Expressvpn is a pretty popular VPN provider. I've been using their service for a few years now. Not bad at all.
Reading around it seems that at time of writing, expressvpn doesn't yet deposit packages into a ppa. Instead, the recommended process for acquiring their latest packages involves GUI browser opening and mouse clicking.
Anyway, being a Linux user I prefer using their CLI program as my VPN client. Also, being a Linux user it's never long before I start trying to write scripts to automate stuff. This project is about automating the quite frequent process of updating to the latest client version.
This program has so far been tested ONLY on 64-bit Ubuntu (20.04) Linux and with its' default, built-in BASH interpreter.
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expressvpn-version-upgrader.sh - the main script file.
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includes/helper.inc.sh - functions to assist user with correct program use.
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includes/setup.inc.sh - functions included to prepare for the install.
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includes/pkg-installation.inc.sh - included functions relating to the actual package installation.
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includes/pkg-regexes.inc.sh - file with some configuration variables.
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includes/cleanup.inc.sh - included functions related to file cleanup and restoring.
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shared-functions-library/shared-bash-constants.inc.sh - common module.
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shared-functions-library/shared-bash-functions.inc.sh - common module.
This program is a bit of a workaround, until expressvpn make their packages available from their ppa.
This program is only meant for a hobby and testing environment. It depends on things that expressvpn may change at any time.
So this program, written for bash, automates the update process. It is interactive. Only the actual dpkg -i install command needs sudo privilege, so it didn't seem reasonable to give the program to the root user.
The program completes the package version update from the command line in just a few seconds, prompting the user at several stages during the following sequence of events:
- Quick check that the basic dependencies are installed.
- Get user to select the OS platform on which the program is being tested.
- Retrieve the URL of the latest expressvpn package version from expressvpn.
- Download the latest expressvpn package file.
- GnuPG verify the downloaded expressvpn package file.
- Install the expressvpn package file.
- Clean up and remove downloaded files.
- Reconnect to the expressvpn network.
("expressvpn" "gpg" "dpkg" "curl")
Unless part of the default Ubuntu Desktop build, the programs I chose to do the work of downloading files etc. are the ones I prefer to use.
To do any package install on your test system, sudo privilege is required.
It is assumed that you're already using an activated instance of an expressvpn VPN client.
In order to verify the downloaded package file, you'll also need have imported the expressvpn public key into your gpg keyring. A reasonably decent guide to verifying package file authenticity is provided by expressvpn.
NOTE: PGP and GnuPG are effectively synonymous as far as I recall.
If you have all the above prerequisites covered, you're ready to clone, test, use and extend away.
This project includes the separate shared-functions-library repository as a submodule. The clone command must therefore include the --recurse-submodules option which will initialise and fetch changes from the submodule repository, like so...
git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/adebayo10k/expressvpn-version-upgrader.git
That done, you can optionally create a symbolic link file in a directory in your PATH that targets your cloned expressvpn-version-upgrader.sh executable, something like...
ln -s path-to-cloned-repo-root-directory/expressvpn-version-upgrader.sh ~/${USER}/bin/expressvpn-version-upgrader.sh
The pkg-regexes.inc.sh file contains some configuration parameters. So far, this program has ONLY been configured for the 64-bit Ubuntu client version, although I'm assuming that extending this should be pretty trivial.
Nothing to do with this project, but I've also configured my cron table with this line to get expressvpn to start trying to connect at boot time. The 20 second delay was necessary on my slow-bootin, old laptop.
@reboot sleep 20; bash -c "expressvpn connect" >/dev/null 2>>"$HOME/cronjob-errors.log"
expressvpn-version-upgrader.sh [dev|help]Internet connectivity is required at runtime, as the program does a couple of cURLs to the expressvpn domain.
If you've symlinked from a directory in your PATH, then just execute...
expressvpn-version-upgrader.sh... else, execute from within your Git project root directory with...
cd path-to-cloned-repo-root-directory && \
./expressvpn-version-upgrader.sh
As mentioned, the program requires you to have imported expressvpn Public Key (I believe they call it their GPG Key), for use in verifying that the package is authentically from them. Verifying the downloaded package against an accompanying signature file additionally verifies that it hasn't changed since it left them.
I decided that this program would not permit package installation without successful verification. It will just exit.
When testing, the output you should see once you download the package should be something like this...
Select your OS Platform to check online for VPN client updates (or choose None):
1) Ubuntu_64_bit 3) Fedora_64_bit 5) Arch_64_bit 7) None
2) Ubuntu_32_bit 4) Fedora_32_bit 6) Raspberry_Pi_OS
> 1
You Selected the "Ubuntu_64_bit" OS platform.
Currently Installed Version: 3.29.0.10-1
Available Version URL:
https://www.expressvpn.works/clients/linux/expressvpn_3.29.0.10-1_amd64.deb
Download and Verify this package? Choose an option :
1) Yes, Download and Verify
2) No, Quit the Program
> 1
You Selected : Yes, Download and Verify
Downloading and Verifying...
% Total % Received % Xferd Average Speed Time Time Time Current
Dload Upload Total Spent Left Speed
100 18.5M 100 18.5M 0 0 4121k 0 0:00:04 0:00:04 --:--:-- 4507k
Found a Package Installation file: /home/user/Downloads/expressvpn_3.29.0.10-1_amd64.deb
Found a Package Signature file: /home/user/Downloads/expressvpn_3.29.0.10-1_amd64.deb.asc
Now checking package file against expressvpn public key...
pub rsa4096 2016-01-22 [SC]
1D0B 09AD 6C93 FEE9 3FDD BD9D AFF2 A141 5F6A 3A38
uid [ unknown] ExpressVPN Release <release@expressvpn.com>
sub rsa4096 2016-01-22 [E]
gpg: Signature made Fri 29 Jul 2022 01:49:39 BST
gpg: using RSA key 1D0B09AD6C93FEE93FDDBD9DAFF2A1415F6A3A38
gpg: Good signature from "ExpressVPN Release <release@expressvpn.com>" [unknown]
gpg: WARNING: This key is not certified with a trusted signature!
gpg: There is no indication that the signature belongs to the owner.
Primary key fingerprint: 1D0B 09AD 6C93 FEE9 3FDD BD9D AFF2 A141 5F6A 3A38
GPG VERIFICATION SUCCESSFUL. CONFIRM VISUALLY ANYWAY...
Confirm? Do you see "Good signature"? Choose an option :
1) Yes, Confirmed
2) No, Quit the Program
> 1
You Selected : Yes, Confirmed
Continuing...
Proceed with Package Installation? (requires sudo). Choose and option :
1) Yes, Install
2) No, Quit the Program
> 2
You Selected : No, Quit the Program
None.
No changes or additions. See LICENCE.