Linux support for VPNs has traditionally been an afterthought, but that’s changing quite rapidly. Some top-tier VPNs have done away with the old command-line interfaces and brought Linux support into the 21st century with fully-featured clients that match the experience you’d get on Windows or MacOS.
Surfshark is one of the leaders here, as its VPN app offers a fantastic set of privacy features across all of its apps. However, there’s a little bit of elbow grease involved in making it happen on Linux. You’ll still need to do some work in the terminal to get Surfshark up and running, so we’ve put together a quick guide to make it as simple as possible.
How to install Surfshark on Linux
Before you get started with Surfshark, you’ll need to make sure you have a current Surfshark subscription. Of course, you’ll also need an internet-connected Linux device to work from.
Currently, Surfshark only supports Debian-based Linux distributions. Officially, version support stretches back to Debian 11, Ubuntu 20.04, and Mint 20. Surfshark also recommends you’re running GNOME, KDE, and XFCE desktop environments alongside Systemd or SysVinit system managers, on top of ADM64 or ARM64 architecture.
In practice, you should be fine installing Surfshark on other Debian-based distributions, but your mileage may vary.
With all that out of the way, installing and maintaining Surfshark requires a few steps. Make sure you enter each command exactly as written below, otherwise you may end up needing to repeat some parts of the process!
How to install the Surfshark application on Linux
1. Open the terminal
On your Linux device, open the Terminal. Most setups will allow you to do this using the keyboard shortcut CTRL+ALT+T. This will bring you to a command line prompt where you can enter the commands that run the rest of the install process.
2. Download the installation script
Run the following command to download Surfshark’s installation script:
curl -f https://downloads.surfshark.com/linux/debian-install.sh --output surfshark-install.sh
This will save the install script to your working directory.
3. Verify the script
Before running any script, it’s a good idea to review its contents to make sure it’s doing what you expect. Use the following command to display the script:
cat surfshark-install.sh
You’ll see the contents of the script on your screen before you run it. Apart from installing Surfshark, the rest of the script is essentially just adding Surfshark’s installation repository to the list of places your application manager checks when you try to install new programs.
4. Run the installation script
To install Surfshark, execute the script with the following command:
sh surfshark-install.sh
From here, you’ll need to enter your sudo password to give the installer the permissions it needs to complete the rest of the installation process. All you have to do now is follow the on-screen instructions and you’re done. Once finished, the Surfshark application will be installed on your Linux device.
How to update the Surfshark app on Linux
If you need to update the Surfshark app and it isn’t working, you can use the command line instead. This is particularly useful if you encounter issues with automatic updates or just want to ensure you’re running the latest version.
1. Open the terminal
On your Linux device, open the Terminal. Most setups will allow you to do this using the keyboard shortcut CTRL+ALT+T. This will bring you to a command line prompt where you can enter the commands that run the rest of the install process.
2. Run update commands
Enter the following commands to update Surfshark manually:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install surfshark
These commands will refresh your system’s package list and upgrade Surfshark to the latest version. Like before, you’ll need to enter your sudo password to run them.
How to connect to Surfshark on Linux
Once the app is installed and updated, you’re ready to connect to Surfshark.
1. Log in
Open the Surfshark app and select the option to log in as an existing user. Enter your Surfshark account credentials.
2. Choose a server
After logging in, you’ll be taken to the main screen. Browse the server list and select the location you want to connect to. You can also use the Quick Connect feature to automatically connect to the fastest available server.
