Linux Distro: Salix 14.2
Network Manager through wired router on a static ip
Using Network Manager + OpenVPN setup
Logged in correctly (little lock shown below connected Network Manager applet)

BUT!
When I go to my VPN's website with any and all of my browsers, the website reports that I am "Unprotected" and displays my true IP Address and true ISP.

Unless I use my VPN's proxy instructions, and lock down EACH of my browsers manually - one by one (except for Chromium -- which uses an extension from my VPN).

It didn't used to be this way a week ago. What happened? What do I need to do to fix this?

In case you missed it:
Desired outcome: Network Manager + OpenVPN should be locking down ALL my software on this computer, but it is not.

Have you recently installed any updates?

Actually, yes. I did do several updates. [wondering how to find out which ones i just did recently....]

You should probably be asking this question in the Slackware forum.


https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/slackware-14/

You can check updates by looking at the change logs,
http://www.slackware.com/changelog/c...php?cpu=x86_64

There is a thread or two related to your question in that forum,
for example,
https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...rk-4175626782/

And, as future reference, this may help,
https://alien.slackbook.org/blog/fun...en-abis-break/

I used my XFE (file manager program) and looked in /var/log/packages. Changed the sorting to "Date Modified", and voila! Found them. Thank you for the links. I will probably be up all night going through each and every one.