piactl

Log in to Private Internet Access

$ piactl login [path/to/login_file]

$ piactl connect

$ piactl disconnect

$ piactl background [enable|disable]

$ piactl get regions

$ piactl get region

$ piactl set region [region]

$ piactl logout

piactl [-h | -V] COMMAND [ARGS]

-h, --help
    Print help information

-V, --version
    Print version information

connect
    Connect to VPN (auto-selects optimal server)

disconnect
    Disconnect from VPN

get
    Retrieve value(s) of config key(s); no args lists all

set
    Set config key(s) to value(s); requires reconnect for some

login
    Login to PIA account interactively

logout
    Logout from PIA account

update
    Check and apply PIA client updates

piactl is the official command-line interface for managing the Private Internet Access (PIA) VPN client on Linux distributions. It enables users to connect, disconnect, configure servers, toggle privacy features, and query status without the graphical app, making it perfect for servers, scripts, and automation.

Key capabilities include selecting regions/servers, switching protocols (WireGuard/OpenVPN), enabling kill switch, port forwarding, split tunneling (lanallowlist), and MACE privacy protection. It reports connection details like VPN IP, endpoint, latency, and battery saver status on laptops.

piactl communicates with the user-level pia-client service, which must be installed via PIA's official .deb/.rpm packages and activated (often requiring initial GUI login). Commands are straightforward and chainable in scripts, e.g., check status before connecting.

Examples:
piactl connect — joins optimal server.
piactl set region US_New_York — picks location.
piactl get connectionstate region — fetches values.

Supports headless use after setup, with daemonized mode for persistence. Regularly updated with app releases for new servers and features.

Requires PIA client installed/service running (systemctl --user start pia-client). Initial GUI setup/login often needed. Some set changes need reconnect. Runs per-user, not root.

connectionstate, region (e.g. US_New_York), protocol (wireguard/openvpn), killswitch (on/off), portforward (on/off), lanallowlist, strictmss; full list via piactl get

Enable: systemctl --user enable --now pia-client
Status: systemctl --user status pia-client
Logs: journalctl --user -u pia-client

Introduced in PIA Linux alpha (v77, 2020); stabilized in v3.x (2022+). Evolved with native client, adding WireGuard, port forward, and daemon support.

systemctl(1), wg-quick(8), openvpn(8)