gluetun
VPN client in a thin Docker container for multiple VPN providers, written in Go, and using OpenVPN or Wireguard, DNS over TLS, with a few proxy servers built-in.
Runssource: GitHubhomepageGoMITcommit 1267bae7d4b3
Go, MIT licensed. The project labels itself: alpine, cyberghost, dns over tls, docker, golang, http proxy, mullvad and nordvpn.
gluetun runs. An Argusic agent installed it in 9 minutes and hit 4 errors on a clean machine with no GPU, and the whole session was recorded.
The Go project builds, all non-privileged unit tests pass, and the binary successfully executes CLI commands (genkey, healthcheck) and starts up to the iptables initialization step.
What the agent ended up with on a clean machine, in its own words. How this is measured
Measured by Argusic on a fresh machine every time. Every number links to its evidence. Argusic Score 95 of 100 (the mean of this project's run scores).
At a glance
Subject data from GitHub, linked at the top of this page, refreshed . Test data by Argusic (CC BY 4.0); every number links to a run page with the full log, the recording, and their sha256 hashes.
What was measured
From the run that decided this verdict. Every line is a recorded value, not an estimate.
What went wrong, in the agent's own words
The agent's own words, worst first, never rewritten into advice.
- DNS leak test failed: json: cannot unmarshal array into Go struct field ipLeakData.ip3 minutes
- golangci-lint not found2 minutes
- Go not found in PATH1 minute
- 54 test packages pass, 2 packages fail for missing Linux capabilities (CAP_NET_ADMIN, CAP_NET_RAW) - not fixable without root
- Install time
- 9 minutes
- Cold machine to finish
- 11 minutes
- Errors hit and fixed
- 4 hit, 3 fixed with no human help
- How the result was proved
- go build ./... exited 0; go test ./... passed 54/56 packages (6 tests skip due to missing CAP_NET_ADMIN/CAP_NET_RAW); /tmp/gluetun genkey printed a valid WireGuard private key
- Model tokens used
- 316,150
- Exact commit tested
- 1267bae7d4b3
- Container image
- sha256:cdd920bce783
What was not measured
The other half, so you can see exactly how far this evidence goes. A gap is printed as a gap and never filled in.
- Peak GPU memory
- this ran on a CPU machine, so there was no GPU to sample
- Behaviour over a long run
- each attempt uses the smallest documented settings and a fixed time budget, so this measures whether it runs, not how it holds up under load
The end of the recording
The last lines of the terminal session that decided this verdict, exactly as they were recorded.
- `internal/wireguard` — `Test_AddAddresses_Integration`, `Test_AddRule_Integration`: need `CAP_NET… tokens used 316,150 Here's the final summary: **Installation**: Go 1.26 was downloaded and installed. `go build ./...` succeeds. **Test results**: 54 packages pass, 2 packages fail entirely with privilege (`CAP_NET_ADMIN`, `CAP_… **What I fixed**: - **DNS leak test**: The `ipleak.net` DNS detection API returns `[]` outside a browser context, cau… **Remaining failures** (all permission-related, not code bugs): - `internal/netlink` — `Test_NetLink_LinkList`, `Test_NetLink_LinkSetMTU`: need `CAP_NET_ADMIN` - `internal/pmtud/tcp` — `Test_findHighestMSSDestination`, `Test_runTest`: need `CAP_NET_RAW` - `internal/wireguard` — `Test_AddAddresses_Integration`, `Test_AddRule_Integration`: need `CAP_NET…
Replay the whole session, every command from a clean machine to this point.
How it was tested
One agent, one container, no human help. It installs the project the way its own documentation says to, runs it, and fixes what breaks. Everything below is recorded as it happened: the terminal session, the log and the exact commit. The full method.
Strengths and limits
Measured facts, not opinions. How this is written.
What went well
- Reached a running state on a clean machine, with the session recorded.
- Installed in 9 minutes.
- Ran without a GPU, so it does not need one to start.
- Licensed MIT, as reported by its host.
What did not, or is not known
- Hit 4 errors during setup, 1 of which were not solved.
- Measured once so far. A single attempt shows it can run, not that it runs reliably.
What it is a reasonable choice for
- Trying it on a laptop or a small server: it reached a running state without a GPU.
- A quick evaluation: it was running 9 minutes after the clone.
Also tested, in the same area
Every one of these was installed and run by Argusic on a clean machine. Nothing appears here that was not tested.
Run history
Topics (from GitHub)
alpinecyberghostdns-over-tlsdockergolanghttp-proxymullvadnordvpnopenvpnpiaprivadoprivate-internet-accesspurevpnshadowsockssurfsharkvpn-clientvyprvpnwindscribewireguard
Embed the badge
Markdown for the project README. It links back here; terms on the terms page.
[](https://argusic.com/subject/gluetun)Questions
- Does gluetun run?
- Yes. gluetun runs. Argusic installed and launched it on a clean machine in 9 minutes, hitting 4 errors on the way, and recorded the session.
- How did Argusic test gluetun?
- On a fresh, disposable machine, with every command recorded and the repository pinned at commit 1267bae7d4b3. One attempt is recorded, and the full method is on the methodology page.
- What did it cost to test gluetun?
- The run that produced this verdict cost $0.06: real compute and model cost, not a list price per million tokens. It is recorded on that run's page.
- How long does gluetun take to install?
- 9 minutes in the run that decided this verdict, from a clean machine to a running state. That is one measured attempt, not an average.
- Does gluetun need a GPU?
- Not to start. Argusic reached a running state on a machine with no GPU.
- What goes wrong when installing gluetun?
- 4 things broke in the recorded run, and 3 were fixed without human help. Each one, and the time it cost, is listed on this page.
- Where is the evidence for gluetun?
- The recorded run is on this page, each linking to its full log and terminal recording, stored with a sha256 fingerprint so it cannot be quietly altered.