN using your VPN’s graphical Linux app
We’ll start with the simplest option. If your VPN has its own Linux app, changing protocol is nice and easy; all you have to do is find the right settings menu.
ExpressVPN users can just hit the profile icon on the left hand side of the main screen, then tap VPN Protocol, and finally, select either OpenVPN – UDP or OpenVPN – TCP. If you’re unsure which to choose, UDP is generally faster but most people won’t notice any difference.
Changing protocol using a command-line interface (CLI)
Some people prefer to navigate applications using the command line. That’s why providers like NordVPN offer both graphical and CLI-based apps for Linux. Before we begin, it’s important to realize that every VPN uses different command names and syntax. I’ve used NordVPN in this example, but you can find the appropriate commands for your VPN in its Linux setup guide or by typing the name of the app in the terminal followed by –help (for instance, “protonvpn-cli –help”).
Before anything else, you’ll have to sign into the VPN app, usually via the “login” command.
This was a little trickier than expected with NordVPN. The CLI asked me to sign in via the website but didn’t actually log me in once I had. That’s because the website was trying to open the graphical NordVPN app whereas the CLI was actually waiting for a callback command. The manual explains all of this, but most people will just assume the login system doesn’t work.
Here’s how to log into NordVPN’s CLI on Linux Mint:
- When prompted, log into NordVPN’s website.
- It’ll ask for permission to open the NordVPN app. Decline, but don’t close the page yet.
- Right-click the Continue button and select Copy Link
If you’re using NordVPN’s CLI, logging in works a little differently, and this isn’t made immediately obvious to the user. - Next, return to the terminal. Enter the following command exactly as it’s shown, but paste in the link you copied instead of YOUR LINK HERE.
sudo nordvpn login –callback “YOUR LINK HERE”Remember: CTRL+V will not work; to paste in the terminal, you have to press CTRL+Shift+V instead.
- You should now be signed in and ready to connect.
Once you’re logged in, it’s time to make sure you’re using the OpenVPN protocol. By default, NordVPN uses its own WireGuard-based NordLynx protocol. Simply enter the first command from the table below to start using OpenVPN. I’ve included the commands for swapping between UDP and TCP connections too, in case you have a specific requirement to use one over the other. Most people can simply proceed to the final step, though.
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Change protocol to OpenVPN | sudo nordvpn set technology openvpn |
| Switch to UDP | sudo nordvpn set protocol udp |
| Switch to TCP | sudo nordvpn set protocol tcp |
All that remains is to connect to a server. You can use “sudo nordvpn connect“ to automatically connect to the fastest available server, or specify a location using a two-letter abbreviation (for instance, “sudo nordvpn connect US”).
Creating an OpenVPN connection using Mint’s Network Manager
Even if your VPN doesn’t have a dedicated Linux app, it may allow you to set up a connection manually. The first thing you’ll need to do is locate your provider’s OpenVPN configuration files. I used IPVanish in this example, and the files were readily linked to in its Linux setup guide. However, some providers only provide them to users with a current paid subscription.
Once you’ve downloaded and extracted the configuration files, click on the network icon in the bottom right of the panel, then hit Network Connections.
A window will pop up displaying all of your current connections. Click the plus icon in the bottom left and select Import a saved VPN connection from the dropdown list.
Next, navigate to the configuration files from earlier and choose the server you’d like to connect to. Generally, you can expect higher speeds from a server that’s nearby.
Enter your username and password into the appropriate fields on the following page. If you’re a NordVPN user, you’ll have to use a different set of details instead, called “service credentials”. To find these, log into the website and navigate to NordVPN > Set up NordVPN manually > Service credentials.
Move across to the IPv6 Settings tab and choose Disabled from the Method dropdown. This will prevent your real IP address leaking out over IPv6. Click Apply, then return to the VPN tab and click Save.
Click the network icon in the panel again. You should now see a VPN Connections heading with a toggle button. Tap this and wait a few seconds for the VPN to connect.
If the toggle immediately returns to the off position, there’s likely a problem with your configuration files. OpenVPN 2.6 released in April 2026 and deprecated the keysize command, which IPVanish relied on. Simply download IPVanish’s latest OpenVPN config files and repeat the setup process.
Finally, it’s time to verify that the VPN is working correctly. To do this, use Comparitech’s IP address checker, and make sure the displayed location matches that of your chosen server.
What to do if you’re having trouble setting up your VPN
While the exact setup process is slightly different for each provider, the three examples above should give you a pretty good idea of how to start using a VPN on Linux Mint. It is slightly more complex than installing a VPN on other platforms, but well within the abilities of most novices.
That said, if you run into any problems, I’d encourage you to double-check your VPN’s Linux configuration guides and verify that you followed the steps exactly. If all else fails, ask customer support for help – they deal with enquiries like this every day and will be happy to assist you.
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