ProtonVPN Flatpak/AppImage for Linux distros
These days it is very common to package applications across linux distros into flatpaks or appimages. These would be easy to manage for the ProtonVPN team and provide us with a working GUI app instead of the hard to manage cli client.

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Peter commented
Yes this would be perfect cause I love proton VPN but cannot use it on my Linux machine
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vj commented
Best would be packages in official repositories https://protonmail.uservoice.com/forums/932836-proton-vpn/suggestions/48200693-submit-linux-package-updates-in-official-distro-re
other way is AppImage, it requires no other SW (unlike Flatpak). Session AppImage for example automatically downloads latest version AppImage and delete old version https://github.com/oxen-io/session-desktop/releases/
and you always launch it using universal/placeholder launch menu entry: /home/me/sw/session-desktop-linux-x86_64-*.AppImage (so these are one click updates - you just confirm download of a new version)There is also AppImage with incremental updates which saves data transfer: https://github.com/AppImageCommunity/AppImageUpdate#readme
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Thomas commented
+1 for Flatpak. This would guarantee that ProtonVPN works on all Linux distros with one release.
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Anonymous commented
Flatpak sandboxing is critical to a secure future of Linux, as well as the cornerstone of various immutable distros.
I hope Proton reconsiders and starts supporting Flatpaks, proposing portals where needed.
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Anonymous commented
There was a relevant Reddit discussion on this, which I'm reposting here:
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HatBoxUnworn:
Will this eventually be distributed as a flatpak?
Adding your remote has been a terrible experience. After I updated to Fedora 38, your remote broke updates for my system for weeks before I was able to track down the problem.
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Proton team member:
Hey u/HatBoxUnworn, there are no plans for now. One of the downsides of this is how flatpaks works. The nature of flatpaks is to run in a sand-box mode, thus if we need escalated privileges say for a Kill Switch implementation that manipulates the firewall via nftables, we won't be able to do that because Flatpak don't allow privilege escalation, due to it's nature.
As a side-note, there was an unofficial package uploaded by a user, and that one is working mainly because currently our app uses NM, which does not require escalated privileges since all we do is communicate with NM.
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enjoyingfoss:
Wouldn't the best approach here be to work within the confines of the sandbox (as the unofficial Flatpak does now), and if extra functionality is needed and not implemented via portals yet, to propose those portals via the official Flatpak channels?
That would:
1. make ProtonVPN much easier to use on immutable distros (e.g. Steam OS)
2. support better security models on Linux
3. fill in gaps in Flatpak portals where there are needs for it
4. allow you to push timely updates across all Linux distros
5. make testing and distribution on all Linux distros much easier in the long run
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Unfortunately, no official reply to that last message. :(
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rakesh commented
I think this is a good idea. I have about 10% Appimage and Flatpak apps in my system. Sometimes it can be very useful. The Appimage is the best package format for me. But I also like Flatpak.
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[Deleted User] commented
I would recommend making Flatpak the main supported Linux app, even over .debs and .rpms, since it works on all Linux distros, autoupdates, and is easy to maintain and install.
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gkn commented
How about a snapcraft.io package for multi-dist support?
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Darth Nagar commented
AppImage is absolutlya a must have for Linux distros, and that as to support sandboxing as well (using Firejail).
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Incola commented
Especially the AppImage is easy to use, takes less space, and deployable on many distros.
Tutanota is already offering it. It would be great, if you could offer your client as AppImage.
ALSO: with AppImage you are in the full control of the distribution as opposed to Flatpak and its hub.