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feat(gluetun): improve VPN connection display and Windscribe support

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docs/VPN_PROXY_SETUP.md
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# VPN-to-HTTP Proxy Bridge for Unshackle
# VPN Proxy Setup for Unshackle
## Overview
This guide explains how to use **Gluetun** - a Docker-based VPN client that creates an isolated HTTP proxy from VPN services (including WireGuard). This allows Unshackle to use VPN providers like ExpressVPN, Windscribe, NordVPN, and many others without affecting your system's normal internet connection.
Unshackle has **native Gluetun integration** that automatically creates and manages Docker containers to bridge VPN connections to HTTP proxies. Simply configure your VPN credentials in `unshackle.yaml` and use `--proxy gluetun:<provider>:<region>`.
> **Note**: Unshackle now has **native Gluetun integration**! You can use `--proxy gluetun:windscribe:us` directly without manual Docker setup. See [CONFIG.md](../CONFIG.md#gluetun-dict) for configuration. The guide below is for advanced users who want to manage Gluetun containers manually.
## Why Use VPN Proxies?
## Why This Approach?
- **Network Isolation**: VPN runs in a Docker container, doesn't affect your system's internet
- **Easy Switching**: Switch between regions without reconfiguring anything
- **Multiple Regions**: Use different VPN locations for different downloads
- **Network Isolation**: VPN connection runs in Docker container, doesn't affect host system
- **HTTP Proxy Interface**: Exposes standard HTTP proxy that Unshackle can use directly
- **WireGuard Support**: Modern, fast, and secure VPN protocol
- **Kill Switch**: Built-in protection prevents IP leaks if VPN disconnects
- **Multi-Provider**: Supports 50+ VPN providers out of the box
- **Cross-Platform**: Works on Linux and Windows (via Docker Desktop or WSL2)
## Requirements
## Supported VPN Providers
- Docker must be installed and running
- Verify with: `unshackle env check`
Gluetun supports many providers including:
- ExpressVPN
- Windscribe
- NordVPN
- Surfshark
- ProtonVPN
- Private Internet Access
- Mullvad
- And 50+ more
## Configuration
Full list: https://github.com/qdm12/gluetun/wiki
## Prerequisites
### Linux
```bash
# Install Docker
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
sudo sh get-docker.sh
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
# Log out and back in for group changes to take effect
```
### Windows
- Install [Docker Desktop for Windows](https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop/)
- Enable WSL2 backend (recommended)
## Setup Instructions
### 1. Create Gluetun Configuration Directory
```bash
mkdir -p ~/gluetun-config
cd ~/gluetun-config
```
### 2. Create Docker Compose File
Create `docker-compose.yml` with your VPN provider configuration:
#### Example: Windscribe with WireGuard
Add your VPN provider credentials to `unshackle.yaml`:
```yaml
version: "3"
services:
gluetun:
image: qmcgaw/gluetun:latest
container_name: gluetun
cap_add:
- NET_ADMIN
devices:
- /dev/net/tun:/dev/net/tun
ports:
- 8888:8888/tcp # HTTP proxy
- 8388:8388/tcp # Shadowsocks (optional)
- 8388:8388/udp # Shadowsocks (optional)
environment:
# VPN Provider Settings
- VPN_SERVICE_PROVIDER=windscribe
- VPN_TYPE=wireguard
gluetun:
base_port: 8888 # Starting port for HTTP proxies
auto_cleanup: true # Remove containers when done
container_prefix: "unshackle-gluetun"
verify_ip: true # Verify VPN IP matches expected region
# Get these from your Windscribe account
- WIREGUARD_PRIVATE_KEY=your_private_key_here
- WIREGUARD_ADDRESSES=your_address_here
- WIREGUARD_PRESHARED_KEY=your_preshared_key_here # if applicable
providers:
windscribe:
vpn_type: openvpn
credentials:
username: "YOUR_OPENVPN_USERNAME"
password: "YOUR_OPENVPN_PASSWORD"
server_countries:
us: US
uk: GB
ca: CA
# Server location (optional)
- SERVER_COUNTRIES=US
# or specific city
# - SERVER_CITIES=New York
# HTTP Proxy Settings
- HTTPPROXY=on
- HTTPPROXY_LOG=on
- HTTPPROXY_LISTENING_ADDRESS=:8888
# Timezone
- TZ=America/New_York
# Logging
- LOG_LEVEL=info
restart: unless-stopped
# Health check
healthcheck:
test: ["CMD", "wget", "--spider", "-q", "https://api.ipify.org"]
interval: 30s
timeout: 10s
retries: 3
nordvpn:
vpn_type: openvpn
credentials:
username: "YOUR_SERVICE_USERNAME"
password: "YOUR_SERVICE_PASSWORD"
server_countries:
us: US
de: DE
```
#### Example: ExpressVPN with WireGuard
## Getting Your VPN Credentials
```yaml
version: "3"
services:
gluetun:
image: qmcgaw/gluetun:latest
container_name: gluetun
cap_add:
- NET_ADMIN
devices:
- /dev/net/tun:/dev/net/tun
ports:
- 8888:8888/tcp # HTTP proxy
environment:
- VPN_SERVICE_PROVIDER=expressvpn
- VPN_TYPE=wireguard
### Windscribe
# Get these from ExpressVPN's WireGuard configuration
- WIREGUARD_PRIVATE_KEY=your_private_key_here
- WIREGUARD_ADDRESSES=your_address_here
1. Go to [windscribe.com/getconfig/openvpn](https://windscribe.com/getconfig/openvpn)
2. Generate a config file for any location
3. Copy the username and password shown
- HTTPPROXY=on
- HTTPPROXY_LISTENING_ADDRESS=:8888
- TZ=America/New_York
- LOG_LEVEL=info
> **Note**: Windscribe uses region names like "US East" instead of country codes. Unshackle automatically converts codes like `us`, `ca`, `uk` to the correct region names.
restart: unless-stopped
```
### NordVPN
#### Example: NordVPN with WireGuard
```yaml
version: "3"
services:
gluetun:
image: qmcgaw/gluetun:latest
container_name: gluetun
cap_add:
- NET_ADMIN
devices:
- /dev/net/tun:/dev/net/tun
ports:
- 8888:8888/tcp # HTTP proxy
environment:
- VPN_SERVICE_PROVIDER=nordvpn
- VPN_TYPE=wireguard
# NordVPN token (get from NordVPN dashboard)
- WIREGUARD_PRIVATE_KEY=your_private_key_here
- WIREGUARD_ADDRESSES=your_address_here
- SERVER_COUNTRIES=US
- HTTPPROXY=on
- HTTPPROXY_LISTENING_ADDRESS=:8888
- TZ=America/New_York
- LOG_LEVEL=info
restart: unless-stopped
```
### 3. Getting Your WireGuard Credentials
#### Windscribe
1. Log into Windscribe account
2. Go to "My Account" → "WireGuard"
3. Generate a config file for your desired location
4. Extract the private key and addresses from the config
#### ExpressVPN
1. Log into ExpressVPN
2. Navigate to the manual configuration section
3. Select WireGuard and download the configuration
4. Extract credentials from the config file
#### NordVPN
1. Log into NordVPN dashboard
2. Go to Services → NordVPN → Manual setup
3. Generate WireGuard credentials
4. Copy the private key and addresses
2. Go to Services > NordVPN > Manual setup
3. Copy your service credentials (not your account email/password)
### 4. Start Gluetun Container
### Other Providers
Gluetun supports 50+ VPN providers. See the [Gluetun Wiki](https://github.com/qdm12/gluetun-wiki/tree/main/setup/providers) for provider-specific setup instructions.
## Usage
Use the `--proxy` flag with the format `gluetun:<provider>:<region>`:
```bash
cd ~/gluetun-config
docker-compose up -d
# Connect via Windscribe to US
unshackle dl SERVICE CONTENT_ID --proxy gluetun:windscribe:us
# Connect via NordVPN to Germany
unshackle dl SERVICE CONTENT_ID --proxy gluetun:nordvpn:de
```
Check logs to verify connection:
```bash
docker logs gluetun -f
```
Unshackle will automatically:
You should see messages indicating successful VPN connection and HTTP proxy starting on port 8888.
### 5. Test the Proxy
```bash
# Test that the proxy works
curl -x http://localhost:8888 https://api.ipify.org
# This should show your VPN's IP address, not your real IP
```
## Integrating with Unshackle
### Option 1: Using Basic Proxy Configuration
Add to your Unshackle config (`~/.config/unshackle/config.yaml`):
```yaml
proxies:
Basic:
us: "http://localhost:8888"
uk: "http://localhost:8888" # if you have multiple Gluetun containers
```
Then use in Unshackle:
```bash
uv run unshackle dl SERVICE_NAME CONTENT_ID --proxy us
```
### Option 2: Creating Multiple VPN Proxy Containers
You can run multiple Gluetun containers for different regions:
**gluetun-us.yml:**
```yaml
version: "3"
services:
gluetun-us:
image: qmcgaw/gluetun:latest
container_name: gluetun-us
cap_add:
- NET_ADMIN
devices:
- /dev/net/tun:/dev/net/tun
ports:
- 8888:8888/tcp # HTTP proxy
environment:
- VPN_SERVICE_PROVIDER=windscribe
- VPN_TYPE=wireguard
- SERVER_COUNTRIES=US
- WIREGUARD_PRIVATE_KEY=your_key
- WIREGUARD_ADDRESSES=your_address
- HTTPPROXY=on
- HTTPPROXY_LISTENING_ADDRESS=:8888
restart: unless-stopped
```
**gluetun-uk.yml:**
```yaml
version: "3"
services:
gluetun-uk:
image: qmcgaw/gluetun:latest
container_name: gluetun-uk
cap_add:
- NET_ADMIN
devices:
- /dev/net/tun:/dev/net/tun
ports:
- 8889:8888/tcp # Different host port
environment:
- VPN_SERVICE_PROVIDER=windscribe
- VPN_TYPE=wireguard
- SERVER_COUNTRIES=GB
- WIREGUARD_PRIVATE_KEY=your_key
- WIREGUARD_ADDRESSES=your_address
- HTTPPROXY=on
- HTTPPROXY_LISTENING_ADDRESS=:8888
restart: unless-stopped
```
Then in Unshackle config:
```yaml
proxies:
Basic:
us: "http://localhost:8888"
uk: "http://localhost:8889"
ca: "http://localhost:8890"
```
### Option 3: Using with Authentication (Recommended for Security)
Add authentication to your Gluetun proxy:
```yaml
environment:
- HTTPPROXY=on
- HTTPPROXY_LISTENING_ADDRESS=:8888
- HTTPPROXY_USER=myusername
- HTTPPROXY_PASSWORD=mypassword
```
Then in Unshackle config:
```yaml
proxies:
Basic:
us: "http://myusername:mypassword@localhost:8888"
```
## Advanced Features
### Port Forwarding (for torrenting services)
Some VPN providers support port forwarding:
```yaml
environment:
- VPN_PORT_FORWARDING=on
- VPN_PORT_FORWARDING_LISTENING_PORT=8000
```
### SOCKS5 Proxy (Alternative to HTTP)
Gluetun also supports SOCKS5 proxy:
```yaml
ports:
- 1080:1080/tcp # SOCKS5 proxy
environment:
- SHADOWSOCKS=on
- SHADOWSOCKS_LISTENING_ADDRESS=:1080
```
### DNS Over TLS
For enhanced privacy:
```yaml
environment:
- DOT=on
- DOT_PROVIDERS=cloudflare
```
### Custom Firewall Rules
Block specific ports or IPs:
```yaml
environment:
- FIREWALL_OUTBOUND_SUBNETS=192.168.1.0/24 # Allow LAN access
```
1. Start a Gluetun Docker container with your credentials
2. Wait for the VPN connection to establish
3. Route your download through the VPN proxy
4. Clean up the container when done (if `auto_cleanup: true`)
## Troubleshooting
### Docker Not Running
```
Error: Docker is not running
```
Start Docker Desktop or the Docker daemon.
### Invalid Credentials
```
Error: VPN authentication failed
```
Verify your credentials are correct. Use VPN service credentials from your provider's manual setup page, not your account login.
### Container Fails to Start
Check logs:
Check Docker logs:
```bash
docker logs gluetun
docker logs unshackle-gluetun-windscribe-us
```
Common issues:
- Missing `NET_ADMIN` capability
- `/dev/net/tun` not available
- Invalid WireGuard credentials
### VPN Connection Timeout
### VPN Not Connecting
If the VPN connection hangs or times out, your network may be blocking the default UDP port 1194. Try using TCP port 443:
1. Verify credentials are correct
2. Check VPN provider status
3. Try different server location
4. Check firewall isn't blocking VPN ports
### Proxy Not Working
Test connectivity:
```bash
# Check if port is open
docker exec gluetun netstat -tlnp | grep 8888
# Test proxy directly
curl -v -x http://localhost:8888 https://api.ipify.org
```
### IP Leak Prevention
Verify your IP is hidden:
```bash
# Without proxy (should show your real IP)
curl https://api.ipify.org
# With proxy (should show VPN IP)
curl -x http://localhost:8888 https://api.ipify.org
```
### Performance Issues
- WireGuard is generally faster than OpenVPN
- Try different VPN servers closer to your location
- Check container resource limits
- Monitor with `docker stats gluetun`
## Managing Gluetun
### Start Container
```bash
docker-compose up -d
```
### Stop Container
```bash
docker-compose down
```
### Restart Container
```bash
docker-compose restart
```
### Update Gluetun
```bash
docker-compose pull
docker-compose up -d
```
### View Logs
```bash
docker logs gluetun -f
```
### Check Status
```bash
docker ps | grep gluetun
```
## Windows-Specific Notes
### Using Docker Desktop
1. Ensure WSL2 backend is enabled in Docker Desktop settings
2. Use PowerShell or WSL2 terminal for commands
3. Access proxy from Windows: `http://localhost:8888`
4. Access from WSL2: `http://host.docker.internal:8888`
### Using WSL2 Directly
If running Unshackle in WSL2:
```yaml
proxies:
Basic:
us: "http://localhost:8888" # If Gluetun is in same WSL2 distro
# or
us: "http://host.docker.internal:8888" # If Gluetun is in Docker Desktop
windscribe:
vpn_type: openvpn
openvpn_port: 443 # Use TCP 443 for restricted networks
credentials:
username: "YOUR_USERNAME"
password: "YOUR_PASSWORD"
```
## Network Isolation Benefits
### Verify VPN Connection
The Docker-based approach provides several benefits:
1. **Namespace Isolation**: VPN connection exists only in container
2. **No System Route Changes**: Host routing table remains unchanged
3. **No Connection Drops**: Host internet connection unaffected
4. **Easy Switching**: Start/stop VPN without affecting other applications
5. **Multiple Simultaneous VPNs**: Run multiple containers with different locations
6. **Kill Switch**: Automatic with container networking
## Performance Considerations
- **WireGuard**: Modern protocol, faster than OpenVPN, less CPU usage
- **Docker Overhead**: Minimal (< 5% performance impact)
- **Memory Usage**: ~50-100MB per container
- **Network Latency**: Negligible with localhost connection
## Security Considerations
1. **Enable authentication** on HTTP proxy (HTTPPROXY_USER/PASSWORD)
2. **Bind to localhost only** (don't expose 0.0.0.0 unless needed)
3. **Use Docker networks** for container-to-container communication
4. **Keep Gluetun updated** for security patches
5. **Monitor logs** for unauthorized access attempts
The `verify_ip` option checks that your IP matches the expected region. If verification fails, try a different server location in your provider's settings.
## References
- [Gluetun GitHub Repository](https://github.com/qdm12/gluetun)
- [Gluetun Wiki - Setup Guides](https://github.com/qdm12/gluetun/wiki)
- [Windscribe Setup Guide](https://github.com/qdm12/gluetun/wiki/Windscribe)
- [Docker Installation](https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/)
## Alternative Solutions
If Gluetun doesn't meet your needs, consider:
### 1. **Pritunl Client + Tinyproxy**
- Run Pritunl in Docker with Tinyproxy
- More complex setup but more control
### 2. **OpenConnect + Privoxy**
- For Cisco AnyConnect VPNs
- Network namespace isolation on Linux
### 3. **WireGuard + SOCKS5 Proxy**
- Manual WireGuard setup with microsocks/dante
- Maximum control but requires networking knowledge
### 4. **Network Namespaces (Linux Only)**
```bash
# Create namespace
sudo ip netns add vpn
# Setup WireGuard in namespace
sudo ip netns exec vpn wg-quick up wg0
# Run proxy in namespace
sudo ip netns exec vpn tinyproxy -d -c /etc/tinyproxy.conf
```
However, **Gluetun is recommended** for its ease of use, maintenance, and cross-platform support.
## Conclusion
Using Gluetun provides a robust, isolated, and easy-to-manage solution for connecting Unshackle to VPN services that don't offer HTTP proxies. The Docker-based approach ensures your system's network remains stable while giving you full VPN benefits for Unshackle downloads.
- [Gluetun GitHub](https://github.com/qdm12/gluetun)
- [Gluetun Wiki - Provider Setup](https://github.com/qdm12/gluetun-wiki)
- [CONFIG.md - Full gluetun options](../CONFIG.md#gluetun-dict)