NordVPN

How to Install and Use NordVPN on Linux (Ubuntu, Raspberry Pi)

“I Subscribed to NordVPN, But I Don’t Know How to Set It Up on Linux”

Many users may find themselves in this situation.

After subscribing to NordVPN, the next step is to install the NordVPN app.

However, on Linux, installation and configuration require using the Terminal, making the process a bit more complex.

This article provides a detailed guide on how to install and use NordVPN on Linux (Ubuntu, Raspberry Pi).

Linux is an open-source operating system (OS) widely used for server management, programming, and more.

It is known for its high stability and security, and users can modify and redistribute it according to their needs.

Since Linux is generally free, it helps reduce costs, making it popular among individual users, small businesses, and large enterprises across various industries.

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NordVPN official website

Getting Started with NordVPN on Linux

Now, let’s go through the steps to set up and use the NordVPN app on Linux.

The following guide applies to these Linux distributions:

  • Debian
  • Ubuntu
  • Raspberry Pi (Raspbian OS)
  • Elementary OS
  • Linux Mint
How to Sign Up and Subscribe to NordVPN

You can register and subscribe to NordVPN through the NordVPN official website.

However, be aware that if you do not subscribe through the official website, you may miss out on high-discount 2-year plans and the 30-day money-back guarantee.

1. Installation Method

Here’s how to install the NordVPN app on Linux.

STEP

Open the Terminal

Search for “Terminal” in the application menu on Linux and launch it.

※ You can also open it using the shortcut Ctrl + Alt + T.

STEP

Download NordVPN

To download NordVPN on Linux, run the following command:

sh <(curl -sSf https://downloads.nordcdn.com/apps/linux/install.sh)

※ If the above command does not work, try running:sh <(wget -qO – https://downloads.nordcdn.com/apps/linux/install.sh)

STEP

Install NordVPN

The NordVPN installer will run automatically.

During the installation, you will see a confirmation message:
“Is this ok y/N”

  • Type “y” and press Enter to proceed.

Once the installation completes, you will see the message:
“NordVPN for Linux successfully installed! Complete!”

This confirms that the installation was successful.

2. Set Permissions

To grant NordVPN app access on Linux, you need to configure the necessary permissions.

Run the following command in the Terminal to set the permissions:

sudo usermod -aG nordvpn $USER

After that, restart your Linux system.

If you do not grant permissions to the NordVPN app on Linux, you may encounter the following error message.

“Whoops! Permission denied accessing /run/nordvpn/nordvpnd.sock.
Run ‘usermod -aG nordvpn $USER’ to fix this issue and log out of OS afterwards for this to take an effect.”

3. Log in to NordVPN

Here’s how to log in to NordVPN on Linux.

STEP

Execute the Login Command

Run the following command to log in to NordVPN:

nordvpn login
STEP

Enter NordVPN Login Credentials

You will be prompted to enter your NordVPN email address and password.

After entering the required information, the login process will be complete.

STEP

How to Log Out of NordVPN

To log out of NordVPN, use the following command:

nordvpn logout

If You Cannot Log In to NordVPN

If you are unable to log in using the above method, you will need to generate an access token.

Steps to Generate an Access Token:

  1. Go to the NordVPN official website and log in.
  2. In the left menu, click “NordVPN” → “Set up NordVPN manually.”
  3. Enter the one-time password sent to your email.
  4. Under the Access Token section, click “Generate a new token.”
  5. Select the expiration period for the new access token.
  6. Once the access token is displayed, save it in a notepad or another secure location.

Finally, enter the following command in the Linux Terminal to complete the login process.

nordvpn login --token ***

※ In the above command, replace “*”** with the newly generated access token.

How to Use the NordVPN App on Linux

Now, let’s go over how to use the NordVPN app on Linux.

You can check the list of available commands by running the following command:

nordvpn help

This command displays detailed explanations of available commands.

man nordvpn

Basic Commands

Here are the basic NordVPN operation commands.

Quick Connect

This command connects to the fastest VPN server located nearest to your current location.

nordvpn connect

※ You can also use “nordvpn c” for quick connect.

Connect by Country or City

Use this command to connect to a VPN server in a specific country or city.

For example, to connect to a server in the United States, run the following command:

nordvpn connect United_States

You can check the list of available countries with the following command.

nordvpn countries

You can check the list of available cities with the following command.

nordvpn cities united_states
Available Countries

Albania、Argentina、Australia、Austria、Belgium、Bosnia_And_Herzegovina、Brazil、Canada、Chile、Costa_Rica、Croatia、Cyprus、Czech_Repulic、Denmark、Estonia、Finland、France、Georgia、Germany、Greece、Hong_kong、Hungary、Iceland、India、Indonesia、Ireland、Israel、Italy、Japan、Latvia、Luxembourg、Malaysia、Mexico、Moldova、Netherlands、New_Zeland、North_Mecedonia、Norway、Poland、Portugal、Romania、Serbia、Singapore、Slovakia、Slovenia、South_Africa、South_Korea、Spain、Sweden、Switzerland、Taiwan、Thailand、Turkey、Ukraine、United_Kingdom、United_States、Vietnam

Connect by Server Number

If you want to connect to a specific server, enter the server number after the country name and execute the command.

nordvpn connect Japan538

Disconnect from VPN

To end the VPN connection, run the following command:

nordvpn disconnect

※ You can also disconnect from the VPN using “nordvpn d”.

Special Server Commands

These commands allow you to connect to special servers in NordVPN.

Dedicated IP Address

This command connects to a dedicated IP address that is assigned exclusively to your account.

※ A separate subscription is required in advance.

nordvpn connect Dedicated_IP

Double VPN

This command connects to Double VPN, which encrypts your connection twice for enhanced security.

nordvpn c double_vpn

This command allows you to connect to Double VPN by selecting a specific country.

nordvpn connect --group double_vpn Canada
Available Countries

Canada、France、Hong_kong、Netherlands、Sweden、Switzerland、Taiwan、United_Kingdom、United_States

Obfuscated Servers

This command connects to obfuscated servers, which help bypass VPN restrictions in countries with strict internet censorship.

nordvpn set obfuscate on

This command disconnects from the obfuscated server.

nordvpn set obfuscate off

P2P

This command connects to P2P servers, allowing you to bypass bandwidth throttling by your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

nordvpn connect P2P

This command allows you to connect to a P2P server by selecting a specific country.

nordvpn connect --group p2p United_Kingdom

Feature Commands

These commands allow you to use various NordVPN features.

Auto Connect

This command enables automatic VPN connection when the computer starts.

nordvpn set autoconnect on

This command disables auto-connect, preventing the VPN from automatically connecting when the computer starts.

nordvpn set autoconnect off

You can also set auto-connect to a specific country.

nordvpn set autoconnect on Japan538
関連記事How to Enable and Disable NordVPN Auto-Connect

Kill Switch

This command enables the Kill Switch, which automatically blocks internet access if the VPN connection drops for any reason.

nordvpn set killswitch on

This command disables the Kill Switch, allowing internet access even if the VPN connection drops.

nordvpn set killswitch off

Threat Protection Lite

This command enables Threat Protection Lite, a security feature provided by NordVPN.

nordvpn set threatprotectionlite on

This command disables Threat Protection Lite, turning off NordVPN’s security feature.

nordvpn set threatprotectionlite off

Change VPN Protocol

This command allows you to select a VPN protocol in NordVPN.

nordvpn set technology OpenVPN
nordvpn set technology NordLynx

You can also switch the transport layer protocol for OpenVPN.

nordvpn set protocol udp
nordvpn set protocol tcp

Conclusion

In this guide, we explained how to install and use the NordVPN app on Linux.

Unlike Windows, where you can install applications by running an .exe file, Linux typically requires using the Terminal to enter commands in a GUI-free environment.

While the NordVPN installation process is relatively straightforward, it can be challenging for beginners who are unfamiliar with command-line operations.

We hope this article has been helpful in getting you started with NordVPN on Linux.

＼Get up to 70% off!／

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