Deb package 2023.3 causing "Repository is broken" error and resulting in hang at "Connecting to Mullvad system service"

Issue report

Operating system: Ubuntu 18.04

App version: 2023.3

Issue description

Running 2023.2 and all versions prior, installation of the Mullvad client via Debian package succeeds without error.

With the release of 2023.3, two problems occur

Repository is broken

Upon downloading the Mullvad client 2023.3 Debian package for Linux and attempting to install, this message is given

W: Repository is broken: mullvad-vpn:amd64 (= 2023.3) has no Size information

Here's the full context

# sudo apt install /tmp/MullvadVPN-2023.3_amd64.deb 
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Note, selecting 'mullvad-vpn' instead of '/tmp/MullvadVPN-2023.3_amd64.deb'
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  docker-scan-plugin gir1.2-goa-1.0 gir1.2-snapd-1
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them.
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  mullvad-vpn
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
After this operation, 312 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Get:1 /tmp/MullvadVPN-2023.3_amd64.deb mullvad-vpn amd64 2023.3 [79.3 MB]
Selecting previously unselected package mullvad-vpn.
(Reading database ... 390428 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../MullvadVPN-2023.3_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking mullvad-vpn (2023.3) ...
Setting up mullvad-vpn (2023.3) ...
Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/mullvad-daemon.service → /usr/lib/systemd/system/mullvad-daemon.service.
Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/mullvad-daemon.service.wants/mullvad-early-boot-blocking.service → /usr/lib/systemd/system/mullvad-early-boot-blocking.service.
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.23-1ubuntu3.18.04.2) ...
Processing triggers for gnome-menus (3.13.3-11ubuntu1.1) ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.17-2) ...
Processing triggers for mime-support (3.60ubuntu1) ...
W: Repository is broken: mullvad-vpn:amd64 (= 2023.3) has no Size information

Uninstalling Mullvad and re-installing the 2023.2 version (the previous version) installs correctly and does not give this error

Connecting to Mullvad system service

After install 2023.3 (and getting the error above), launching the client brings up this screen and hangs with the message "Connecting to Mullvad system service"

Mullvad-2023 3-Hang

When I uninstall and revert back to 2023.2 by downloading the deb package release of 2023.2 from GitHub and installing it, the problem no longer occurs (so it's new in 2023.3)

I would send a report from the app but I can't get it to fully launch to be able to.

If there are /var/log/mullvad-vpn/ logs that would help, let me know and I can provide them.

We've dropped support for 18.04, and suggest you upgrade. I've tested the installer on Debian 10 and it seems to work. Have you verified the integrity of the package via GPG? As far as we're aware, we've not changed Debian installer between these two releases.

What we have done is deprecated support for older kernels and the daemon might no longer be able to run on your kernel. It does seem to run on Debian 10 with Linux 4.19.0.

You can also install the new version, see it fail, install 2023.2, and send a problem report from that - we should still see a daemon log from the previous installation.

@gene1wood I had the same issue but it works now on Ubuntu 20.04.6. It was time to update anyway. But why update if it works? Mullvad was the first thing that broke for me using Ubuntu 18.04.

We've dropped support for 18.04, and suggest you upgrade.

Ah, that's too bad. You may have jumped the gun by a month as 18.04 finishes it's standard support lifecycle on May 31, 2023 (or it may have been intentional)

Have you verified the integrity of the package via GPG?

Yes, the deb file I have, when verified against the signature on mullvad, reports as good

gpg --verify MullvadVPN-2023.3_amd64.deb.asc 
gpg: assuming signed data in 'MullvadVPN-2023.3_amd64.deb'
gpg: Signature made Wed 05 Apr 2023 01:13:15 AM PDT
gpg:                using RSA key CA83A46153BC58D69518ED49A26581F219C8314C
gpg: checking the trustdb
gpg: public key ACBB164BCF73EC4C is 326 days newer than the signature
gpg: public key ACBB164BCF73EC4C is 326 days newer than the signature
gpg: public key ACBB164BCF73EC4C is 1479 days newer than the signature
gpg: public key ACBB164BCF73EC4C is 1479 days newer than the signature
gpg: public key ACBB164BCF73EC4C is 326 days newer than the signature
gpg: marginals needed: 3  completes needed: 1  trust model: pgp
gpg: depth: 0  valid:   4  signed:  55  trust: 0-, 0q, 0n, 0m, 0f, 4u
gpg: depth: 1  valid:  55  signed:  52  trust: 42-, 0q, 0n, 11m, 2f, 0u
gpg: depth: 2  valid:  34  signed:  28  trust: 34-, 0q, 0n, 0m, 0f, 0u
gpg: next trustdb check due at 2023-08-02
gpg: Good signature from "Mullvad (code signing) <admin@mullvad.net>" [ultimate]

What we have done is deprecated support for older kernels and the daemon might no longer be able to run on your kernel.

# uname -a
Linux judy 5.4.0-99-generic #112~18.04.1-Ubuntu SMP Thu Feb 3 14:09:57 UTC 2022 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

I suspect the issue isn't the kernel if it works on Linux 4.19.0 as Ubuntu 18.04 is on 5.4.0-99

You can also install the new version, see it fail, install 2023.2, and send a problem report from that - we should still see a daemon log from the p

I've that just now. I sent them and put this GitHub issue in the description field.

mullvad / mullvadvpn-app