NordVPN is updating its Linux app to offer a “cleaner, simpler way to manage VPN connections” from the command line.
The NordVPN 6.0 update, which is coming soon and not yet out, “cuts down” the amount of commands which “overlap”. The company say this will make it easier for users to enable and configure VPN settings.
Among the changes, NordVPN 6.0 combines protocol and technology settings in a nordvpn set protocol command, while obfuscation is now handled by NordWhisper, rather than a separate setting.
And now that standard servers support P2P traffic, there’s no longer any need to create a dedicated P2P server group and then connect to it.
As part of the cleanup, some commands have been removed, including virtual server selection (as it’s now handled automatically).
Some commands have been renamed, with whitelist changed to allowlist, and the overly-wordy threatprotectionlite shortened to just protection.
More details on the upcoming changes is available on the NordVPN blog.
Changes aren’t backward compatible
NordVPN say some of the ‘breaking changes’ will affect scripts, cron jobs, systemd unit, etc that interface with its CLI. It’s therefore signposting all of this advance, so users have time to update any affected configurations before it lands.
As NordVPN 6.0 stores its settings differently, once users have upgraded to v6.0, they won’t be able to downgrade to an earlier version and retain their settings, as the new format isn’t backward compatible.
Doesn’t affect GUI users
If you use the NordVPN Linux GUI introduced last year, these changes won’t materially alter how you use the app or configure its features, though some server and obfuscation settings are presented a little differently.
Additionally, NordVPN lets users download WireGuard setup files for its servers. These aren’t new, but make it easier to set up VPN connections manually on routers, Linux devices, NAS, etc that support WireGuard.
No release date for NordVPN 6.0 is given (that I can see), but expect it to arrive sooner rather than later.