What is better: VPN provider or own private VPN, based on VPS server? Even if it’s not a problem for you to manually setup the server (buy VPS and install/configure OpenVPN there), almost every VPN provider has multiple IP locations feature. In one click you can switch your location from USA/New York to Europe/Amsterdam and so on. In case of your own VPN, IP is always the same.

The sad thing is that many of VPN providers don’t have a client for Linux. Here are who does:

• Nord VPN - CLI, OpenVPN
• Tunnel Bear - OpenVPN support
• ExpressVPN - CLI
• Windscribe - CLI, OpenVPN
• TorGuard - Client and OpenVPN
• Know something else? Please tell in the comments below.

Right after easy registration (you have to provide only account email and password, credit card in not required) Tunnel Bear gives you 512 mb for free.

Let’s use it and see how to setup VPN on Ubuntu Desktop (18.04-18.10) in a few, user-friendly steps:

1) Download Tunnel Bear configuration files from here https://s3.amazonaws.com/tunnelbear/linux/openvpn.zip

2) Unzip openvpn.zip archive: Right click > Extract Here

3) Go to Settings > Network > VPN +, and select Import from file...

4) Go to folder with configuration files and select one of them on your choice:

5) Fill in your Tunnel Bear credentials to User name (account email) and Password (account password) fields and click Add

6) Now you can connect to a VPN from topbar menu:

If all is fine, you will see VPN icon:

All done! You can add multiple VPN locations and switch between them from topbar or Network settings:

BTW, you can check your location here: https://bearsmyip.com/