Running Shadowsocks Proxy on a Linux VPS for Private Browsing

Shadowsocks, a lightweight, fast, and secure encrypted proxy, is designed to protect your online privacy and bypass censorship. Shadowsocks is a SOCKS5 proxy optimized for performance, which avoids network filtering and bypasses censorship. Setting up Shadowsocks on a Linux VPS is a straightforward process. This guide will walk you through the installation, configuration, and security of your proxy server. Each step is explained clearly.

How to Install and Configure Shadowsocks Proxy on a Linux VPS for Private Browsing

Install the Shadowsocks package on your Linux VPS to enable private browsing. Next, create the /etc/shadowsocks-libev/config.json file with your preferred port, password, and encryption method, then enable and start the Shadowsocks service so it runs automatically. Install the simple-obfs plug-in to help disguise traffic and bypass censorship. Connect using any Shadowsocks Client by entering your server's IP, port number, password, and encryption details. Then, confirm that everything works by checking your IP address.

Step 1: Update Your Linux VPS

This ensures that you are using the most recent package lists and security updates. This prevents installation errors due to outdated repositories and broken dependencies.

sudo apt update

Step 2: Install Shadowsocks-libev

Shadowsocks is recommended as a lightweight implementation. This package will give you a resource-efficient and fast proxy server that is suitable for VPS systems with low power.

sudo apt install shadowsocks-libev -y

Step 3: Create the Shadowsocks Configuration File

The configuration file specifies how Shadowsocks behaves, including its port, encryption method, and password. It also defines connection settings. By editing this file, you can ensure that your server runs on a port of your choice and uses modern encryption.

sudo nano /etc/shadowsocks-libev/config.json

Paste:

{

"server":"address",

"mode":"tcp_and_udp",

"server_port":8388,

"local_port":8388,

"password":"StrongPasswordHere",

"timeout":300

"method":"encryption_method",

}

Step 4: Enable and Start Shadowsocks Service

By enabling the service, Shadowsocks will automatically start after a restart. This reduces downtime. The proxy is activated immediately after starting the service, so that clients can start connecting.

sudo systemctl enable shadowsocks-libev

sudo systemctl start shadowsocks-libev

sudo systemctl status shadowsocks-libev

Step 5: Open Firewall Ports for Shadowsocks

External devices will not be able to connect to the proxy if the firewall blocks that port. Shadowsocks will work without interruptions if you allow TCP and UDP traffic.

sudo ufw allow 8388/tcp

sudo ufw allow 8388/udp

Step 6: Add Obfuscation Plugin (Optional but Recommended)

Simple-obfs disguises Shadowsocks to appear as normal HTTPS traffic. This helps to protect against restrictive networks' deep packet inspections (DPI) and also avoids speed throttling or connection blocking.

Install Plugin:

sudo apt install simple-obfs -y

Update config:

"plugin":"obfs-server",

"plugin_opts":"obfs=tls"

Restart:

sudo systemctl restart shadowsocks-libev

Step 7: Connect to Shadowsocks from Your Device

To use the proxy, configure a Shadowsocks-compatible client on your phone or PC. Enter your server's IP, port, encryption, and password. This information creates a secure tunnel between your VPS and your device.

You’ll need:

Server IP
Port (8388)
Password
Encryption (aes-256-gcm)
Plugin settings (if enabled)

Popular clients:

Windows/macOS: Shadowsocks-NG
Android: Shadowsocks app
iOS: Shadowrocket

Step 8: Test Your Shadowsocks Proxy

The test ensures that your connection is routed through the VPS and confirms that the proxy and encryption work correctly. If you see a different public IP, your traffic has been successfully tunneled by Shadowsocks.

Visit:

https://whatismyipaddress.com

How to Completely Uninstall Shadowsocks from Linux VPS

Deleting configuration directories ensures no residual settings remain on your VPS.

Step 1: Stop the Shadowsocks Service

Shadowsocks will no longer be running if the service is stopped. This prevents errors.

sudo systemctl stop shadowsocks-libev

Step 2: Disable the Service

Shadowsocks will not start again when you boot up if the feature is disabled.

sudo systemctl disable shadowsocks-libev

Step 3: Remove the Shadowsocks Package

The Shadowsocks executable and all its binaries are removed from the system.

sudo apt remove --purge shadowsocks-libev -y

Step 4: Remove Configuration Files

Deleting configuration directories ensures no residual settings remain on your VPS.

sudo rm -rf /etc/shadowsocks-libev

If you installed obfuscation:

sudo apt remove --purge simple-obfs -y

Step 5: Clean Unused Dependencies

This will remove any leftover libraries from your computer and release disk space.

sudo apt autoremove -y

Step 6: Remove Any Firewall Rules Added Earlier

Cleaning up the ports that were added during installation.

sudo ufw delete allow 8388/tcp

sudo ufw delete allow 8388/udp

Shadowsocks packages and firewall rules have been removed from your system.

Conclusion

Installing Shadowsocks onto a Linux Virtual Private Server (VPS) provides an internet experience that is fast, private, and free of censorship. It's the perfect solution to bypass restrictions and browse securely. With its strong encryption and optional obfuscation, and minimal resource usage. Following the above steps, including configuration, firewall setup, and testing, you can deploy a Shadowsocks Proxy in a matter of minutes.

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Karim Buzdar

Feb 10, 2026 • 5 min read