from a users point of view, having the mobile data reception indicator or wifi indicator in the top bar turn green when connected via VPN successfully would be a nice way to show a secure connection rather than an extra indicator symbol cluttering up the top bar.

But the point is we don't need to solve all problems before solving the simpler ones. The system can be improved in iterations, and simply enabling the ovpn import support would be a huge improvement for a lot of users, probably much more than being able to hit some API (outside of the VPN) to query what VPN endpoints are and which one to use.

Sailfish OS uses a simple approach to setup a VPN by importing an OpenVPN file. This is fine for the first step.

But I realized, that the servers for each country are frequently changing. For a consumer it's difficult enough to download the correct OpenVPN file from the provider's support page, but frequently do this again is not convenient, in particular if you are mobile and busy and you realize, that the VPN is not working any more.

@dobey How could a system setting retrieve the available servers and countries of a specific VPN provider?

You are conflating too many features to be a single thing. Most providers just configure the whole set of servers, and then the user picks from one in the list. Solve each individual problem one at a time, rather than trying to block everything on your partnership with hide.me.

It can be found in the OpenStore

And having an app doesn't negate the need to fix things in the system to work in a certain way. Apps alone cannot solve all the problems.

I have set up several VPN configs, all through privateinterneraccess, they work nicely. (Oneplus One).

I like access to switch them on or off by the top network menu, it is convenient.

But alas, whenever I leave the house, go off my wifi and onto mobile data, or from mobile back to wifi the VPN connection never re-establishes itself, and having no VPN symbol in the top menu, this can be the case for hours until I notice I'm not VPN'd.

An automatic re-connection is desireable, notification symbol, and maybe a kill switch if VPN is not connected to block all data until VPN is re-connected.

These are features offered by privateinterneraccess's Android app that made phone use more private / secure.

Many thanks, Scott

https://github.com/eventure/hide.client.linux

It would be great to have a UI for this command line tool, so consumers can use VPN on Ubuntu Touch conveniently. Is someone interested to help us with an improved user experience regarding VPN on Ubuntu Touch?

This, is in order to prevent user from sending datas over non secured network if anything goes wrong in VPN connection, it's a privacy safeguard.

It's an automated task.

In VPN settings, that would be an option like "turn off data if VPN connection fails".

When kill switch is active, only VPN software is allowed to send data to its server in order to try reconnect VPN.

Some kill switch solutions offer a whitelist for allowing user chosen apps to connect outside VPN protocole when kill switch is active.

Supporting kill switch

You keep saying kill switch but it's not at all clear what you mean by that. The indicator has a toggle to turn VPN on and off already.

@marc_aurel said in Convenient VPN App:

Supporting newer protocol WireGuard

This is not currently supported in UT at all, so perhaps you could start with getting the basic support of that into a PR, as well.

@marc_aurel said in Convenient VPN App:

Convenient installation for consumers

If hide.me provides an OVPN file, how would simply loading this into the System Settings page, not be convenient? Marketing != convenience.

1. Considering changing servers
2. Optimizing bandwidth by choosing the currently fastest server for a location
3. Switching countries
4. Supporting kill switch
5. Supporting newer protocol WireGuard
6. Convenient installation for consumers

UT has the potential to become an alternative to Apple and Google for consumers. Therefore I'm looking for a convenient and best solution.

If someone is interested to work on a convenient solution, let me know. We can offer a Volla Phone as a Thank you.

I understand that Volla has partnered with hide.me to offer VPN services.
I have looked on their site and they offer a download after payment. If it is an app or simply an .ovpn file I do not know.

But if it is an app, I assume they could make one for UTouch too, no?

If it is an .ovpn file, I have seen on their site they have step by step instructions and video tutorials to get their service configured on different platforms. In that case it would be a huge step in the right direction to, as @dobey and others have mentioned, implement .ovpn file support in the VPN settings plugin.

Or am I missing something obvious?

One more thing. We should be aware, that many consumers doesn't know anything about openVPN scripts or similar technology, but they are able to install the app of the VPN provider, they have chosen from an app store.

Companies would need an MDM solution for UT. But this is another topic.

Concentrating on partnership marketing will not bring a better user experience to VPN setup.

Android has the key icon. On UT you have to go digging through the dropdowns to see if it's connected or not.

Yeah I have commented on some of the open bugs, just saw this thread & thought worth raising here too