Awesome
Windscribe 2.0 Desktop Application
This repo contains the complete source code for the Windscribe 2.0 app. This includes installer, service/helper, and GUI.
Windows
Prerequisites
- Windows 10/11.
- Install git. When installing Git, you can stick with all the default options presented to you by the installer.
- Clone the repository.
- Install Visual Studio Community Edition 2019 (run
install_vs.bat
from/tools/prepare_build_environment/windows
). - Install Python 3 via either the Microsoft Store or from here. Minimum tested version is 3.6.8.
- Install CMake v3.28.x or newer from here. The project will build with older versions of CMake, but you may encounter some warnings.
- Install Ninja v1.10.2 from here
- Install vcpkg from here
- Create a
VCPKG_ROOT
environment variable referencing the full path to your vcpkg install folder. - Go to the vcpkg directory and
git checkout 576379156e82da642f8d1834220876759f13534d
. - Do the bootstrap step after the above command.
- Create a
- Verify the following entries are in your System
PATH
environment variable. If they are not, add them to the SystemPATH
environment variable and reboot.C:\Program Files\Git\cmd
C:\[folder containing ninja.exe]
C:\[folder containing cmake.exe]
- Verify that
python3
is available in your SystemPATH
environment variable.- If you installed Python from the Microsoft Store, enable the
python3.exe
execution alias in System SettingsManage App Execution Aliases
. - If you installed Python from python.org, you can
mklink /path/to/your/python3.exe /path/to/your/python.exe
- If you installed Python from the Microsoft Store, enable the
Install build script dependencies
- You will have to go to
Manage App Execution Aliases
in System Settings and disable app installer forpython.exe
andpython3.exe
python3 -m pip install -r tools/requirements.txt
In case of pyyaml
building issue on Windows, execute the following:
pip install "cython<3.0.0" && pip install --no-build-isolation pyyaml==6.0
pip install setuptools wheel
Install signing certificate (optional)
- Copy your PFX code signing file to
installer/windows/signing/code_signing.pfx
. - Edit (create)
tools/notarize.yml
and add the following line:
windows-signing-cert-password: password-for-code-signing-pfx
- Edit
client/common/utils/executable_signature/executable_signature_defs.h
and set theWINDOWS_CERT_SUBJECT_NAME
entry to match your certficate's name of signer field.
Build libraries
Go to subfolder tools/deps
and run the following scripts in order. Append --arm64
to the command to build a library for Windows arm64. Libraries will be placed in build-libs[-arm64]
.
install_qt
install_openvpn_dco
install_wintun
install_wireguard
install_wstunnel
Build the Windscribe 2.0 app
Go to subfolder tools
and run build_all
. Assuming all goes well with the build, the installer will be placed in build-exe
. You can run build_all --sign --use-local-secrets
for a code-signed build, using the certificate from the Install signing certificate section above, which will perform run-time signature verification checks on the executables. Note that an unsigned build must be installed on your PC if you intend to debug the project. Append --arm64
to the command to build for Windows arm64.
See build_all --help
for other build options.
Logs
- Client app, location pings and installer helper:
C:/Users/<user_name>/AppData/Local/Windscribe/Windscribe2
- Service:
<Windscribe_installation_path>/windscribeservice.log
- Installer:
<Windscribe_installation_path>/log_installer.txt
- Uninstaller: system Debug View
<Windscribe_installation_path>
defaults toC:/Program Files/Windscribe
Mac
Prerequisites
- macOS Big Sur or newer, but preferably at least Monterey.
- Install Xcode 14.2 (If on MacOS 11 Big Sur, you may use Xcode 13.2.1, but this is deprecated and not maintained going forward)
- Xcode 15 is not currently supported. You may install a copy of Xcode 14.2 and use
sudo xcode-select --switch /path/to/your/xcode
to have both Xcode 13/14 and 15 simultaneously. - You must agree to the Xcode license (
sudo xcodebuild -license
) - You may need to run
xcodebuild -runFirstLaunch
or the Xcode GUI once if CMake complains that it can't find the compiler when building using the Xcode generator. - Note: these downloads will require you to first login to your Apple account.
- Xcode 15 is not currently supported. You may install a copy of Xcode 14.2 and use
- Install brew (brew.sh)
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
- Install git. This step is optional, as git is bundled with Xcode.
brew install git
- Install Auto-Tools:
brew install libtool
brew install automake
- Install Python 3:
- Minimum tested version is Python 3.6.8. 3.12.0 seems to have some issues with the python deps, so 3.11.6 is the latest recommended version. You may do this however you like, however
pyenv
is recommended:
- Minimum tested version is Python 3.6.8. 3.12.0 seems to have some issues with the python deps, so 3.11.6 is the latest recommended version. You may do this however you like, however
brew install pyenv
echo 'if command -v pyenv 1>/dev/null 2>&1; then eval "$(pyenv init --path)"; fi"' >> ~/.zshrc
pyenv install 3.11.6
pyenv global 3.11.6
- Install dmgbuild:
python3 -m pip install dmgbuild
- Install CMake v3.28.x or newer from here and make sure that the cmake executable is in the path and available for execution. The project will build with older versions of CMake, but you may encounter some warnings.
- Install vcpkg from here
- Create a
VCPKG_ROOT
environment variable referencing the full path to your vcpkg install folder. - Go to the vcpkg directory and
git checkout 576379156e82da642f8d1834220876759f13534d
. - Do the bootstrap step after the above command.
- Create a
- Clone the repository.
- Install python deps:
python3 -m pip install -r tools/requirements.txt
- Install golang (minimum version 1.18): follow instructions from
https://go.dev/doc/install
Install signing certificate (required)
- Install your Developer ID Application signing certificate from your Apple Developer account in Keychain Access.
- Edit
client/common/utils/executable_signature/executable_signature_defs.h
and set theMACOS_CERT_DEVELOPER_ID
entry to match your Developer ID Application signing certificate.
Build libraries
Go to subfolder tools/deps
and run the following scripts in order. Libraries will be placed in build-libs
.
install_qt
install_wireguard
install_wstunnel
Build the Windscribe 2.0 app
Go to subfolder tools
and run build_all
. Assuming all goes well with the build, the installer will be placed in build-exe
.
See build_all --help
for other build options.
Platform Notes:
- If you make any changes to the helper source code
backend/mac/helper/src
, you must increase theCFBundleVersion
inbackend/mac/helper/src/helper-info.plist
. The installer only updates the helper if this bundle version number has changed. - The IKEv2 protocol will only function in builds produced by Windscribe. Its implementation on macOS utilizes the NEVPNManager API, which requires the 'Personal VPN' entitlement (
com.apple.developer.networking.vpn.api
) and an embedded provisioning profile file. If you wish to enable IKEv2 functionality, you will have to create an embedded provisioning file in your Apple Developer account and use it in the client project (Search forembedded.provisionprofile
inclient/CMakeLists.txt
for details on where to place the embedded provisioning profile).
Logs
- Client app and location pings:
/Users/<user_name>/Library/Application Support/Windscribe/Windscribe2
- Installer:
/Users/<user_name>/Library/Application Support/Windscribe/Windscribe/log_installer.txt
- Helper:
/Library/Logs/com.windscribe.helper.macos/helper_log.txt
Linux
Build with Docker
The repository contains Dockerfile to simplify building process. Skip all the other sections of this manual if you decide to use Docker.
- Generate builder image:
sudo docker build -t ws-builder .
- Install vcpkg:
sudo docker run --rm -v .:/w ws-builder /bin/bash -c "git clone https://github.com/Microsoft/vcpkg.git && cd vcpkg && git checkout 576379156e82da642f8d1834220876759f13534d && ./bootstrap-vcpkg.sh --disableMetrics"
- Build all the dependencies:
for i in qt wireguard wstunnel; do sudo docker run --rm -v .:/w ws-builder /bin/bash -c "cd /w/tools/deps/ && ./install_$i"; done
- Build the application:
sudo docker run --rm -v .:/w ws-builder /bin/bash -c "export VCPKG_ROOT=/w/vcpkg && cd /w/tools/ && ./build_all"
Prerequisites
Build process tested on Ubuntu 20.04/ZorinOS 16 (gcc 9.3.0).
- Install build requirements:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install build-essential git curl patchelf libpam0g-dev software-properties-common libgl1-mesa-dev fakeroot python3-pip zip unzip libnl-genl-3-dev pkg-config libcap-ng-dev wget autoconf libtool libfontconfig1-dev libfreetype6-dev libx11-dev libx11-xcb-dev libxext-dev libxfixes-dev libxi-dev libxrender-dev libxcb1-dev libxcb-cursor-dev libxcb-glx0-dev libxcb-keysyms1-dev libxcb-image0-dev libxcb-shm0-dev libxcb-icccm4-dev libxcb-sync-dev libxcb-xfixes0-dev libxcb-shape0-dev libxcb-randr0-dev libxcb-render-util0-dev libxcb-util-dev libxcb-xinerama0-dev libxcb-xkb-dev libxkbcommon-dev libxkbcommon-x11-dev libwayland-dev
# install CMake 3.28.x or newer (default for Ubuntu 20.04 is 3.16.3).
# Make sure that the cmake executable is in the path and available for execution.
sudo snap install cmake --classic
- Install vcpkg from here
- Create a
VCPKG_ROOT
environment variable referencing the full path to your vcpkg install folder. - Go to the vcpkg directory and
git checkout 576379156e82da642f8d1834220876759f13534d
. - Do the bootstrap step after the above command.
- Create a
- Install golang (minimum version 1.18): follow instructions from
https://go.dev/doc/install
- Clone the repository.
- Install python deps:
python3 -m pip install -r tools/requirements.txt
Build libraries
Go to subfolder tools/deps
and run the following scripts in order. Libraries will be placed in build-libs
. When building Qt6, you may encounter an error relating to check_for_ulimit
. If so, downgrade to CMake version 3.24.
install_qt
install_wireguard
install_wstunnel
Build the Windscribe 2.0 app
Go to subfolder tools
and run build_all
. Assuming all goes well with the build, the installer will be placed in build-exe
.
See build_all --help
for other build options.
The application installs to /opt/windscribe
.
Logs
- Client app and location pings:
~/.local/share/Windscribe/Windscribe2
- Helper:
/var/log/windscribe/helper_log.txt
Contributing
Please see our Contributing Guidelines
License
The Windscribe Desktop Client app License