PIA app won't start, Debian Stretch

edited December 2017 in Linux VPN Setup
Debian Stretch, KDE
Installed the PIA App via the official Linux Installer
Start the app, bounces a little, nothing happens.
App does not run at startup.

How can I fix this? If the graphical client doesn't run, is it possible to run the official client through command line interface?

Thanks!

Comments

  • Unfortunately, the app doesn't work on Debian Stretch. It needs openssl 1.0 which is no longer in the repositories in this version. It's possible to make it work (I've done it), but it requires patching so much stuff that I don't think it's really worth it. I would recommend using the NetworkManager setup instead, which works fine on about anything that has OpenVPN and NetworkManager!
  • @p1203121423121
    You could also try my script, works perfect on all linux,
  • Max-P said:
    Unfortunately, the app doesn't work on Debian Stretch. It needs openssl 1.0 which is no longer in the repositories in this version. It's possible to make it work (I've done it), but it requires patching so much stuff that I don't think it's really worth it. I would recommend using the NetworkManager setup instead, which works fine on about anything that has OpenVPN and NetworkManager!
    Is this going to fixed? 
  • I have found a temporary work around. Add the following to /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list

    # Debian old-Stable.

    deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ jessie main contrib non-free

    deb http://security.debian.org/ jessie/updates main contrib non-free

    # deb-src http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ stretch main contrib non-free


    Then using synaptic, click on "status" in the lower left of the program. Click the "Reload" button. Next go to Settings>Preferences. Then on the "Distribution" tab,select "Prefer version from". Using the drop down box select ".oldstable". Click OK and then "Reload". When clicking on Reload, Synaptic may close, just re-open.

    Now search for "openssl". Highlight the package and then go to the menu and select Package>Force Version...A window will open with a drop down box, click on it and select the version from oldstaable. You will will be prompted to select/mark one package to install. Mark it and click the "Apply" button.

    Once the package has been rolled back to the Jesse version, you can pin the package so it will not upgrade to the new Stretch version. Highlight the package in Synaptic and click on Packages>Lock Version. You should see word 'Pinned" in the left hand column.

    Now go back to Settings>Preferences, the "Distribution" tab and re-select "Always Prefer the Highest Version", click OK and you're done.

  • edited December 2017
    @Powderjockey
    No offence but that is a terrible solution. Relying on outdated buggy software for something as important as cryptography to maintain privacy is insane. Any software that forces you to use an outdated openssl package is beyond useless. The whole reason they updated openssl was because they found critical security bugs and fixed them.
    With security and privacy in mind, you should always use the very latest versions of everything.
    Plus by doing that you are messing up every other program on your machine that uses openssl, making your system highly vulnerable.
    /rant
  • @Powderjockey @d4rkcat We have just been informed today that the new version will have this fixed! v76 will add full support for Debian, Linux Mint as well as ArchLinux.
  • Thanks everyone for your help! Used the network-manager setup. Installed dependencies curl and network-manager-openvpn (rather than network-manager-openvpn-gnome). The KDE networking widget works with this setup.

    And great to hear full support for Debian will be coming! About time...
  • +++ (what Max-P said) +++ about using fully up-to-date versions of the software which does all the crypto work to make the VPN happen!  Who do you want at the security gate? some old fellow who cain't hear no good and gots the cataracts so he don't see no good, neither?
  • v76 solves everyone's problems but is never coming!  LOL!
  • Petro said:
    v76 solves everyone's problems but is never coming!  LOL!
    Maybe because we're waiting to make sure we took care of all the major bugs this time? You have to pick whether you want fast broken releases or be patient to get a good one. v76 addresses a ton of the Linux bugs and given the current history of it being buggy on Linux we're taking extra care for this one to work properly. I've participated in the QA process of it and verified all of the bugs I said would be fixed in v76 and more.
  • Petro said:
    v76 solves everyone's problems but is never coming!  LOL!
    Application development is very time-consuming. We've got to be patient.
  • Patient, right.  You could take a couple days or two more years, it's still gonna be buggy.

    I think there's been ongoing problems with the app in Linux, especially Ubuntu, for a while now.

    I tried to get the app working in Ubuntu 17.10, 'Gnome in xorg' again but of course, I run into a road block.

    https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/forum/discussion/comment/51299/#Comment_51299

    What is this workaround for?   'Max' says the problem is 'known and fixed in the upcoming version?'   You could have fooled me.  I think it was just a fluke that it worked in 'Ubuntu in xorg.'   It might work depending on the variables.

    Btw, when you check OpenVPN and the VPN settings, it shows everything as 'OFF' including the vpn server that is 'stuck on' or connects automatically via the app.   So, the app is installed but for some reason, it automatically connects to a server and there's no easy way to access the application to disconnect, change servers etc.   Also, I couldn't access my IRC client. 

    Have you even tried using, for e.g. Ubuntu Gnome/xorg with your application?  I am wondering if this issue is duplicated after the same situation. 

  • Sure, whatever. The VMs are a bit messed up because I've been destroying them left and right but as you can see the app survives and works perfectly fine.

    What do you expect? That we go omg @Petro is there, quick lets rush out v76 overnight? Yes, the app has bugs. We're working on it, a lot of them are fixed already. We even have a timeframe: v76. It's not even "maybe later", "in a future release". It's in the next release. It's right around the corner, probably this week. Please be patient, or use the workarounds.

    Do you have anything constructive to say or are you just here to whine?
  • No, I am done.  I don't know what the workaround was supposed to do.  It didn't work for me.  Perhaps, it solved a problem in the other two sessions I can log into, I don't know. 

    I have a vpn in Ubuntu in xorg or Cinnamon sessions.   It doesn't work in Gnome session.  The vpn runs and automatically connects but you can't access the app.   I use top to kill the process and stop the app.  You didn't say, 'that's interesting or it's a bug we recognize' but if that is your customer service, so be it. 

    Good luck. 
  • edited January 2018
    but if that is your customer service, so be it.  

    This is not customer service nor customer support. This is a public forum where we try to help people whenever we can. I have other tasks at PIA and I'm not always on the forums. In fact I'm not even on the clock at the moment, I'm listening to music and chilling on IRC while also being here, because PIA is something I care and believe into past the end of my shift. You can see from this comment's date that I started a bit over 12 hours ago.

    We have support agents assigned to check the forums whose name starts with PIA (PIAColleen, PIAAustin, PIAKaneesha, PIAJason) if it's something they can help you with.

    If you want direct, personal, professional support, I would strongly avise you to contact our support directly.


    Again, I don't quite understand what you expect from me. We tell you that v76 is a major bugfix release, and you just laugh at us. And then you started going to other threads just to mock us further, even in threads with [solved] in the title. You ran in a lot of bugs, there's no denial. Maybe you are particularly unlucky, but if you're patient we'll get through it in your thread. Maybe you're running into like 4 different bugs because 17.10 broke a lot of assumptions so we therefore need to apply 4 workarounds together for it to work for you. Either you can be patient and just wait for v76, or you can be patient and take the time to go through them manually and ask questions here. v75 is picky as to how it works because it was rushed out for 17.10. It runs on 17.10 but it might need some environment variables and manual updating of stuff if it's not a mostly vanilla fresh 17.10 install.

    But instead of just asking in the respective thread to get answers to your questions, you just came to this thread to say:

    Petro said:
    v76 solves everyone's problems but is never coming!  LOL! 

    Petro said:
    Patient, right.  You could take a couple days or two more years, it's still gonna be buggy.

    I think there's been ongoing problems with the app in Linux, especially Ubuntu, for a while now.

    I tried to get the app working in Ubuntu 17.10, 'Gnome in xorg' again but of course, I run into a road block.

    https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/forum/discussion/comment/51299/#Comment_51299

    What is this workaround for?   'Max' says the problem is 'known and fixed in the upcoming version?'   You could have fooled me.  I think it was just a fluke that it worked in 'Ubuntu in xorg.'   It might work depending on the variables.

    Btw, when you check OpenVPN and the VPN settings, it shows everything as 'OFF' including the vpn server that is 'stuck on' or connects automatically via the app.   So, the app is installed but for some reason, it automatically connects to a server and there's no easy way to access the application to disconnect, change servers etc.   Also, I couldn't access my IRC client. 

    Have you even tried using, for e.g. Ubuntu Gnome/xorg with your application?  I am wondering if this issue is duplicated after the same situation. 

    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


  • I was just letting off steam.  Give me a break, please? :)

    If anyone cares, I have a bit of a theory.   FYI - (providing additional information) - I was using Ubuntu Gnome - the devs had a separate distro - or at least, it was configured with Gnome while the main one is with Unity.  But, Ubuntu switched their default DE/platform to Gnome.   So, when I log in, it displays 'Ubuntu on xorg' and 'Gnome on xorg.'   I was confused so after digging into this, I discovered the 'Gnome on xorg' is listed because I was using 'Ubuntu Gnome' and 'Ubuntu on xorg' is a session that has all the new 'changes' or 'additions/modifications' resulting from this switch over. 

    How is this relevant to my issue or PIA?   For some reason, when I log into the Gnome on xorg session, the PIA app doesn't run as expected - I tried to explain the problems/experience.   But, when I log into Ubuntu on xorg, it works - in the same way as you illustrated on your video (with Arch-based distro?  Um, thanks....).   Long story short, I will just use Ubuntu on xorg for now.   I'm not missing anything with the Gnome on xorg (session).   I'm not even sure how long that will be there.  Maybe v. 76 will resolve whatever is going on with that problem or maybe not.   I'm giving up on trying to get it to work in the Gnome on xorg session as it works with the other one as expected.   I thought (and still think) it is strange it doesn't work with that session but it's not the end of the world.  

    Thanks for replying, for trying to help and putting up with me.   I don't know if anyone else here will experience anything similar (I would think someone who uses Ubuntu would have chosen Ubuntu Gnome during the 17.04 period?) but if someone ever wants me to test 'a fix' while logged into Gnome on xorg (for whatever reason - I don't know what that would be... :-), I would gladly offer my help and time.  

    Thanks to those who replied to my posts and sorry to get frustrated.   I would like to help, some time, if I could. 
  • P.S.  I want to clarify, I apologize and don't mean to 'laugh at you' regarding v 76.   I was just frustrated because it wasn't working for me.   I think it's best to release it only when thoroughly tested and feeling confident that nothing unexpected or problematic will happen.   'Just my opinion but I suspect I agree with your idea and position on it. 

    I reiterate, I have no problem on your release schedule....

    I think it's nice to have an app as it's convenient compared to just relying on CLI - which I have done before, too. 
  • No worries @Petro, I understand how frustrating the PIA app can be at times especially with the 17.10 upgrade. It legit broke a lot of things.

    I'll take some time to read your other thread and reply shortly. But yes, the Gnome session is problematic because Gnome deprecated tray icons as a whole, so PIA has nowhere to put its icon. It works on the Ubuntu session because of the AppIndicator extension, but I've found that switching between the two sessions, especially if you manage extensions in the Gnome session, tends to mess up the Ubuntu session and the AppIndicator extension either doesn't load or doesn't work all that well, causing further problems.

    The video was mostly to demonstrate that most of those bugs were indeed fixed, and that v76 is right around the corner. Running on Arch is a noteworthy feat because historically the app didn't run on anything but Ubuntu, so now it's tolerant to run even under OpenBox+tint2 :)
  • edited January 2018
    The PIA app is overcomplicated and obviously has bad programming.
    It's actually quite easy to code a bash script over openvpn that works on all linux and has all the same features.
    Hopefully the dev team can learn to simplify their programming so that it works on all linux as it should.
  • d4rkcat said:
    The PIA app is overcomplicated and obviously has bad programming.
    It's actually quite easy to code a bash script over openvpn that works on all linux and has all the same features.
    Hopefully the dev team can learn to simplify their programming so that it works on all linux as it should.
    Perhaps you should test the upcoming version when it's released. PIA has mentioned that a lot of drastic changes are coming down the pipeline with the next few releases so maybe the problems that you've had in the past with the application will be fixed either in the next release or in a future release. 
  • OpenVPN said:
    d4rkcat said:
    The PIA app is overcomplicated and obviously has bad programming.
    It's actually quite easy to code a bash script over openvpn that works on all linux and has all the same features.
    Hopefully the dev team can learn to simplify their programming so that it works on all linux as it should.
    Perhaps you should test the upcoming version when it's released. PIA has mentioned that a lot of drastic changes are coming down the pipeline with the next few releases so maybe the problems that you've had in the past with the application will be fixed either in the next release or in a future release. 
    I will happily test v76 once it's released and i'm very hopeful that it will work well for people.
    I do trust my own coding skills much more though, so it's probably something that I won't be using.
    I get the feeling Linux is more of an afterthought for PIA software development, and until I see that they take Linux users seriously, I will use my own software which never lets me down.
    It would be great though if new PIA users who run Linux had an official software that works.
  • d4rkcat said:
    OpenVPN said:
    d4rkcat said:
    The PIA app is overcomplicated and obviously has bad programming.
    It's actually quite easy to code a bash script over openvpn that works on all linux and has all the same features.
    Hopefully the dev team can learn to simplify their programming so that it works on all linux as it should.
    Perhaps you should test the upcoming version when it's released. PIA has mentioned that a lot of drastic changes are coming down the pipeline with the next few releases so maybe the problems that you've had in the past with the application will be fixed either in the next release or in a future release. 
    I will happily test v76 once it's released and i'm very hopeful that it will work well for people.
    I do trust my own coding skills much more though, so it's probably something that I won't be using.
    I get the feeling Linux is more of an afterthought for PIA software development, and until I see that they take Linux users seriously, I will use my own software which never lets me down.
    It would be great though if new PIA users who run Linux had an official software that works.
    You're an Application engineer?
  • OpenVPN said:
    d4rkcat said:
    OpenVPN said:
    d4rkcat said:
    The PIA app is overcomplicated and obviously has bad programming.
    It's actually quite easy to code a bash script over openvpn that works on all linux and has all the same features.
    Hopefully the dev team can learn to simplify their programming so that it works on all linux as it should.
    Perhaps you should test the upcoming version when it's released. PIA has mentioned that a lot of drastic changes are coming down the pipeline with the next few releases so maybe the problems that you've had in the past with the application will be fixed either in the next release or in a future release. 
    I will happily test v76 once it's released and i'm very hopeful that it will work well for people.
    I do trust my own coding skills much more though, so it's probably something that I won't be using.
    I get the feeling Linux is more of an afterthought for PIA software development, and until I see that they take Linux users seriously, I will use my own software which never lets me down.
    It would be great though if new PIA users who run Linux had an official software that works.
    You're an Application engineer?
    I develop and maintain an unofficial Linux bash client for pia in my free time, because I love the PIA service and ethics, but hate the Linux "software" they provide.
    I started it because I knew if I put in a few hours hear and there, I would soon have a vastly superior (read: not broken and shit) software that I could safely connnect to PIA servers with.
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