How to use a VPN on Linux (Ubuntu 18.04)

When you use a VPN to browse the internet, you are doing so via an encrypted connection - hence keeping your activity private. If privacy is of a concern to you and you use when you are using Linux, just follow the steps below to secure your connection.

This guide has been written for Ubuntu 18.04, however the steps are likely very similar for different releases and distributions.

Steps

1. Open the Activities menu and start typing Network, when it appears, click 'Network'.
2. Click on the Add Network (+) button on the left and then choose VPN from the list. If asked, choose the OpenVPN option.
3. You will now be presented with a form asking you to enter your VPN details. Enter the following information:

   Name	Enter a name that will be used for this connection. I.e. VPN Example Connection
   Gateway	Enter the server address provided by your VPN provider.
   Authentication	Select Password, unless you have a key to use, and enter the VPN credentials.

   Now click on the Add button in the top right.

   Now all that's left is to use your new VPN connection. Open the System Menu from the right hand side of the top bar and click ok VPN - Connect.