Set up PremierVPN on Linux

01 Install

Install the app

You install one package file. It brings in everything else it needs and starts a small background service, premiervpn-helper, that manages the VPN connection.

1. Find out which package you need

Open a Terminal and run dpkg --print-architecture on Ubuntu or Debian, or uname -m on Fedora. Then download the package for what it prints:

2. Install it

In the folder you saved the file to (usually ~/Downloads):

Ubuntu and Debian cd ~/Downloads sudo apt install ./premiervpn_2.0.2_amd64.deb Fedora cd ~/Downloads sudo dnf install ./premiervpn-2.0.2-1.x86_64.rpm

On ARM, use the arm64 or aarch64 file name instead. Use apt install ./… or dnf install ./… rather than dpkg -i, so everything the app needs installs too.

3. Open PremierVPN

Find it in your app menu, or type premiervpn in a Terminal.

If IKEv2 or the tray icon is missing

Both are usually set up with the app. If they aren't:

• IKEv2 needs strongSwan. Without it, IKEv2 is hidden from the app. Install it: Ubuntu and Debian sudo apt install strongswan-swanctl charon-systemd libcharon-extra-plugins libstrongswan-extra-plugins Fedora sudo dnf install strongswan
• The tray icon on GNOME needs the AppIndicator extension. Ubuntu includes it. On Fedora, install AppIndicator and KStatusNotifierItem Support from GNOME Extensions. KDE Plasma, Cinnamon, XFCE and MATE show the icon without extra steps. The app works fully without a tray icon.

Upgrading, updating and uninstalling

• From 1.x: install 2.0.2 over the top with the same command. The old background service is removed automatically, and you stay signed in with your settings and favourites.
• To a later 2.0.x: the same command with the new file. A connection that's up stays up where possible.
• Uninstall: sudo apt remove premiervpn (or sudo apt purge premiervpn to remove the helper's saved state too), or sudo dnf remove premiervpn on Fedora. This disconnects the VPN and removes every network change the app made. Your own settings in ~/.config/premiervpn stay unless you delete that folder.

To check which version you have, open Settings › General. This guide is for 2.0.2 or later.

02 Sign in

Sign in and choose a look

The first time, you see Welcome, sign in (or create an account), pick a style and land on Overview, ready to connect. After that the app signs you in by itself every time it opens.

1. Welcome. Choose Create account or Sign in. You only see this once per computer.
2. Sign in. Enter your email and password, then Sign in. Forgot password? opens Reset password.
3. Two-factor code, if it's on for your account. Type the six digits from your authenticator app, or paste the whole code, then Verify.
4. Pick your look. Choose Glass or Signal and an accent colour (Frost, Teal or Snow), then Get protected. You can change both later in Settings › Appearance.

Messages you might see

Message	What to do
That email and password don't match.	Check them, or use Forgot password?
This account has been deactivated.	Contact our support team.
Couldn't reach PremierVPN.	Check your internet connection and try again.
Your plan has ended / Choose your plan	Renew or choose a plan on premiervpn.net, then press I've renewed, check again. Or sign out.

• New account? Enter an email and a password of at least 10 characters. Your account is created straight away; then choose a plan on the website.
• Reset password: enter your email and press Send reset link. You can resend it after 60 seconds.
• Staying signed in: your sign-in is kept in the system keyring (GNOME Keyring, KDE Wallet or KeePassXC), never in a plain file. If the computer is offline when the app opens, it still opens and shows an Offline banner.
• Signed up with Google or Apple on our website? Set a password first in the portal's Settings.

03 Connect

Connect in one click

Press the big round button on Overview. The app connects to the last location you used, or the fastest one the first time, with the protocol set in Settings (WireGuard unless you change it).

To choose a location, click any location in the Overview list, the Locations page or the tray menu. If you're already connected, it moves you over by itself; there's no need to disconnect first.

Overview then shows the IP address, protocol and time connected, three status chips (for example WireGuard® · Zero logs · Kill switch armed), your download and upload speed, and a Security Dashboard tile.

What the states mean

Glass	Signal	What's happening
Not protected	Exposed.	No VPN. Your real IP address is visible.
Connecting…	Connecting.	Setting up the tunnel. With the kill switch on, traffic is held until the tunnel is proven to work. Cancel stops it.
Protected	Secure.	Your traffic goes through the VPN. The app only says this once it has seen the tunnel actually working.
Reconnecting…	Rerouting.	The tunnel dropped and is being repaired on the same location and protocol. The kill switch keeps holding traffic meanwhile.
Disconnecting…	Closing.	Closing the tunnel and putting your network settings back.
Couldn't connect	Blocked.	The connection failed. See If it won't connect.

Staying connected

• Dropped connection: the app repairs it automatically, up to three times before showing an error.
• Network changes: moving from Wi-Fi to Ethernet, or between Wi-Fi networks, is handled without dropping the VPN.
• Sleep and wake: the app checks the tunnel straight away when the computer wakes.
• Closing the window doesn't stop the VPN, and the app picks up the running tunnel when you open it again.

04 Locations

Choose a location

The Locations page lists every server you can use, fastest first. Ping is measured from your computer when the app opens and every ten minutes after that.

Tab	Signal	What's in it
All	STANDARD	Every standard location, grouped by region. Your dedicated IPs appear at the top.
Favourites	FAV	Locations you've starred.
Direct	DIRECT	The same servers reached by IP address instead of a hostname. Useful when a hostname is slow to look up or filtered on your network.
VLESS	VLESS	The VLESS servers on your plan, grouped as Reality, xHTTP, CDN and Vision. Only shown when VLESS is available.
Dedicated IP	OWN IP	Your own dedicated IP addresses, or a Get a dedicated IP button if you have none.

• Click a location to see its latency, status and the protocols it supports; double-click to connect.
• ★ or right-click to add or remove a favourite. Favourites also appear in the sidebar for one-click connecting.
• Ctrl+C copies the selected server's hostname. Search looks across every tab by city or country.
• A dedicated IP is an address only you use. Buy it on the PremierVPN website and it appears in the app within a minute (press Refresh to check sooner). It connects with WireGuard, Stealth or IKEv2.

05 Protocols

If it won't connect: the Try buttons

The app never changes protocol on its own. When a connection fails, it shows what went wrong and offers one button to try the protocol most likely to work next:

Failed on	Button	Why
WireGuard or IKEv2	Try AmneziaWG	AmneziaWG often connects where WireGuard can't.
AmneziaWG, or no AmneziaWG on that location	Try Stealth	Stealth uses TCP, so it often connects where the others can't.
Stealth	Try VLESS	Connects to a VLESS server on your plan.
Nothing left to try	Try again	Try another location.

A Try button applies to that one connection only; it doesn't change the protocol saved in Settings. Pick another location opens Locations. If the kill switch is on, traffic stays blocked after a failure (the chip reads Kill switch holding traffic) so nothing leaks, until you disconnect or connect successfully.

The five protocols

Protocol	Best for	Travels over
WireGuard (default)	The fastest. The best choice on most networks.	UDP
AmneziaWG	Networks that interfere with standard WireGuard. Its packets are reshaped so they don't look like WireGuard.	UDP
Stealth	Networks that interfere with VPN traffic: WireGuard inside encrypted TCP.	TCP 993 with TLS
VLESS	Networks where WireGuard and Stealth don't connect. Looks like ordinary HTTPS traffic. Choose a server under Locations › VLESS.	TCP 443
IKEv2	Very stable across sleep, wake and network changes. Needs strongSwan.	UDP 500/4500

• Choose your protocol on the Protocols page. Changing it while connected moves the live connection over straight away.
• The kill switch works with every protocol. If the chosen protocol isn't offered on a location, the app uses WireGuard there.
• With IKEv2, the DNS servers come from the VPN server, so the DNS setting and ad blocker don't apply.

06 Settings

Useful settings

Settings has seven sections: Connection, Split tunnelling, Appearance, DNS, General, Diagnostics and Account. Changes save straight away; there's no Save button.

Kill switch

Settings › Connection › Kill switch, on by default. It blocks all internet traffic if the tunnel drops, so nothing leaves unprotected, with every protocol. Turn on Allow LAN access (also on by default) to keep printers, file shares and other devices on your network reachable.

Auto-connect and trusted networks

Settings › Connection › Auto-connect can be Never, On Wi-Fi I don't trust (the default: any Wi-Fi network that isn't on your trusted list) or Always. It switches itself on after your first successful connection, so a brand-new install never connects before you've tried it.

Under Trusted networks, type a Wi-Fi name and press Add, or press Trust "network name" for the Wi-Fi you're on. Auto-connect doesn't run on these.

Reconnect and Network changes are on by default: the app repairs a dropped connection and reconnects after you move from Wi-Fi to Ethernet. Under Startup, you can also Connect when the app opens.

Split tunnelling

Choose which apps use the VPN, in Settings › Split tunnelling. There are two modes:

• Bypass the VPN (the default): the apps you switch on connect directly, outside the tunnel, and everything else stays protected. Useful for a banking app or streaming service that doesn't like VPN addresses, a work app that needs the office network, or online games that need the lowest latency.
• Only use the VPN: only the apps you switch on use the VPN, and everything else connects directly, outside the tunnel and the kill switch. Useful for protecting just a browser or a torrent client.

1. Open Settings › Split tunnelling and choose a mode.
2. Find the app with Search apps and switch it on. Every installed app is listed, including Flatpak and Snap apps.
3. For a program that isn't listed, such as an AppImage or something in /opt, press Add a program… and choose its file.
4. If the app was already open, close and reopen it.

While you're connected, the header shows Active with how many of the chosen programs are running. Apps outside the VPN show your real IP address to the sites they use, and split tunnelling only applies while you're connected.

DNS

• Ad and tracker blocking, off by default, uses AdGuard DNS to block ads and trackers.
• DNS servers: PremierVPN (the default), Google, Cloudflare, Quad9 or AdGuard.
• A change takes effect on your next connection. IKEv2 always uses the DNS its server sends.

Start with your computer

In Settings › General, turn on Launch at login, and Start in the tray to open quietly in the tray instead of a window. With Auto-connect set to On Wi-Fi I don't trust or Always, PremierVPN then also connects by itself. Closing the window (on by default) keeps PremierVPN and the VPN running when you close the window, and Notifications tell you when you connect or disconnect, with your old and new IP address.

Your account

Settings › Account shows your plan, when it renews or ends, your devices and whether two-factor is on.

• Manage plan opens your account on the website; Refresh reloads the details.
• Sign out disconnects, releases this computer's sessions and forgets the sign-in on this computer.
• Delete account… permanently deletes your PremierVPN account, VPN credentials and any dedicated IPs. You'll enter your password and type DELETE. A subscription billed through an app store must be cancelled there separately.

07 Security

Check you're protected

The Security Dashboard lets you check for yourself that the VPN is protecting you. Open it from the sidebar or the tile on Overview.

Check	A good result	What it means
Exit IP	Hidden, with the VPN server's address and exit city (or your dedicated IP)	Websites see the VPN's address, not yours.
Kill switch	Armed	All traffic is blocked if the tunnel drops. Off means it's turned off in Settings.
DNS path	Tunnel only	Website look-ups go through the VPN, not your internet provider.
Encryption	The cipher in use, for example ChaCha20-Poly1305	The tunnel is encrypted.

The summary at the top reads All checks passed, Check the results (something answered outside the tunnel), Connected (no test run yet) or Not protected.

• Run full scan runs the leak test through your live connection: your public IP has changed to the VPN's, nothing answers over IPv6 outside the tunnel, and DNS look-ups go only to the VPN's servers.
• Run speed test downloads 25 MB and uploads 8 MB through the tunnel, and shows download and upload in Mb/s and latency in ms. It uses your data allowance, worth knowing on a metered connection.
• If a check fails, disconnect and connect again, or try another protocol. A DNS failure can also mean another VPN or network tool on your computer is answering look-ups.

08 Tray

Tray icon and shortcuts

The tray icon shows your connection at a glance and gives quick access without opening the window. Its menu has:

• The status, for example Protected · Frankfurt, with the protocol and IP address when connected.
• Connect / Disconnect, or the Try button after a failure.
• Locations: favourites and dedicated IPs first, then every location by region. VLESS lists the VLESS servers on your plan.
• Quick panel…, a small window with the Connect button, your location, a protocol picker and your speed. Its style follows the app unless you pin it in Settings › Appearance › Tray panel.
• Open PremierVPN, Settings and Quit PremierVPN. Middle-clicking the icon connects or disconnects, on desktops that support it.

On GNOME (standard Ubuntu and Fedora), the icon needs the AppIndicator and KStatusNotifierItem Support extension: Ubuntu ships it switched on, Fedora doesn't. KDE Plasma, Cinnamon, XFCE and MATE show it without extras. The app works exactly the same without it.

Closing versus quitting

Closing the window doesn't stop the VPN: the app stays in the tray, or, with no tray, a notification explains how to bring the window back (open PremierVPN from the app menu). Quitting while connected asks first: Keep connected and quit (the tunnel stays up, but nothing watches it until you open the app again) or Disconnect and quit.

Keyboard shortcuts

Keys	What it does
Ctrl+1 … 6	Overview, Locations, Protocols, Security Dashboard, Dedicated IP, Settings
Ctrl+K	Search: type a city or country to jump to it, or a word like "leak", "speed", "dns" or "account" to open that page
Ctrl+Shift+Enter	Connect or disconnect
Ctrl+W	Close the window (the app keeps running)
Ctrl+Q	Quit the app

09 Privacy

What's kept on your computer

What	Where
Your sign-in	The system keyring (GNOME Keyring, KDE Wallet or KeePassXC). If no keyring is running, it's kept in memory only and you sign in again next time.
Settings	~/.config/premiervpn/settings.json
Server list, favourites and latency results	~/.cache/premiervpn/
The current connection	~/.local/state/premiervpn/session.json, so the app can pick it up after a restart. Removed when you disconnect.
Connection events	Only if you turn on Settings › Diagnostics › Save connection events (off by default), in ~/.local/state/premiervpn/premiervpn.log. Never browsing data.

The session log shown in the app is kept in memory and cleared when the app closes. WireGuard and AmneziaWG keys are created fresh on your computer for each connection and released on the server when you disconnect or sign out.

The package installs a small system service, premiervpn-helper, for the jobs that need administrator rights: creating the tunnel, routing, DNS and the kill switch. It starts with your computer and only acts on requests from the PremierVPN app. No password is needed to connect from your desktop; the system may ask for one if you use the app from a remote or secondary session.