ExpressVPN question ...

[Hellrazor]

Question for you razor2021 is the GUI working fine for you, since I installed the GUI expressvpn is unusable as my internet keep getting block. It worked so nicely from CLI before.

[operadude]

@fehlix If you can leave the ExpressVPN installer in MXPI that would be great. I wil check to see if they are able to offer the deb package in public like they used to.

+1

Hoping to continue with ExpressVPN (using SysVinit)

[razor2021]

Question for you razor2021 is the GUI working fine for you, since I installed the GUI expressvpn is unusable as my internet keep getting block. It worked so nicely from CLI before.

Hi yes, it has been working well. I tried it out so far and no issues. I uninstalled it to check that I was able to re-install the CLI version, and also working fine so far. I had to use the commands provided to purge the old CLI installation. The GUI has always worked for the Beta 4.0 version.

[fehlix]

Here for the user who wants to install the latest downloadable deb package when running with SysVinit.
Something similar what the entry within MXPI->network->ExpressVPN would do:

Open terminal within a new empty directory as normal user:
Get latest CLI package:

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curl -RLJO https://www.expressvpn.works/clients/linux/expressvpn_3.83.0.2-1_amd64.deb
  % Total    % Received % Xferd  Average Speed   Time    Time     Time  Current
                                 Dload  Upload   Total   Spent    Left  Speed
100 21.3M  100 21.3M    0     0  5535k      0  0:00:03  0:00:03 --:--:-- 5534k

Get pgp/gpp signature:

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curl -RLJO https://www.expressvpn.works/clients/linux/expressvpn_3.83.0.2-1_amd64.deb.asc
  % Total    % Received % Xferd  Average Speed   Time    Time     Time  Current
                                 Dload  Upload   Total   Spent    Left  Speed
100   833  100   833    0     0   2166      0 --:--:-- --:--:-- --:--:--  2169

Repack asc to binary gpg-format:

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gpg --dearmor -o expressvpn_3.83.0.2-1_amd64.deb.gpg expressvpn_3.83.0.2-1_amd64.deb.asc 

Get ExpressVPN public key:

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gpg --no-default-keyring --keyring=gnupg-ring:./keyring.gpg --keyserver pgpkeys.eu  --recv-keys  1D0B09AD6C93FEE93FDDBD9DAFF2A1415F6A3A38

Verify the downloaded deb-package is signed with ExpressVPN signing key:

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TZ=UTC gpgv --keyring=./keyring.gpg expressvpn_3.83.0.2-1_amd64.deb.gpg expressvpn_3.83.0.2-1_amd64.deb
gpgv: Signature made Mon 03 Mar 2025 02:43:23 AM UTC
gpgv:                using RSA key 1D0B09AD6C93FEE93FDDBD9DAFF2A1415F6A3A38
gpgv: Good signature from "ExpressVPN Release <release@expressvpn.com>"

Unpack downloaded ExpressVPN package without installing:

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sudo dpkg --unpack --ignore-depends=expressvpn expressvpn_3.83.0.2-1_amd64.deb
Selecting previously unselected package expressvpn.
(Reading database ... 443832 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack expressvpn_3.83.0.2-1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking expressvpn (3.83.0.2-1) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.11.2-2) ...

Fix systemd/sysvinit detection of the unpacked package:

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sudo sed -i 's:command -v systemctl:test -d /run/systemd/system:' /var/lib/dpkg/info/expressvpn.p*

Finalize the installation with:

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sudo apt install -f
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 493 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Setting up expressvpn (3.83.0.2-1) ...

Show version installed:

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expressvpn --version
expressvpn version 3.83.0.2 (5b0b02c1b)

Show help:

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expressvpn --help
NAME:
   expressvpn - ExpressVPN command line interface

USAGE:
   expressvpn command [arguments...]

VERSION:
   3.83.0.2 (5b0b02c1b)

COMMANDS:
   activate                   Activate account
   connect                    Connect to VPN
   disconnect                 Disconnect from VPN
   status                     Display service information
   list, ls                   List VPN locations
   autoconnect                Enable / disable auto-connect
   protocol                   Display / change preferred protocol
   refresh                    Refresh VPN clusters
   logout                     Logout ExpressVPN account
   diagnostics                Display connection diagnostics
   preferences                List user preferences
   install-chrome-extension   Install ExpressVPN Chrome Extension
   install-firefox-extension  Install ExpressVPN Firefox Extension
   help, h                    Shows a list of commands or help for one command
   
GLOBAL OPTIONS:
   --help, -h       show help
   --version, -v    print the version

NETWORK LOCK:

   If your VPN connection unexpectedly drops, internet traffic will be blocked by Network Lock to protect your privacy.

ADVANCED PROTECTION:

   Blocks apps and websites from sharing your activity with third-party trackers or communicating with other malicious sites. This feature is only active when the VPN is connected and the protocol is set to Automatic or Lightway.

EXAMPLES:
   To activate ExpressVPN account:
      expressvpn activate

   To connect to smart location or last connected location:
      expressvpn connect

   To connect to a country:
      expressvpn connect "Germany"

   To connect to a specific location:
      expressvpn connect "Germany - Frankfurt - 1"

   To check current connection status:
      expressvpn status

   To disable Network Lock:
      expressvpn preferences set network_lock off

   To enable advanced protection features:
    -  'expressvpn preferences set block_all true' to block ads, trackers, malicious and adult sites
    -  'expressvpn preferences set block_ads true' to block ads
    -  'expressvpn preferences set block_trackers true' to block trackers
    -  'expressvpn preferences set block_malicious true' to block malicious sites
    -  'expressvpn preferences set block_adult true' to block adult sites

FOR GRAPHICAL INTERFACE

   Control ExpressVPN with our browser extension, which protects your whole device.

   For Chrome, run “expressvpn install-chrome-extension”.
   For Firefox, run “expressvpn install-firefox-extension”.

Maybe we adjust the MXPI-> entry with mentioning that's the latest available "CLI" version 3.83.0.2, (at least for now.)

[Hellrazor]

thanks fehlix! works fine. CLI works flawlessly

[operadude]

@fehlix Thanks a million!

Will give it a try.

POST-SCRIPT:

@fehlix Am I understanding correctly, that if the newly installed version is the CLI version, that I still will be able to use the Firefox browser extension?

As you posted earlier, at the bottom of your "show help" suggestion:

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FOR GRAPHICAL INTERFACE

   Control ExpressVPN with our browser extension, which protects your whole device.

   For Chrome, run “expressvpn install-chrome-extension”.
   For Firefox, run “expressvpn install-firefox-extension”.

The only time I use ExpressVPN is by activating it via the Firefox browser extension when I am online. It's fine by me If all I need to do is run in the CLI:

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expressvpn install-firefox-extension

So, is it the case that all we need to do is:

1. Follow your install instructions, and,
2. Run the above command

?

[fehlix]

So, is it the case that all we need to do is:

1. Follow your install instructions, and,
2. Run the above command

I'm not an ExpressVPN user, so can' help with any usage advice.
But if people like to keep the installer within MXPI->Pop.Apps, we might adjust the currently non working entry for getting this latest deb-package only.
Alternatively we would need to remove the entry from MXPI.

[operadude]

So, is it the case that all we need to do is:

1. Follow your install instructions, and,
2. Run the above command

I'm not an ExpressVPN user, so can' help with any usage advice.
But if people like to keep the installer within MXPI->Pop.Apps, we might adjust the currently non working entry for getting this latest deb-package only.
Alternatively we would need to remove the entry from MXPI.

Got it.

Thanks for your reply!