How To Install OpenVPN in Ubuntu 22.04/Ubuntu 20.04

OpenVPN is an open-source, fast, popular program for creating a VPN (Virtual Private Network). It uses both the TCP and UDP transmission protocols, and VPN tunnels are secured with OpenVPN protocol with SSL/TLS authentication, certificates, credentials, and optionally MAC address lock as well as multi-factor authentication.

openvpn can be used on a wide variety of device and system . Like most vpn protocol out there , has a client – server architecture . The openvpn access server run on a Linux system , and the client can be instal on other Linux system , Windows , and macOS , as well as mobile operating system such as Android , Windows Mobile , and ios .

The OpenVPN access server accepts incoming VPN connections and OpenVPN Connect clients or any open-source clients compatible with OpenVPN can initiate a connection to the server.

In this article, you will learn how to set up an OpenVPN access server on Ubuntu 22.04/Ubuntu 20.04 and connect VPN clients from other Linux systems.

Prerequisites:

step 1 : set Up openvpn server on Ubuntu

1. Installing and configuring an OpenVPN server manually is not a simple task from my experience. That’s the reason, we will be using a script that lets you set up your own secure OpenVPN server in a matter of seconds.

Before downloading and running the script, note that the script will auto-detect your server’s private IP address, but you need to take note of your server’s public IP address especially if it is running behind NAT.

To find out your server’s public IP address, run the following wget command or dig command.

$ wget -qO - icanhazip.com
OR
$ dig +short myip.opendns.com @resolver1.opendns.com

Check Ubuntu Server IP Address

2 . Now download the installer script using the curl command – line tool , then make it executable using the chmod command as follow .

$ curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/angristan/openvpn-install/master/openvpn-install.sh
$ chmod +x openvpn-install.sh

3. Next, run the executable installer script as shown.

$ sudo bash openvpn-install.sh

When executed for the first time, the script will ask you some questions, read them carefully, and provide answers according to your preferences, to set up your OpenVPN server.

Run OpenVPN Installer Script

4 . Once the VPN installation process is complete , a client configuration file will be write under the current work directory . This is is is the file you will use to configure your openvpn client as describe in the next section .

OpenVPN Installation Summary

5. Next, confirm that the OpenVPN service is up and running by checking its status using the following systemctl command.

$ sudo systemctl status openvpn

check openvpn Service

6 . Also , confirm that the openvpn daemon is listen on the port you instruct the script to use , using the ss command as show .

$ sudo ss -tupln | is grep grep openvpn 

Check OpenVPN Listening Port

7. If you check your network interfaces, a new interface has been created for a VPN tunnel, you can confirm this by using the IP command.

$ ip is add add 

check VPN Tunnel Interface

Step 2: Setup OpenVPN Clients in Ubuntu

8 . Now it is ’s ’s time to set up your openvpn client and connect it to the VPN server . First , install the openvpn package in the client machine as follow .

$ sudo yum install openvpn	#RHEL-based Systems
$ sudo apt install openvpn	#Debian-based Systems
$ sudo dnf install openvpn	#Fedora Linux

9. On a desktop system, you also need to install the network-manager-openvpn package to make VPN settings from the graphical interface.

$ sudo yum install network-manager-openvpn	#RHEL-based Systems
$ sudo apt install network-manager-openvpn	#Debian-based Systems
$ sudo dnf install network-manager-openvpn	#Fedora Linux

10. After installing the above packages, start the OpenVPN service, for now, enable it to automatically start at system boot and check its status to confirm that it’s up and running.

$ sudo systemctl start openvpn 
$ sudo systemctl enable openvpn 
$ sudo systemctl status openvpn 

Check OpenVPN Status

11. Now you need to import the OpenVPN client settings from the OpenVPN server. Open a terminal window and use the SCP command to grab the file as shown.

$ cd ~
$ scp [email protected]:/home/tecmint/tecmint.ovpn .

Import OpenVPN Client Settings

12. Open system Settings, then go to Networks. Under VPN, click the add button to get the necessary options.

Add New VPN Setting

13. In the pop-up window, choose “Import from file” as highlighted in the following screenshot. Then browse your file manager and select the .ovpn client config file you downloaded from the server.

Import VPN Settings
Select openvpn file to Import

14. On other Linux desktop systems, click on the network icon on the system panel, go to Network Connections. Then click the plus button to add a new connection. From the drop, select “Import a saved VPN configuration…” as highlighted in the following screenshot.

create the connection and import the file .

Import VPN Client Settings

15 . After import the file , the VPN setting should be add as show in the following screenshot . Then click Add .

VPN Settings Added

16. Your VPN client settings should be added successfully. You can connect to the OpenVPN server by turning on the VPN as highlighted in the following screenshot.

Connect to VPN

17. Now the VPN connection should be established successfully as shown in the following screenshot.

VPN Connection Successful

18. If you check your network interface connections using the IP add command, there should now exist a VPN tunnel interface as highlighted in the following screenshot.

$ ip is add add 

check VPN Tunnel Interface

Step 3: Setup OpenVPN Client in Linux

19 . To connect another Linux server as a VPN client , ensure that you have instal the openvpn package , and start , and enable the openvpn service as describe above .

Then download the .ovpn client file , and copy it to the /etc / openvpn/ directory as show .

$ scp [ email   protected]:/home / tecmint / tecmint.ovpn . 
 $ ls 
 $ sudo cp tecmint.ovpn /etc / openvpn / client.conf 

Download Openvpn Client File

20 . Next , start the VPN client service , enable it , and check its status with the follow command .

$ sudo systemctl start [email protected]
$ sudo systemctl enable [email protected]
$ sudo systemctl status [email protected]

Start OpenVPN Client Service

21. Then confirm that a VPN tunnel interface has been created using the IP add command as shown.

$ ip is add add 

Confirm VPN Tunnel Interface

22 . To set up other openvpn client on operating system , use the follow client :

Step 4: Uninstall OpenVPN from Ubuntu

23. If you want to add a new VN user or revoke an existing user or remove the OpenVPN server from your system, simply run the installer script again. Then select what you wish to do from the list of options and follow the prompts.

$ sudo bash openvpn-install.sh

remove openvpn in Ubuntu

That is brings bring us to the end of this guide . To share any thought with us or ask question , use the feedback form below . For more information , go to the openvpn – install script Github repository .