I recently installed Mullvad VPN on Linux Mint but had some problems. Fortunately, I figured out what I needed to do quite quickly and managed to get the VPN working. I’m writing this post to help other Linux Mint users who are having problems installing Mullvad VPN.
There are three main ways to install Mullvad VPN on Linux systems. You download a .deb file or .rpm file or install the VPN via the terminal.
I’m a little more experienced with using the terminal than I used to be, so it no longer terrifies me, but I thought if I downloaded a file it may be quicker.
It probably wasn’t. If you are confident installing programs via the Linux terminal, that may be the easiest way to go.
If you want to try it, you’ll find the instructions on this page: https://mullvad.net/en/help/install-mullvad-app-linux/
However, before you can use the VPN you will need to generate a code via the Mullvad website and pay €5 to get a 30-day pass. The site makes it easy for you to do this in many different ways.
.deb or .rpm?
My first problem was I didn’t know which file to download. I did some research and found several recommendations for .deb.
Some sites were saying either one will do. I cannot comment on whether .rpm will work but I downloaded the .deb file and it worked for me. But not straight away.
Overcoming the Installation Problem
When I clicked on the file to install it, I got an error message. I’ve had similar things happen before (I’m learning) and thought I may have to make the file executable. That did the trick. Now I have Mullvad VPN running on my computer.
If you have downloaded Mullvad VPN as a .deb file and are having problems installing it on Linux, try this:
Right-click on the file and select “properties” from the dropdown menu. Then, when the file opens, select the “permissions” tab and place a tick in the box next to “Allow executing file as program.”
Then close the window and click on the file again and it should work.
After the installation, you can delete the file if you want. As a Linux newbie, I wasn’t sure about doing that but took a risk and did it. That was a week ago and there have been no problems at all.
If you are trying to install Mullvad VPN on Linux Mint and having problems, I hope my solution works as well for you as it did for me. Good luck.
