this post was submitted on 01 Jan 2024
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https://mullvad.net/en/help/install-mullvad-app-linux

Trying to install VPN and these are the instructions Mullvad is giving me. This is ridiculous. There must be a more simple way. I know how to follow the instructions but I have no idea what I'm doing here. Can't I just download a file and install it? I'm on Ubuntu.

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[–] ursakhiin@beehaw.org 4 points 10 months ago

On Windows and Mac, you are doing a number of things implicitly that you don't realize.

When you download from their site, you are expected to verify the integrity and validity of the install file yourself. You also have to take ownership of installing any dependencies yourself.

With the instructions mulvad is providing you, you are connecting to a repo and apt does all that for you.

Some installs don't require dependencies, but some do. Long term, this style of install tends to be a lot simpler, you just have to learn it.

But more importantly and as others have stated. Linux is different. If you aren't interested in learning a new workflow, you should stick with something familiar. That's a choice you should make not because others said it but because you want it.