Skip to content

How To Set Up GatewayVPN On Linux

  • Reading time: 2 minutes
  • Tag: Linux

Linux gives you a lot of flexibility: you can connect using a GUI network manager, a simple terminal command, or the OpenVPN 3 Linux client. All three methods use the same basics: download a .ovpn file and sign in with your VPN username/password (different from your GatewayVPN account).

Before you start

1) Download the .ovpn config file

  1. Go to the GatewayVPN downloads page: https://gatewayvpn.com/apps/
  2. Download the OpenVPN configuration files.
  3. Unzip the folder (if needed) and choose the server/location .ovpn file you want to use.

2) Request your VPN credentials (required)

OpenVPN manual setups use separate credentials:

  1. Submit the VPN credentials request form below
  2. Check your email for your VPN username and VPN password.
  3. Keep them ready—you’ll enter them when connecting.

Method 1: Use a GUI VPN client (NetworkManager) — easiest on desktop Linux

This is ideal for Ubuntu / Fedora / Mint / Debian desktops using GNOME/KDE with NetworkManager.

Step 1: Install the OpenVPN plugin

Examples (package names can vary slightly by distro):

Debian/Ubuntu/Mint

sudo apt update
sudo apt install openvpn network-manager-openvpn network-manager-openvpn-gnome

Fedora

sudo dnf install openvpn NetworkManager-openvpn NetworkManager-openvpn-gnome

Arch

sudo pacman -S openvpn networkmanager-openvpn

Step 2: Import the .ovpn file

  1. Open Settings → Network → VPN
  2. Click Add VPN
  3. Choose Import from file / Import a saved VPN configuration
  4. Select your downloaded .ovpn file and save.

Step 3: Enter your VPN username and password

  1. Open the newly imported VPN profile
  2. Fill in:
    • Username: (from the email)
    • Password: (from the email)
  3. Save changes

Step 4: Connect

  1. Toggle the VPN On
  2. Confirm you’re connected (Network menu shows VPN active)

Method 2: Use the OpenVPN terminal client (openvpn) — best for servers/headless systems

This is the most universal method and works even without a desktop environment.

Step 1: Install OpenVPN

Examples:

Debian/Ubuntu

sudo apt update
sudo apt install openvpn

Fedora

sudo dnf install openvpn

Arch

sudo pacman -S openvpn

Step 2: Connect using your .ovpn file

Run:

sudo openvpn --config /path/to/gatewayvpn.ovpn

Step 3: Authenticate

When prompted, enter your VPN username and VPN password (from the email).

Step 4: Disconnect

Press Ctrl + C in the terminal window running OpenVPN.

Method 3: Use the OpenVPN 3 Linux client (openvpn3) — modern client with profile management

This is the “new generation” client from OpenVPN and supports importing profiles and managing sessions via commands.

Step 1: Install OpenVPN 3 Linux client

Install method varies by distro; follow your distro’s recommended package/source for openvpn3 (it’s commonly provided via official repositories or vendor packages).

Step 2: Import your .ovpn profile

sudo openvpn3 config-import --config /path/to/gatewayvpn.ovpn --name "GatewayVPN" --persistent

Step 3: Start the VPN session

sudo openvpn3 session-start --config "GatewayVPN"

You’ll be prompted for username/password.

Step 4: Check status / disconnect

sudo openvpn3 sessions-list

Disconnect (one common way):

sudo openvpn3 session-manage --disconnect --config "GatewayVPN"

(Exact options can differ by version; man openvpn3-session-manage will show your available flags.)

Didn’t find what you were looking for?

Get help