Mullvad VPN app not working with FossaPup64

[Rappel25]

Using FossaPup64 loaded from USB flash drive as needed.

Unable to run Mullvad VPN app 2023.6 for Linux with FossaPup64.

Downloaded MullvadVPN-2023.6_amd64.deb file from Mullvad website at https://mullvad.net/media/app/MullvadVP ... _amd64.deb.

Clicked file to install.

Puppy Package Manager reported package "MullvadVPN" was successfully installed, and to "look in 'Network' in the menu ... to run the application."

However, program shortcut not in menu.

In ROX-Filer, found related files and folders for program in "opt/Mullvad VPN" and "/usr/bin" directories.

In those directories, clicked executables to try to run them, but none did.

Used ListDD to check dependencies of all executables. No missing dependencies.

Read the "Mullvad VPN on EasyOS" thread started by catacombs, Sat Jul 09, 2022 2:13 pm at https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewto ... vad#p61683, but no help.

Don't know how to get it to work. What needs to be done?

Thanks.

[williwaw]

rather than clicking on the executables in those directories, open a terminal and run the executable using the full path

any output may assist in troubleshooting

[Rappel25]

rather than clicking on the executables in those directories, open a terminal and run the executable using the full path

any output may assist in troubleshooting

Thank you for your reply, williwaw.

As you recommended, used terminal to run 6 executables.

The 3 executables in "/opt/Mullvad VPN" directory all returned "bash: [filename]: command not found" (without " marks)

The 3 executables in "/usr/bin" directory returned the following:

1. "mullvad" was described as "Manage the Mullvad VPN daemon via a convenient CLI" along with a list of commands.

2. "mullvad-exclude" is used as "mullvad-exclude COMMAND [ARGS]" (without " marks)

3. "mullvad-daemon" returned the following.

root# mullvad-daemon
[2024-03-18 01:54:18.862][mullvad_daemon::version][INFO] Starting mullvad-daemon - 2023.6 2023-12-06
[2024-03-18 01:54:18.863][mullvad_daemon][INFO] Logging to /var/log/mullvad-vpn
[2024-03-18 01:54:18.864][mullvad_daemon][INFO] Management interface listening on /var/run/mullvad-vpn
[2024-03-18 01:54:18.864][mullvad_daemon::settings][INFO] Loading settings from /etc/mullvad-vpn/settings.json
[2024-03-18 01:54:18.864][mullvad_daemon::settings][INFO] No settings were found. Using defaults.
[2024-03-18 01:54:18.865][mullvad_daemon::version_check][WARN] Error: Unable to load cached version info
Caused by: Failed to open app version cache file for reading
Caused by: No such file or directory (os error 2)
[2024-03-18 01:54:18.865][mullvad_relay_selector][ERROR] Failed to load bundled relays: Failed to open relay cache file
[2024-03-18 01:54:18.865][mullvad_relay_selector][ERROR] Error: Unable to load cached and bundled relays
Caused by: Failed to open relay cache file
Caused by: No such file or directory (os error 2)
[2024-03-18 01:54:18.865][mullvad_relay_selector][INFO] Initialized with 0 cached relays from 1969-12-31 16:00:00.000
[2024-03-18 01:54:18.865][mullvad_daemon::api][INFO] New API connection mode selected: unproxied
[2024-03-18 01:54:18.865][mullvad_daemon::account_history][INFO] Opening account history file in /etc/mullvad-vpn/account-history.json
[2024-03-18 01:54:18.866][talpid_core::firewall][INFO] Resetting firewall policy
[2024-03-18 01:54:18.870][talpid_core::dns][INFO] Resetting DNS
[2024-03-18 01:54:18.870][mullvad_daemon][ERROR] Error: Unable to initialize daemon
Caused by: Unable to initialize split tunneling
Caused by: Unable to create cgroup for excluded processes
Caused by: No such file or directory (os error 2)

Seems it was trying unsuccessfully to do what it was meant to do, but I don't understand it.

Any further advice from you, or anyone else, would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[OscarTalks]

I can help a bit but don't have the full solution

Linux does not like the space in the directory name "Mullvad VPN"
So in /opt I also created a symlink without the space in the name so it is "MullvadVPN"

Then the path you want to launch the GUI becomes /opt/MullvadVPN/mullvad-vpn
(This executable is a script, not a binary)

BUT this program is Electron based, so if running as root you also have to add --no-sandbox
You can add this argument in the .desktop file or run like this from terminal
/opt/MullvadVPN/mullvad-vpn --no-sandbox
The GUI opens up, but the daemon still fails to start

The program uses systemd which Puppy does not have.
I tried exporting the environment variable and issuing the command as seen in the systemd mullvad-daemon.service file
Most of the errors were resolved, but there was still one error about "Unable to create cgroup for excluded processes"
Maybe someone else knows what this means and how to resolve it?

[Rappel25]

The program uses systemd which Puppy does not have.
I tried exporting the environment variable and issuing the command as seen in the systemd mullvad-daemon.service file
Most of the errors were resolved, but there was still one error about "Unable to create cgroup for excluded processes"...

Thank you for your reply, OscarTalks.

Nice work! I was able to duplicate what you did until the part about systemd.

I didn't understand what you did or where the systemd mullvad-daemon.service file is located. Please explain,

Comments in various places online pointed to "/opt/MullvadVPN/resources" as the file's location, but I didn't see it there.

Thanks for your help.

[OscarTalks]

Hello Rappel25,

Well, /opt/MullvadVPN/resources is actually a path to a directory rather than a file (if the symlink is in place to resolve the issue of the space in the name).
This directory needs to be set as an environment variable I think.

The systemd file is installed at:-
/usr/lib/systemd/system/mullvad-daemon.service
This seems to be part of how the daemon should be launched (if we had systemd, which we don't)
So looking at the lines in that file I tried in terminal:-
export MULLVAD_RESOURCE_DIR=/opt/MullvadVPN/resources/
followed by:-
/usr/bin/mullvad-daemon -v --disable-stdout-timestamps
But this returned the output that the daemon still failed to start, with the error being related to "cgroup"
I did one search about this and it looked like it may be related to configuration of containers, but I didn't really understand it. There was talk of files which Puppy does not have so maybe someone with more experience than me will know if it can be easily addressed.

[Rappel25]

/opt/MullvadVPN/resources is ,,, directory needs to be set as an environment variable I think.

The systemd file is installed at:-
/usr/lib/systemd/system/mullvad-daemon.service ...

I tried in terminal:-
export MULLVAD_RESOURCE_DIR=/opt/MullvadVPN/resources/
followed by:-
/usr/bin/mullvad-daemon -v --disable-stdout-timestamps

Hi OscarTalks

Thanks for the details.

I still don't understand how you worked it out.

Why was it important to set the "/opt/MullvadVPN/resources" directory as an environment variable?

How did you know systemd was needed and where it was?

How did you decide to try "export MULLVAD_RESOURCE_DIR=/opt/MullvadVPN/resources/ followed by:- /usr/bin/mullvad-daemon -v --disable-stdout-timestamps"

This is clearly beyond me, but I'd like to learn. If you have a moment to spare sometime, I'd appreciate any insight you might share.

Thank you for your help.