Fonzi Vazquez
Table of contents

The Context: CLI Is Not the Enemy

I like the CLI. I use the OpenVPN3 CLI regularly, and for servers or automation, it’s the correct interface. But a desktop environment is not a server, and a desktop user is not a shell script.

If COSMIC is going to succeed as a serious desktop environment, common workflows need to be discoverable and visible without requiring a terminal session. VPNs are the perfect example of this gap.

The Evolution: From Python to Rust

This project actually started as a Python/PyQt5 application. It worked well enough as a proof of concept, but it felt like a guest on the system rather than a resident.

The Original Python Prototype - Functional, but the UI was a bit ‘boring’ The initial Python/PyQt5 version. It proved the demand was there, but it didn’t feel ‘COSMIC’.

After sharing the prototype on r/pop_os, the feedback was clear: if I wanted it to be a true “first-class citizen” of the COSMIC ecosystem, I needed a more performant foundation. I decided to rewrite the entire thing in Rust using the Iced framework.

The Rust/Iced Evolution - Native look and feel with better performance The Rust rewrite: Faster, lighter, and much closer to the modern Linux desktop aesthetic.

Why the GUI Wins: Features You Can’t "Tail"

A thin wrapper shouldn’t just replicate CLI commands; it should surface data that is tedious to track in a terminal.

  • Live Traffic Graph: Real-time visualization of throughput (Bytes in/out) and latency monitoring.
  • SSO & 2FA Support: Handles modern authentication flows by automatically handing off to your default browser and reflecting the result in the UI.
  • Wayland Tray Integration: A functional system tray icon that works under Wayland, allowing you to monitor status without keeping the main window open.
  • Recent Configurations: A quick-access dropdown for your most used profiles, so you aren’t hunting through directories for .ovpn files.

Tech Stack: Rust, Iced, and libcosmic

Choosing Rust wasn’t about being trendy; it was about stability. The app can sit quietly in the background for days with a negligible memory footprint.

Following some great feedback from the System76 team (thanks mmstick!), the project is moving toward deeper libcosmic integration. This ensures the app respects the system’s theme engine (Light/Dark mode) and handles Wayland windowing exactly how COSMIC expects.

Current Status

The project is currently in early alpha but is already “daily-driver” ready:

  • Connect / Disconnect with one click.
  • Real-time network stats & session monitoring.
  • Log Export for when things inevitably go wrong.
  • Auto-reconnect on drop.

Known quirks: I’m still refining the session persistence when the UI is closed, and the dock icon currently requires manual pinning in the alpha build of COSMIC.

Where to Find It

The project lives here:

Feedback is welcome the scope is intentionally small to keep the project sustainable, but the goal is to make it the best VPN client for the modern Linux desktop.