Linux kernel 5.6, the upcoming release of the popular operating system, is poised to include the WireGuard VPN protocol. The addition should significantly change the way users of VPN applications benefit from this privacy-focused technology.
Jason Donenfeld, the creator of the WireGuard protocol, is announcing that his tech is now part of the code tree that Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, is working to release. He has not yet announced an official launch date, but the user community is expecting to get access to it in April of this year.
Fans of tech discussions can find more details on the process via the Linux Kernel Mailing List, where the developer of WireGuard says that he is testing his creation with several kernel trees.
The VPN protocol is both free and offered under an open-source model. Donenfeld is trying to create a technology that will deliver better overall performance than other currently popular tunneling protocols such as OpenVPN and IPSec.
Linus Torvalds states in a message on LKML that:
“Can I just once again state my love for it and hope it gets merged soon? Maybe the code isn’t perfect, but I’ve skimmed it, and compared to the horrors that are OpenVPN and IPSec, it’s a work of art.”
Donenfeld is aiming for a smaller code base, now around 4,000 lines, which makes it easier for other software creators to work with WireGuard. He has also implemented other protocols including Curve25519, ChaCha20, Poly1305, SipHash, BLAKE2.
The developer is now working to move all elements of his VPN protocol to a 1.0 stable release standard. He has not offered a date for this release, but it will probably coincide with the arrival of Linux Kernel 5.6.
WireGuard VPN Can Offer Faster, Better VPN Performance
Services like Mullvad, IVPN, and StrongVPN are using WireGuard right now, but more will probably adopt it once it is included in the new Linux kernel 5.6.
The majority of today’s VPN services run on servers powered by different flavors of Linux. That means once WireGuard is in the kernel, developers can use it to power their products and offer a better experience for users, both in terms of speed and security.
A more straightforward VPN protocol is more comfortable to debug and has the flexibility to power different implementations and features. The developer offers more details about Wireguard on the official site, including details on the up-to-date security and cryptography protocols that improve users’ ability to keep their information private and secure from potential attacks.
It will take time for this new technology to be widely adopted, but discussions on the LKML message board suggest that many potential users are very interested in what it has to offer.
VPN users who want to test WireGuard and see what it has to offer should install Mullvad. This Swedish VPN service is deeply committed to its users’ privacy and even offers payment by cash. Aside from offering WireGuard, Mullvad also offers a whole slate of additional VPN protocols – so you can easily test-drive them and see the difference for yourself.
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