@zapper

Point taken, but:
- One only learns these things after one pays for it.
- ExpressVPN also has a problem with Manjaro, as they only test with Arch and expect Manjaro users to accept AUR.
- I first used ProtonVPN, but its commands require sudo while ExpressVPN commands do not. ProtonVPN eliminated its servers in my home city, which makes it problematic for websites requiring local login (Hotmail and my bank's website did not appreciate that).

Which VPNs are known to be compatible with Devuan?

I agree with your first point.
As for your second, I don't know much about that.
And for your third point, I don't have too much knowledge at the moment.  I don't really use a vpn other than cryptostorm. But I use the free version, not the paid version. I am not sure how well the paid version would work though.

I should add though, I also, A don't use hotmail and B, I don't use a vpn when logging into bank accounts usually.

Is Expressvpn a vpn that is privacy friendly?

I know none of them have zero logs and that is a lie that any use zero logs, but I wondered if you just use it for censorship bypassing or privacy altogether.

Regardless though, the fact it relies on system dumb makes me suspicious of them.  Seems a bit corrupt to me. If you using it for censorship bypassing though, your set probably. Privacy though... I dunno.

PS, there are better emails out there that are actually more open source and free at the same time. Disroot.org for example is one I use.

I dunno when they accepting new accounts, but its worth checking.

Unless you need hotmail for work or something else. Which is very possible.

Point taken, but:
- One only learns these things after one pays for it.
- ExpressVPN also has a problem with Manjaro, as they only test with Arch and expect Manjaro users to accept AUR.
- I first used ProtonVPN, but its commands require sudo while ExpressVPN commands do not. ProtonVPN eliminated its servers in my home city, which makes it problematic for websites requiring local login (Hotmail and my bank's website did not appreciate that).

Which VPNs are known to be compatible with Devuan?

nobody@toshiba128:~$ sudo /usr/sbin/expressvpnd
restore: /etc/resolv.conf not generated by expressvpn
^C
nobody@toshiba128:~$

The end of /var/log/syslog didn't contain anything related to the above.

As I said before, I think the latest ExpressVPN .deb is pretty much incompatible with non-systemd systems. I'm marking this thread as solved because I have a work-around, i.e., use the previous .deb.

And/Or in the future, use a different vpn which supports freedom more.

nobody@toshiba128:~$ sudo /usr/sbin/expressvpnd
restore: /etc/resolv.conf not generated by expressvpn
^C
nobody@toshiba128:~$

The end of /var/log/syslog didn't contain anything related to the above.

As I said before, I think the latest ExpressVPN .deb is pretty much incompatible with non-systemd systems. I'm marking this thread as solved because I have a work-around, i.e., use the previous .deb.

a) try running /usr/sbin/expressvpnd as root (I failed to highlight that before). 

Then b) look into the end of the file /var/log/syslog for traces of that run; esp. if there is anything near a good statement of why it is failing. In particular, if it's an apparmor issue, then it would show up there I think.

Also b2), check whether there might be a dedicated log file for expressvpn in /var/log.

nobody@toshiba128:~$ /usr/sbin/expressvpnd
<crickets>

Crickets is good, we like crickets. In Unix-like systems the sound of crickets is the sound of success :-)

Did you open another terminal to re-execute the pgrep command? You need to leave the expressvpn command running. Adding & to the end of the command would fork() it and return the prompt, this would let you close the terminal but keep the command running in the background.

nobody@toshiba128:~$ pgrep -a expressvpn && echo 'It is running' || echo 'Not running'
Not running

nobody@toshiba128:~$ /usr/sbin/expressvpnd
<crickets>

Then I re-executed the first command, but I received the same result.

@Head_on_a_Stick

nobody@toshiba128:~$ pgrep -a expressvpn && echo 'It's running' || echo 'Not running'
> 

The command you were given contains an odd number of quotes. Try

pgrep -a expressvpn && echo 'It is running' || echo 'Not running'

Chris

Try running /usr/sbin/expressvpnd from the command line; it may tell you why it fails to start.

Perhaps you are using apparmor restrictively and it needs some permissions set up?

nobody@toshiba128:~$ sudo update-rc.d expressvpn defaults
nobody@toshiba128:~$
nobody@toshiba128:~$ sudo service expressvpn restart
[FAIL] Restarting ExpressVPN service: expressvpnd failed!

I think the latest  expressvpn .deb is hosed with respect to non-systemd systems.

Okay, I'm back. My Internet access on the weekend is limited.

nobody@toshiba128:~$ expressvpn status
Cannot connect to expressvpnd daemon.

It seems that the expressvpn daemon is not running. Please run "sudo service expressvpn restart" to start it.

If the problem persists, please contact us.

nobody@toshiba128:~$ pgrep -a expressvpn && echo 'It's running' || echo 'Not running'
> 

Marjorie wrote:

To enable expressvpn as a daemon in sysvinit you use

I'm fairly sure that the postinst script for the .deb package will do that automatically via dh_installinit(1).

It should, if the sysvinit defaults has been set up when configuring the deb and the systemd default is also to enable. However some packages don't always enable by default - if the installation instructions explicitly tell you to enable the deamon then it won't have done it in the postinst script.
For example the nftables deb (another deb that doesn't install an /etc/init.d/nftables) also doesn't enable nftables by default even if you are using systemd.

Quite frequently when only systemd services are enabled and therefore /etc/inti.d/initscript is not included then the sysvinit postinit and postrm elements are not included either.

What I would suggest is that the OP either rerun update-rc.d, or at least check if their particular daemon has been enabled by looking to see if the synlinks are there.

You can also inspect the deb using gdebi. You'll find the postinst script in the 'installed files tab'. It should include something like this (taken from the chrony deb):

# Automatically added by dh_installinit/12.1.1
if [ "$1" = "configure" ] || [ "$1" = "abort-upgrade" ] || [ "$1" = "abort-deconfigure" ] || [ "$1" = "abort-remove" ] ; then
	if [ -x "/etc/init.d/chrony" ]; then
		update-rc.d chrony defaults >/dev/null
		if [ -n "$2" ]; then
			_dh_action=restart
		else
			_dh_action=start
		fi
		invoke-rc.d --skip-systemd-native chrony $_dh_action || exit 1
	fi
fi
# End automatically added section

To enable expressvpn as a daemon in sysvinit you use

I'm fairly sure that the postinst script for the .deb package will do that automatically via dh_installinit(1).