IVPN

[NJJEPSON]

Please confirm there isn't an open request for this package

• I have searched through package addition requests

Homepage

https://www.ivpn.net/en/apps-linux/

Maintainer

• Would you like to be the maintainer for this package?

Why should this be included in the repository?

This is an open source VPN app but it's an annual subscription service, so users coming to Solus with an existing subscription will be out of pocket (or more likely choose another distro) if they can't use it.

It's one of the only VPNs with a solid audit record, no logs policy and European jurisdiction and so is often recommended for privacy. It's also been around since 2009 so very unlikely to disappear.

Only available version currently is a Snap- for me this doesn't work (won't connect to server- seems to be a common Snap issue looking at IVPN subreddit) and also with Snaps only partially confined and maybe support ending seems like a good time to request this package.

Are we allowed to redistribute it?

GPL-3.0

What kind of user will use this package, and how many users do you think will use this package?

IVPN is one of four VPNs (along with Proton, Mullvad and Windscribe) that are regularly recommended for privacy and anonymity by reliable reviewers e.g
https://www.privacyguides.org/en/vpn/
https://www.rtings.com/vpn/reviews/ivpn/ivpn

While not as popular as e.g. NordVPN, there's a substantial community of privacy-focused users who look for VPNs with independent auditing, no logs policy, no KYC/anonymous sign up, jurisdiction outside "14 Eyes" countries, warrant canaries and being independently owned (many VPNs are owned by a handful of shell companies). A lot of people now leaving Windows are doing so at least in part for privacy related reasons so are more likely to choose this sort of VPN.

IVPN is also used by people trying to get around censorship and national internet regulations- e.g after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine they gave out free subscriptions to both Ukrainians and Russians.

Link to source archive file

https://github.com/ivpn/desktop-app/archive/refs/tags/v3.15.0.tar.gz

[malfisya]

This package is approved for inclusion with condition that someone steps up to maintain it.

[Tbusk]

I'd be down to package and maintain it. Would likely be a few days before I can get to it though.

You can import their configs to network vpn import file to use outside of an app on pretty much all distros I've used though in the mean time.