NordVPN has released the source code for its Linux application's graphical user interface under the GNU General Public License v3.0, making it available on GitHub. This move follows a 70% surge in daily active Linux users since the GUI's launch earlier in 2025. The company also reversed its decision to discontinue the Meshnet feature and plans to open-source it.
NordVPN announced the open-sourcing of its Linux GUI this week, providing build instructions and contribution guidelines on GitHub. The GUI, first introduced in May 2025, incorporates user feedback features like intuitive server selection and real-time connection monitoring. Prior to this, the command-line interface for Linux was already open-source.
The release coincides with a 70% increase in Linux devices using NordVPN daily, as reported across sources. The Linux client handles network interfaces through tuntap, firewall rules via iptables, routing through iproute2, and DNS management with systemd-resolved. It supports major distributions including Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Kali Linux, and OpenSUSE, with Snap compatibility extending to Arch Linux.
Complementing the open-source effort, NordVPN updated its official Snap package to include the GUI, previously limited to command-line functionality. This simplifies installation and addresses fragmentation in Linux package ecosystems, enabling seamless updates across distributions.
In a related development, NordVPN reversed its earlier decision to shut down the Meshnet peer-to-peer networking feature after user pushback. Meshnet allows secure connections for up to 60 devices in a private LAN without routing through NordVPN servers. The company confirmed Meshnet will remain unchanged and announced plans to open-source it.
At the time of writing, no official blog post has been published; announcements were shared via press releases and social media. NordVPN's core VPN infrastructure remains closed-source, balancing transparency with proprietary security.