Protonvpn installation problem

[Governor]

I downloaded the installation file from the protonvpn website: protonvpn-stable-release_1.0.3-2_all.deb

Ran it, and got a message that I need to install Lintian. Did that, and got the following message:

Code: Select all

Can't locate File/Find/Rule.pm in @INC (you may need to install the File::Find::Rule module) (@INC contains: /usr/share/lintian/bin/../lib /etc/perl /usr/local/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/perl/5.36.0 /usr/local/share/perl/5.36.0 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/perl5/5.36 /usr/share/perl5 /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/perl-base /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/perl/5.36 /usr/share/perl/5.36 /usr/local/lib/site_perl) at /usr/share/lintian/bin/../lib/Lintian/Profile.pm line 31.
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at /usr/share/lintian/bin/../lib/Lintian/Profile.pm line 31.
Compilation failed in require at /usr/bin/lintian line 64.
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at /usr/bin/lintian line 64.

Lintian finished with exit status 2

Can someone advise how to proceed?
Thanks!

[rockedge]

@Governor,
Do you have the Devx SFS loaded?

The problem is a missing PERL module. We can use cpanminus to install it or CPAN. Also possible to install it with the package manager

Make sure the devx SFS is loaded. Then in a terminal:

Code: Select all

cpan App::cpanminus

Would you like to configure as much as possible automatically? [yes]: answer yes here.

Once the automatic configuration is completed, we'll install the missing module in a terminal:

Code: Select all

cpanm File::Find::Rule

Try to run Protonvpn again.

If any more PERL modules are missing, they will be displayed in the error message. The form to use looks like the one above. Install the missing PERL modules (if any) and in between try the program again to see if you've got all the needed modules.

[Governor]

@Governor,
Do you have the Devx SFS loaded?

The problem is a missing PERL module. We can use cpanminus to install it or CPAN. Also possible to install it with the package manager

Make sure the devx SFS is loaded. Then in a terminal:

Code: Select all

cpan App::cpanminus

Would you like to configure as much as possible automatically? [yes]: answer yes here.

Once the automatic configuration is completed, we'll install the missing module in a terminal:

Code: Select all

cpanm File::Find::Rule

Try to run Protonvpn again.

If any more PERL modules are missing, they will be displayed in the error message. The form to use looks like the one above. Install the missing PERL modules (if any) and in between try the program again to see if you've got all the needed modules.

Not sure if Devx is loaded. Did the other instructions. Seemed to work ok.
Ran protonvpn again and got this:

Code: Select all

running with root privileges is not recommended!
coercion for "known_vendors" failed: Could not determine the current vendor at /usr/share/lintian/bin/../lib/Lintian/Profile.pm line 233.
	Lintian::Profile::__ANON__(Lintian::Profile=HASH(0x564b4eae6cb8)) called at (eval 234) line 51
	eval {...} called at (eval 234) line 50
	Lintian::Profile::known_vendors(Lintian::Profile=HASH(0x564b4eae6cb8)) called at /usr/share/lintian/bin/../lib/Lintian/Profile.pm line 575
	Lintian::Profile::read_profile(Lintian::Profile=HASH(0x564b4eae6cb8), undef) called at /usr/share/lintian/bin/../lib/Lintian/Profile.pm line 399
	Lintian::Profile::load(Lintian::Profile=HASH(0x564b4eae6cb8), undef, ARRAY(0x564b4ebc04c8), 1) called at /usr/bin/lintian line 508

Thanks.

[rockedge]

The lintian installation seems to be the problem. Try removing and re-installing it. Something is not right with it currently. Plus it appears Protonvpn would prefer running not as the root user.

Use run-as-spot or perhaps sudo -u spot to start protonvpn.

I'm not familiar with it so it is hard to tell you how to debug it.

Why does protonvpn need lintian?

[Governor]

The lintian installation seems to be the problem. Try removing and re-installing it. Something is not right with it currently. Plus it appears Protonvpn would prefer running not as the root user.

Use run-as-spot or perhaps sudo -u spot to start protonvpn.

I'm not familiar with it so it is hard to tell you how to debug it.

Why does protonvpn need lintian?

All I know is when installing lintian, there were 39 packages held back.
Is there no solution for installing protonvpn in bookworm?

[rockedge]

Is there no solution for installing protonvpn in bookworm?

Don't know......never tried it.

The held back packages are probably those not allowed to upgrade due to system breakage concerns. Meaning that certain packages can't be included in update cycles because it will cause dependency version mismatches. Bookwormpup being constructed from read only SFS system image files that can not be altered easily. This is the base for the security of the system and it's ability to be a "frugal" installation directly alongside regular "full" installed operating systems.

Remember in principle Bookwormpup is a snapshot of the system at it's creation point and all updates are actually stored in the persistence save folders/files. So removing a save folder from the system restores it right back to the original state.

Perhaps if time and spirit allows, I'll try to set up a Bookwormpup and install Protonvpn. I don't regularly use one.

[Governor]

Is there no solution for installing protonvpn in bookworm?

Don't know......never tried it.

The held back packages are probably those not allowed to upgrade due to system breakage concerns. Meaning that certain packages can't be included in update cycles because it will cause dependency version mismatches. Bookwormpup being constructed from read only SFS system image files that can not be altered easily. This is the base for the security of the system and it's ability to be a "frugal" installation directly alongside regular "full" installed operating systems.

Remember in principle Bookwormpup is a snapshot of the system at it's creation point and all updates are actually stored in the persistence save folders/files. So removing a save folder from the system restores it right back to the original state.

Perhaps if time and spirit allows, I'll try to set up a Bookwormpup and install Protonvpn. I don't regularly use one.

I have been informed in this forum that bookworm is also known as "debian 12". Is this true or false?
https://www.debian.org/News/2023/20230610
If true, then shouldn't bookworm be able to update apps normally from the deb repository without holding packages back?
Nearly every time I try to update an app, 39 packages are held back, and the one time I tried forcing the updates, it trashed the OS and I had to boot from a backup.

I will ask one more time here in the forum (how to install protonvpn in bookworm) in a separate post, and I will also try to e-mail proton and see if I get a response.
Thanks.

[rockedge]

I have been informed in this forum that bookworm is also known as "debian 12". Is this true or false?

It is built from Debian 12 binaries.

If true, then shouldn't bookworm be able to update apps normally from the deb repository without holding packages back?
Nearly every time I try to update an app, 39 packages are held back, and the one time I tried forcing the updates, it trashed the OS and I had to boot from a backup.

As I already explained, Bookwormpup is not Debian 12 but built from it's components. Look at what a Debian installation looks like compared to a Puppy Linux. You will see that Bookwormpup is composed of several SFS files. It's main root file system is loaded from an SFS. These are READ-ONLY. They are not straight forward to modify on the fly and if they could be then the entire security concept and the ability to be installed alongside fully installed operating systems and a variety of storage mediums and their formatting.

The base Bookwormpup is a snapshot of a system that is built from layers that are merged. All changes to the system are stored in a persistence method. Any updates are written to the save folder or file and do NOT in reality modify the core system since it is assembled from squashed READ-ONLY system file structure images.

If the persistence is removed the Bookwormpup again boots in it's clean default state. The packages are held because those live in the root file system SFS which is of course READ-ONLY. What would happen is

If you want to update go use Debian 12 or better yet use Void Linux or Arch Linux or any of those "rolling" releases that update constantly like in every day.

It sounds like your looking for a fully installed Debian system and not a frugal installed Puppy Linux.

Now I feel forced to stop what I am doing and find Bookwormpup, find a place to install and then get protonvpn running.......which I will. Then spend more time explaining how to do it to someone who ignores most of what I say.

Only thing is as I have ALREADY said (we seem to have a language barrier) I don't use VPN's

[bigpup]

From BookwormPup64 menu ->Help ->Howto use the apt package manager

apt upgrade

Upgrades to available packages that are more recent than those currently installed. Please note, apt upgrade will only update user-installed packages. Upgrades of preinstalled packages are (intentionally) disabled using the apt-mark hold option to avoid updates that may overwrite Puppy-specific versions of applications. Consequently, a system-wide upgrade of binary packages (if necessary) requires the periodic release of a distro-update generated by Woof-CE. Alternatively, the user may search the repositories for a specific package, then manually download and install.

The Debian 12 repositories, that apt is setup to access for software, are still full of software that is specifically compiled for Debian 12 and not Puppy Linux.
So there is never going to be 100% it will all work in BookwormPup64.
Most of it will.

Welcome to Linux software!
.
.

[bigpup]

I installed Proton VPN by using the Synaptic Package Manager in BookwormPup64 10.0.8

Did a search for proton

It provides several listed packages for ProtonVPN.

For Puppy Linux I picked the proton vpn-gtk-app

Not sure if also needed, but picked the protonvpn-stable-release 1.0.5.
It says it has something to do with installing some kind of GPG key.

Note:
The protonvpn 1.1.0-1 protonvpn metapackage wants to install the Gnome desktop version of the GUI.
It will also install a bunch of Gnome desktop stuff.
So did not use it.
But you probably could if you do not mind all the Gnome stuff being added.

You can see by the posted image it is running.
.

Screenshot(5).jpg (88.08 KiB) Viewed 758 times

[Governor]

I installed Proton VPN by using the Synaptic Package Manager in BookwormPup64 10.0.8

Did a search for proton

It provides several listed packages for ProtonVPN.

For Puppy Linux I picked the proton vpn-gtk-app

Not sure if also needed, but picked the protonvpn-stable-release 1.0.5.
It says it has something to do with installing some kind of GPG key.

Note:
The protonvpn 1.1.0-1 protonvpn metapackage wants to install the Gnome desktop version of the GUI.
It will also install a bunch of Gnome desktop stuff.
So did not use it.
But you probably could if you do not mind all the Gnome stuff being added.

You can see by the posted image it is running.
.
Screenshot(5).jpg

I found protonvpn in Synaptic Package Manager. I tried to install it and got this:

Could not download all reposirory indexes.jpg (117.38 KiB) Viewed 735 times

I tried again and got this:

Could not download all reposirory indexes-2.jpg (67.68 KiB) Viewed 735 times

I tried to uninstall it and now there is no protonvpn.

I then searched for 'proton' and got this:

Search on proton in synaptic Package Manager after removal of protonvpn.jpg (156.73 KiB) Viewed 735 times

I tried the file I downloaded earlier: protonvpn-stable-release_1.0.3-2_all.deb
and got this:

Code: Select all

running with root privileges is not recommended!
coercion for "known_vendors" failed: Could not determine the current vendor at /usr/share/lintian/bin/../lib/Lintian/Profile.pm line 233.
	Lintian::Profile::__ANON__(Lintian::Profile=HASH(0x5644e1084de8)) called at (eval 234) line 51
	eval {...} called at (eval 234) line 50
	Lintian::Profile::known_vendors(Lintian::Profile=HASH(0x5644e1084de8)) called at /usr/share/lintian/bin/../lib/Lintian/Profile.pm line 575
	Lintian::Profile::read_profile(Lintian::Profile=HASH(0x5644e1084de8), undef) called at /usr/share/lintian/bin/../lib/Lintian/Profile.pm line 399
	Lintian::Profile::load(Lintian::Profile=HASH(0x5644e1084de8), undef, ARRAY(0x5644ddabf978), 1) called at /usr/bin/lintian line 508

Lintian finished with exit status 2

How can I see if protonvpn was installed, and if it is installed, where can I find it?

Thanks.

[bigpup]

OK, you do not know how to use Synaptic package manager.

First use menu ->Setup ->Package Manager (synaptic) to start it up.

On main window, click on the Reload button top left.
This will update the repository info on what is in the repositories.

After doing a search for proton by using the search button.

The list that will come up is not going to just list proton stuff. (sorry but this seems to just be how the search works)

Scroll the list down until you see the listed items I posted about.

Right click on the item and select mark for installation.

Click on the apply button to make it do the install.

any pop up windows, just select to apply what it is talking about.

So try again the items I suggested to install.

How to actually use ProtonVPN I have no idea

[bigpup]

I tried the file I downloaded earlier: protonvpn-stable-release_1.0.3-2_all.deb

Stop trying to use this.

It is not compiled to correctly work in Puppy Linux or BookwormPup64.

Welcome to Linux Software!

[dimkr]

It looks like you added the repo without following the instructions. You skipped the part that tells you to add the repo's signing key, see https://mullvad.net/en/help/install-mullvad-app-linux.

Most VPN clients depend on systemd or NetworkManager, both unavailable in Puppy, so don't be surprised if it doesn't work even after you fix Synaptic.

[rockedge]

I have protonvpn-cli up and running on F96-CE_4 with the stock kernel:

Screenshot(9).jpg (63.16 KiB) Viewed 686 times

First downloaded the necessary packages from here -> https://repo.protonvpn.com/debian/dists ... inary-all/

Screenshot(10).jpg (35.06 KiB) Viewed 680 times

I went step by step with attempting to run it and adding the python3 modules as they were listed as missing. So basically using a combination of pip and the legacy PPM in F96-CE_4, I was able to install the missing python modules.

I am working on getting the GUI going. But it's frustrating so I focused on getting the command line version running first.

[williwaw]

https://mullvad.net/en/help/wireguard-and-mullvad-vpn

these instructions worked for me, but I was purchasing from mullvad

[Governor]

OK, you do not know how to use Synaptic package manager.

First use menu ->Setup ->Package Manager (synaptic) to start it up.

On main window, click on the Reload button top left.
This will update the repository info on what is in the repositories.

Screenshot: This is what I get when I click on the reload button and search for 'proton'.

Search on proton in synaptic Package Manager after removal of protonvpn.jpg (156.59 KiB) Viewed 679 times

After doing a search for proton by using the search button.

The list that will come up is not going to just list proton stuff. (sorry but this seems to just be how the search works)

Scroll the list down until you see the listed items I posted about.

But. the items you mentioned are not listed (see screenshot).

Right click on the item and select mark for installation.

Click on the apply button to make it do the install.

any pop up windows, just select to apply what it is talking about.

So try again the items I suggested to install.

How to actually use ProtonVPN I have no idea

[Governor]

It looks like you added the repo without following the instructions. You skipped the part that tells you to add the repo's signing key, see https://mullvad.net/en/help/install-mullvad-app-linux.

Most VPN clients depend on systemd or NetworkManager, both unavailable in Puppy, so don't be surprised if it doesn't work even after you fix Synaptic.

I got stuck on step #1.

Code: Select all

# apt install curl
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:

The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 curl : Depends: libcurl4 (= 7.88.1-10+deb12u7) but 7.88.1-10+deb12u5 is to be installed
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

[dimkr]

apt-mark unhold libcurl4 will allow you to proceed, but bear in mind that Puppy is not designed to be updated. The way Puppy is built, by customizing Debian packages, means that things start breaking when you start to update the Debian packages and lose the Puppy customization.

[wizard]

@bigpup

I installed Proton VPN by using the Synaptic Package Manager in BookwormPup64 10.0.8

Did a fresh install of 10.0.8
-Synaptic>Reload>Search for proton or protonvpn

Finds no proton vpn packages. Did you add a repo?

Thanks
wizard

[bigpup]

Well, I think I must have added a repo, in trying different ways to install and run protonvpn.

Probably did it when I followed this procedure:
How to install Proton VPN on Debian
https://protonvpn.com/support/official- ... pn-debian/

Sorry for the bad info Governor

I just love installing Linux software!

@wizard
Thanks for doing the clean install of BookwormPup64 test

Note:
I looked in etc/apt/sources.list.d in my BookwormPup64 10.0.8
There is a protonvpn-stable.list
This does seem to be a repository listing for a protonvpn repository.

[Governor]

@mikewalsh @bigpup @rockedge @dimkr @williwaw

@bigpup

I installed Proton VPN by using the Synaptic Package Manager in BookwormPup64 10.0.8

Did a fresh install of 10.0.8
-Synaptic>Reload>Search for proton or protonvpn

Finds no proton vpn packages. Did you add a repo?

Thanks
wizard

I also did not find any at first. This is how my Synaptic Package Manager looks now:

38 packages with proton in name.jpg (355 KiB) Viewed 541 times

Is this all wrong? And how do I fix the 'broken package'?
Thanks.

[Governor]

https://mullvad.net/en/help/wireguard-and-mullvad-vpn

these instructions worked for me, but I was purchasing from mullvad

I presume that python3-systemd is only there in case systemd is being used, is that correct?
This is what I got, what about the error??

Code: Select all

# apt install mullvad-vpn
Waiting for cache lock: Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock-frontend. It is held by process 9162 (synaptic)       
Reading package lists... Done                                                                                
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  autoconf automake autopoint autotools-dev dh-strip-nondeterminism dwz libcloudproviders0 libdebhelper-perl libfile-stripnondeterminism-perl libgraphene-1.0-0
  libgtk-4-1 libgtk-4-common libjs-sphinxdoc libjs-underscore libnma-common libnma-gtk4-0 libnma0 libpkcs11-helper1 libsecret-tools libsub-override-perl m4
  network-manager-openvpn network-manager-openvpn-gnome openvpn po-debconf python3-dbus python3-dialog python3-dnspython python3-systemd
Use 'apt autoremove' to remove them.
Recommended packages:
  libappindicator3-1
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  mullvad-vpn
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 121 not upgraded.
Need to get 89.9 MB of archives.
After this operation, 351 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Get:1 https://repository.mullvad.net/deb/stable bookworm/main amd64 mullvad-vpn amd64 2024.7 [89.9 MB]
Fetched 89.9 MB in 8s (11.4 MB/s)                                                                                                                                        
Selecting previously unselected package mullvad-vpn.
(Reading database ... 74483 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../mullvad-vpn_2024.7_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking mullvad-vpn (2024.7) ...
Setting up mullvad-vpn (2024.7) ...
/var/lib/dpkg/info/mullvad-vpn.postinst: line 6: systemctl: command not found
dpkg: error processing package mullvad-vpn (--configure):
 installed mullvad-vpn package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 127
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.17-2) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 mullvad-vpn
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

[bigpup]

@Governor

Now that you have proton stuff In the synaptic package manager listed items.

Select these two to install:

proton vpn-gtk-app

protonvpn-stable-release 1.0.5

Not sure if 2nd one is also needed,
It says it has something to do with installing some kind of GPG key.

[rockedge]

I have a successful connection through Protonvpn (free) using F96-CE_4 and openvpn. Which I installed through the PPM. I logged on to protonvpn then downloaded a configuration file then using openvpn on the command line loaded the config and used the manual login credentials provided by protonvpn from their Account page.

Made the connection and now Firefox is using the protonvpn network using the command form shown below:

Code: Select all

openvpn --config us-free-tcp.ovpn

[wizard]

@bigpup
@Governor

Select these two to install:
proton vpn-gtk-app
protonvpn-stable-release 1.0.5

Installed on test system, does not run from Menu>Network>Proton VPN

Installed: proton-vpn-gnome-desktop
Now runs.

proton.jpg (6.88 KiB) Viewed 500 times

NOTE: the "Create Account" and "Need Help?" links do not open properly in Firefox, but you can access manually on their site.

Did not create account or test further, will wait for confirmation from Governor.

Governor, skip the broken proton-gui.

Thanks
wizard

[Governor]

@bigpup
@Governor

Select these two to install:
proton vpn-gtk-app
protonvpn-stable-release 1.0.5

Installed on test system, does not run from Menu>Network>Proton VPN

Installed: proton-vpn-gnome-desktop
Now runs.
proton.jpg
NOTE: the "Create Account" and "Need Help?" links do not open properly in Firefox, but you can access manually on their site.

Did not create account or test further, will wait for confirmation from Governor.

Governor, skip the broken proton-gui.

Thanks
wizard

Ok, I installed those 2 files, but got an error message. I really have some bad luck... [scratching head].
Should I remove all proton packages and try again?
Which folder was the executable installed in on your system?
Is there some sort of mix-up between proton and mullvad vpns?
Thanks.

Error messages .jpg (71.45 KiB) Viewed 486 times

From "Changes applied" screen:

Code: Select all

Reading database ... 74709 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../proton-vpn-gtk-app_4.7.1_all.deb ...
Unpacking proton-vpn-gtk-app (4.7.1) over (4.7.1) ...
Preparing to unpack .../protonvpn-stable-release_1.0.5_all.deb ...
Unpacking protonvpn-stable-release (1.0.5) over (1.0.5) ...
Setting up proton-vpn-gtk-app (4.7.1) ...
Setting up mullvad-vpn (2024.7) ...
/var/lib/dpkg/info/mullvad-vpn.postinst: line 6: systemctl: command not found
dpkg: error processing package mullvad-vpn (--configure):
 installed mullvad-vpn package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 127
Setting up protonvpn-stable-release (1.0.5) ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.17-2) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 mullvad-vpn
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
A package failed to install.  Trying to recover:
Setting up mullvad-vpn (2024.7) ...
/var/lib/dpkg/info/mullvad-vpn.postinst: line 6: systemctl: command not found
dpkg: error processing package mullvad-vpn (--configure):
 installed mullvad-vpn package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 127
Errors were encountered while processing:
 mullvad-vpn

I saw another message: "E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages."

[wizard]

@Governor

Suggest you start with a clean install, preferably 10.0.8.

Install:
proton vpn-gtk-app
protonvpn-stable-release 1.0.5
proton-vpn-gnome-desktop

That's what runs on my test computer.

wizard

[williwaw]

https://mullvad.net/en/help/wireguard-and-mullvad-vpn

these instructions worked for me, but I was purchasing from mullvad

I presume that python3-systemd is only there in case systemd is being used, is that correct?
This is what I got, what about the error??

sorry, I should have mentioned I used option 2.
after spend time and effort with a friend once before, trying to set up some of the vpn sellers log-on apps on his HP, I realized the backend software, opencpn or wireguard, was more easily ran from the command line.

wireguard, since then, has become even easier since support was included in the linux kernel.

once you get the setup script to write the configs (as I recall, the script is interactive and asks you for your purchase code, and preferred locations), bringing the vpn up and down is just a quick command.
there are only a couple dependencies for the setup script, and you don't have to install the Gnome stuff.

[wizard]

@rockedge

I have a successful connection through Protonvpn (free) using F96-CE_4 and openvpn

Nice work Rock, will give it a go tomorrow.

Thanks
wizard