auto-connect-wireguard-gnome.md

How to automatically enable\disable wireguard connection upon WIFI connection status change

Prerequisits

• Gnome 40 and above (Tested on Gnome 46)
• An already configured wireguard VPN connection (via the NetworkManager)

Steps

• Using root, create a script file in /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/wireguard.sh and make it executable ug+x
• Add the following content:

  #!/usr/bin/env bash
  
  interface=$1
  event=$2
  active_wg=$(nmcli connection show --active | grep wireguard | cut -d " " -f1)
  wireguard_connection_name="PUT_HERE_YOUR_WIREGUARD_CONNECTION_ID"
  
  if [[ "$interface" = "wlo1" ]] && [[ "$event" = "down" ]] && [[ -n "$active_wg" ]]; then
    echo "WIREGUARD: wifi is down. turning off wireguard" | systemd-cat -p info -t wireguard
    nmcli connection down "$wireguard_connection_name";
  fi
  
  if [[ "$interface" = "wlo1" ]] && [[ "$event" = "up" ]] && [[ -z "$active_wg" ]]; then
    echo "WIREGUARD: wifi is up. turning on wireguard" | systemd-cat -p info -t wireguard
    nmcli connection up "$wireguard_connection_name";
  fi

• Find your wireguard connection id using nmcli connection show | grep wireguard and notice the 1st column in the output
• Replace the "PUT_HERE_YOUR_WIREGUARD_CONNECTION_ID" in the above wireguard.sh file
• The wireguard connection should now follow the status of your wifi
• Debug using journalctl, e.g., journalctl --utc --since "15 minutes ago" -t wireguard