VPN for Linux in 2026: how to connect Surok on Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch with FlClashX

VPN on Linux has always been a bit more work than on a phone, and the familiar WireGuard and OpenVPN now work in Russia only on a good day. The good news: modern clients with VLESS + Reality support install in five minutes on any distro. Here's how to connect Surok on Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch with FlClashX.

Quick fix. Surok gives you a subscription link that works in FlClashX, Prizrak-Box, Hiddify or NekoBox. The downloads page has ready .deb, .rpm and AppImage packages and a one-click "add subscription" button. 3 days free, then from 220 ₽ a month.

Why VPN on Linux is harder

No single store. Ubuntu wants a .deb, Fedora wants an .rpm, Arch wants neither.

Classic protocols get throttled. WireGuard and OpenVPN are easy to fingerprint, and on many carriers they either don't connect or drop after a few minutes. Details in WireGuard not working.

Surok has no native Linux app. Surok has its own apps for Android, Windows and macOS, and on Linux we use third-party open-source clients. That's not a downgrade: FlClashX supports VLESS + Reality + XHTTP and runs on any distro.

What you need

• A Surok subscription link from the @surokvpnbot bot or the account cabinet. The client fetches the server list from it, from Germany to Canada plus the "Europe · auto" profile.
• A client. We recommend FlClashX; the .deb, .rpm and AppImage packages for amd64 are on the downloads page.
• Admin rights for a full system-level VPN (TUN mode): on first launch you'll enter your sudo password or run the client as root. Without that, only system proxy mode is available.

Installing FlClashX

Ubuntu, Debian, Mint and other .deb distros

Download the .deb and install it with a double click through the software centre, or in a terminal:

sudo dpkg -i flclashx*.deb

If dpkg complains about missing dependencies, run sudo apt -f install and try again.

Fedora, openSUSE, the RHEL family

Download the .rpm and install through the software centre or in a terminal:

sudo rpm -i flclashx*.rpm

Arch, Manjaro and everything else

The AppImage needs no installation: make it executable and run it.

chmod +x FlClashX*.AppImage
./FlClashX*.AppImage

Adding the subscription

Via the button on the site. After signing in to the cabinet, the downloads page has an "add subscription" button. It opens FlClashX through the flclashx:// scheme and pastes your link itself.

Manually. Copy the subscription link from the bot or the cabinet, open the profiles section in FlClashX, click "add" and paste it. All Surok exits appear.

Then pick a server, for example "Europe · auto", and click connect.

TUN mode vs system proxy

TUN. The client creates a virtual network interface and all system traffic goes through it, from the browser to Steam. It needs admin rights: on first enable FlClashX asks for your password.

System proxy. The client starts a local proxy and writes it into system settings. Browsers and most proxy-aware apps go through Surok, everything else goes direct. No admin rights needed.

"Open YouTube and a couple of sites" is a job for system proxy. Discord, games or apps that don't understand proxies need TUN.

Alternatives to FlClashX

• Prizrak-Box. Another client with .deb and .rpm packages that understands the Surok subscription link.
• Hiddify. A cross-platform client with a simple interface. Setup in Hiddify setup.
• NekoBox. For those who like to control every setting by hand. Covered in NekoBox.

Checking that it works

1. Open the IP check page. A foreign country means traffic is going through the tunnel.
2. Check DNS: a foreign IP with Russian DNS servers makes some sites open oddly or not at all. How to check and fix it is in IP and DNS leaks.
3. Open any blocked site: if it loads, you're done.

In system proxy mode check from the browser: curl and other terminal tools ignore the desktop proxy and will show a Russian address.

Common problems

TUN won't enable, "no permission". The client didn't get admin rights. Launch FlClashX again and enter your sudo password when asked.

AppImage doesn't start. The most common cause is a missing FUSE library. On Ubuntu and Debian install libfuse2 (on recent releases it may be called libfuse2t64), on Fedora fuse.

The site button doesn't add the subscription. The browser doesn't know the flclashx:// scheme, typical for an AppImage. Paste the link manually.

Connected, but sites don't open. Make sure a specific server is selected rather than an empty profile, and that there's no second VPN or proxy (NetworkManager's WireGuard counts).

FAQ

Does Surok have its own Linux app? No, only for Android, Windows and macOS. On Linux use FlClashX, Prizrak-Box, Hiddify or NekoBox with the subscription link.

Which client for Ubuntu? FlClashX from the .deb: it supports both TUN and system proxy.

Do I need root? Only for TUN mode and only on first launch. System proxy works without admin rights.

What does it cost? 3 days free with no card through the bot, then from 220 ₽ a month for one device or 380 ₽ for three. Outside Russia, payment via Stripe from $2.99 a month.

In short

On Linux, Surok connects through FlClashX: .deb for Ubuntu, .rpm for Fedora, AppImage for Arch and the rest. Take the subscription link from the bot, paste it into the client, enable TUN or system proxy, check your IP. If the AppImage won't start, install libfuse2. Everything else, including the FAQ, is on the site.