How to Install V2Ray on Linux: A Complete Setup Guide

Use the official V2Fly install script for server setup and the Fanqiang repository's Clash (mihomo) guide for Linux client configuration.

The Fanqiang repository by bannedbook is a comprehensive, open-source knowledge base for circumventing internet censorship. It organizes platform-specific tutorials under dedicated directories, with Linux installation workflows documented in linux/readme.md and server deployment scripts maintained under v2ss/. This guide covers installing V2Ray on Linux using the repository's officially recommended methods.

What the Fanqiang Repository Provides

The repository's architecture separates concerns by platform and use case:

• linux/ — Client-side setup for Linux distributions using Clash (mihomo) or V2Ray core
• v2ss/ — Server-side V2Ray installation scripts and self-hosted deployment guides
• windows/, macos/, android/, ios/, router/, game/ — Cross-platform companion guides

For installing V2Ray on Linux, you'll typically combine two resources: the one-click server install script at v2ss/V2ray官方一键安装脚本.md and the client configuration steps in linux/readme.md.

Server Installation: V2Fly Official Script

The Fanqiang repository recommends the community-maintained V2Fly install-release script for deploying V2Ray servers. This script handles binary distribution, systemd service creation, and geo-data downloads automatically.

Execute the official one-click installer:

bash <(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/v2fly/fhs-install-v2ray/master/install-release.sh)

The script performs the following operations as documented in v2ss/V2ray官方一键安装脚本.md【/cache/repos/github.com/bannedbook/fanqiang/master/v2ss/V2ray官方一键安装脚本.md†L1-L14】:

1. Detects your system architecture and distribution
2. Downloads the matching V2Ray binary from GitHub releases
3. Installs to /usr/local/bin/ and creates systemd service files
4. Fetches geoip.dat and geosite.dat for routing rules

After installation, verify the service status:

systemctl status v2ray

Client Setup: Clash (Mihomo) on Linux

The Fanqiang Linux guide prioritizes Clash (specifically the mihomo fork) as the recommended client for consuming V2Ray subscriptions. This approach decouples protocol handling from core management—mihomo supports V2Ray's VMess and VLESS protocols while providing a unified YAML configuration interface.

Step 1: Create Configuration Directory

mkdir -p ~/.config/mihomo && cd ~/.config/mihomo

Step 2: Download Mihomo Binary

wget -O clash-linux.gz \
  https://github.com/MetaCubeX/mihomo/releases/download/v1.17.0/mihomo-linux-amd64-v1.17.0.gz

Adjust the version string in the URL to match the latest release for your architecture.

Step 3: Extract and Prepare

gzip -d clash-linux.gz
chmod +x clash-linux
./clash-linux

The initial run generates default configuration files. Terminate with Ctrl-C after startup completes【/cache/repos/github.com/bannedbook/fanqiang/master/linux/readme.md†L5-L73】.

Step 4: Inject V2Ray Subscription

Replace the generated config.yaml with your V2Ray provider's Clash-compatible subscription:

wget -U "Mozilla/6.0" -O ~/.config/mihomo/config.yaml \
  "https://your-clash-subscription.link/your-file.yaml"

Step 5: Launch the Client

./clash-linux &

Environment Configuration for System-Wide Proxying

The linux/readme.md file【/cache/repos/github.com/bannedbook/fanqiang/master/linux/readme.md†L1-L34】 recommends exporting proxy environment variables for applications that respect http_proxy/https_proxy:

export http_proxy=http://127.0.0.1:7890
export https_proxy=http://127.0.0.1:7890
export all_proxy=socks5://127.0.0.1:7890

Mihomo's default mixed port is 7890—verify your config.yaml if this differs.

Alternative: Direct V2Ray Core Installation

If you prefer running V2Ray core directly without the mihomo wrapper, install the official binary and manage config.json manually:

# Using the same V2Fly install script

bash <(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/v2fly/fhs-install-v2ray/master/install-release.sh)

# Generate config.json from your server details

sudo nano /usr/local/etc/v2ray/config.json

# Start the service

sudo systemctl start v2ray

This method is documented in the advanced server setup guide at v2ss/自建V2ray服务器简明教程.md.

Key Configuration Files and Paths

Path	Purpose
~/.config/mihomo/config.yaml	Mihomo client routing and server definitions
/usr/local/etc/v2ray/config.json	Native V2Ray core configuration (if installed directly)
/usr/local/bin/v2ray	V2Ray server binary location
/etc/systemd/system/v2ray.service	Systemd service definition

Summary

• Use the V2Fly install script (https://raw.githubusercontent.com/v2fly/fhs-install-v2ray/master/install-release.sh) for rapid server deployment—this is the method endorsed by v2ss/V2ray官方一键安装脚本.md
• Prefer mihomo (Clash) as your Linux client for simplified subscription management, following linux/readme.md【/cache/repos/github.com/bannedbook/fanqiang/master/linux/readme.md†L1-L34】
• Architecture matters: Download binaries matching your system's amd64, arm64, or armv7 architecture
• Systemd integration: Both V2Ray core and mihomo can run as user-level or system-level services for persistence

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between V2Ray and Clash/mihomo?

V2Ray is the underlying proxy protocol suite (VMess, VLESS, Trojan). Mihomo (formerly Clash Meta) is a rule-based proxy client that consumes V2Ray protocols alongside others like Shadowsocks and Trojan. The Fanqiang repository recommends mihomo for Linux clients because it unifies multiple protocol handlers behind a single YAML configuration, while V2Ray core is typically deployed on servers.

Does the official install script work on all Linux distributions?

The V2Fly install-release.sh script supports systemd-based distributions including Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, RHEL, Fedora, and Arch Linux. It automatically detects your architecture and selects the appropriate binary. Non-systemd systems (Alpine, some containers) require manual binary extraction from GitHub releases.

Where can I find free V2Ray servers for testing?

The Fanqiang repository maintains a wiki page with free V2Ray airport listings, cross-referenced from multiple tutorials. Production deployments should use self-hosted servers following v2ss/自建V2ray服务器简明教程.md for TLS and WebSocket configuration to ensure security and reliability.

How do I update an existing V2Ray installation?

Re-run the install script with the --force flag to update to the latest release:

bash <(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/v2fly/fhs-install-v2ray/master/install-release.sh) --force

For mihomo clients, download the new binary and replace the existing file, preserving your config.yaml.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}