How to set up Surfshark on Linux

NOTE: The video displays an older version of Surfshark.

In this tutorial, you will learn how to install the Surfshark application on your Linux device. You will need a Linux device and an active Surfshark subscription, which you can purchase on our pricing page.

Currently supported distros:

• DEBIAN 11 or higher

• UBUNTU 20.04 or higher

• MINT 20 or higher

Advanced requirements:

• GNOME, KDE, and XFCE desktop environments supported
• systemd service manager supported
• amd64 architecture supported

We will go through these steps:

1. Install the application
2. Update the application
3. Connect to the VPN
4. Manage Surfshark features
5. Ensure your connection was successful

Install the application

1. Open the Terminal on your Linux device by clicking CTRL+ALT+T.
   
   
2. Now, type in the following command:
   
   

   curl -f https://downloads.surfshark.com/linux/debian-install.sh --output surfshark-install.sh #gets the installation script cat surfshark-install.sh #show script’s content sh surfshark-install.sh #installs surfshark

   
   

Update the application

The Surfshark application will always check for new updates automatically. However, it is also possible to update it manually if you wish to.

To update the application manually, enter the following commands into the Terminal:

Connect to the VPN

1. Once you open up the app and click on Log in as an existing user.
   
   
2. After you log in, you will see the main screen of the Surfshark app.
   
   
3. Here you can connect to a location of your choice by pressing on the flag icon, or, you can press on Quick-connect. You can change the Quick-connect location by pressing the Change button next to it.
   
   
4. Additionally, you can favorite the locations of your choice by pressing the star icon next to it. Once you do, it will appear at the top of your locations list for easier access.
   
   
5. At the top left of the app window, you can search for a location of your choice or toggle between MultiHop and Static IP locations.
   
   Static IP – you will get the same IP address each time you connect to the Static IP servers.
   
   MultiHop – you will be connected through two different VPN servers. You can also choose both of these servers.

Manage Surfshark features

Click on Settings and you'll find all the options you can configure in the Surfshark app.

In VPN settings, you can configure connection settings.


Here, you can do the following:

• Enable Auto-connect.
  
• Enable Quick-connect.
• Change the connection protocol.
  
• Enable CleanWeb. It’s a feature that blocks ads, trackers, malware, and phishing attempts.
  
• Enable KillSwitch. It's a feature that protects you from unexpected VPN disconnections.
  
  

Next, click on App settings.

Here, you can do the following:

• Change your application's Appearance.
  
• Change the app language.
  
• See the current app version
• Toggle the option for Launch app on startup.

Click on My account.


Here, you can do the following:

• Change your password.
  
• Check your plan details and the linked accounts.
• Choose the option to enter the login code.

Lastly, there is the Get help tab.


Here, you can do the following:

• Access our Help Center.
  
• Send diagnostics.
  
• Contact live support.
  
• Reset your VPN profile
• Check Surfshark's ToS. 
  

Ensure your connection is successful

Let’s see if your connection is successful after setting up a VPN. You can do it by performing an IP leak test and a DNS leak test on our website.

You may also be interested in:

• How to make sure if Surfshark VPN is working
• How to set up Surfshark VPN on Linux (Legacy version)
• How to fix slow connection issues on Linux