Start with the desktop app
You don’t have to live in the terminal to use NordVPN on Ubuntu. We’d start with the graphical app for everyday connections and keep a few commands handy for checking what’s happening. Both interfaces use the same underlying client. NordVPN lists Ubuntu 22.04 or newer and GNOME or KDE among its supported configurations. Check your architecture and exact release before installing. Official GUI requirements.
Reviewed September 8, 2026 against provider documentation. We have not installed or connected NordVPN on Ubuntu Desktop. This is a setup guide, not a performance review. You need an active subscription, administrator access, and a local desktop session. For an SSH-only machine, use our Ubuntu Server guide.
1. Check what you’re running
Open Terminal and run:
cat /etc/os-release
uname -m
printf '%s\n' "$XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP"
Keep that output nearby if you need help later. If it shows an Ubuntu derivative or a different desktop, check support for that combination before continuing.
Before connecting, note your public IP using a browser IP checker and confirm that ordinary browsing works. This gives you a baseline for the checks below.
2. Install the GUI
This guide uses NordVPN's official installer and Ubuntu packages. Keep an existing Snap installation separate; don’t install both routes while troubleshooting.
Download the installer before executing it so you can review it. These commands require curl and less:
curl --fail --show-error --location \
https://downloads.nordcdn.com/apps/linux/install.sh \
--output nordvpn-install.sh
less nordvpn-install.sh
Press q to leave the viewer. After a successful download and review, run:
sh nordvpn-install.sh -p nordvpn-gui
Review administrative prompts and stop if installation reports an error. This download-first sequence adapts NordVPN's official GUI installation instructions.
3. Log in and connect
Find NordVPN in your application menu. Choose its login action, complete authentication in your browser, and return to the app. Select Secure my connection or choose a location. NordVPN's login instructions.
For the first connection, keep things simple: connect yourself, check that it works, then disconnect. You can decide about automatic connection after that. Write down any settings you change so they’re easy to put back.
GUI versus terminal: which should you use?
| Task | Desktop approach | Terminal approach |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday connection | Select a location in the app | nordvpn connect |
| See connection state | Read the connection panel | nordvpn status |
| Review configuration | Open the app's settings | nordvpn settings |
| Stop the connection | Use the disconnect control | nordvpn disconnect |
The GUI exposes most CLI functionality; it’s a useful starting point for routine use. The terminal is convenient when you want to copy an exact status or consult command help. See the GUI reference and CLI command reference.
4. Check the things you use every day
Check the status, then revisit the same IP checker you used before connecting. Compare the observed IP, load a normal website, and try the applications you actually need.
Try your printer or local file server too, if you use one. A working website won’t tell you whether the printer is still reachable. If something breaks, change one setting at a time; otherwise it’s hard to know what helped.
Disconnect and confirm ordinary browsing still works. An IP change and a connected badge are useful checks, but are not a complete DNS, IPv6, or traffic-leak audit. Don’t interpret them as proof that every application is protected.
If something goes wrong
Socket permission denied: for the specific /run/nordvpn/nordvpnd.sock permission error, NordVPN documents:
sudo usermod -aG nordvpn "$USER"
Save your work and reboot as instructed in the installation guide. This remedy is for group permissions, not every connection failure.
Browser login doesn’t return to the app: record the browser prompt and error before retrying. If you need an alternative, our token-login walkthrough explains token handling; never paste account tokens into a support screenshot.
The app doesn’t open: record your Ubuntu release and installed package versions before following NordVPN's launch troubleshooting. Avoid starting with a settings reset: it removes useful information about the failing configuration.
Uninstalling the Ubuntu packages
Disconnect first and close the app. For the package installation used above, NordVPN publishes this removal command:
sudo apt-get --purge remove 'nordvpn*'
Keep the quotes. Review the package list before confirming: the pattern can select multiple NordVPN packages, and purge removes package configuration. This isn’t the removal method for Snap. Official uninstall instructions.
Check that your internet connection works after removal. And if you’re finished with the service, visit your account too: uninstalling the app doesn’t cancel renewal.
For other distributions and provider choices, read our OS compatibility comparison. Using Fedora instead? Follow the Fedora GUI guide.