How To Set Up A VPN On Linux

Table of contents:

How To Set Up A VPN On Linux
How To Set Up A VPN On Linux

Video: How To Set Up A VPN On Linux

Video: How To Set Up A VPN On Linux
Video: How to set up a Linux VPN server (script) 2024, March
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Today, virtual networks based on VPN (Virtual Private Network) class technologies are used not only to organize well-protected environments for transparent data exchange through open channels, but also to easily provide Internet access. In this regard, any user who changes the provider may face the need to set up a VPN. Linux has its own specifics for solving this problem.

How to set up a VPN on Linux
How to set up a VPN on Linux

Necessary

Root credentials

Instructions

Step 1

Check if PPP support exists in your operating system kernel. The easiest way to do this is by looking at the values of the options with the CONFIG_PPP prefix in the current kernel configuration file. It is usually installed in the / boot directory and has a name starting with config. Find out the name of this file using the command

ls / boot

or

ls / boot | grep conf

Print the lines you want with cat, filtering with grep. For example:

cat /boot/config-2.6.30-std-def-alt15 | grep PPP

Parse the lines containing the CONFIG_PPP, CONFIG_PPP_ASYNC, CONFIG_PPP_SYNC_TTY options. If there is no # symbol in front of them, the corresponding functionality is supported (for values of m - in the form of an external module, for values of y - it is included in the kernel).

How to set up a VPN on Linux
How to set up a VPN on Linux

Step 2

Check if the client software for establishing VPN connections is installed on the system. The required package usually has a name starting with pptp. Use apt-cache with the search option to find the required package in the available repositories and rpm with the -qa option to check if the package is installed. When working in a graphical environment, it may make sense to use programs such as synaptic.

How to set up a VPN on Linux
How to set up a VPN on Linux

Step 3

Install the missing software. Use the appropriate package managers (apt-get, rpm in the console, synaptic in the graphical environment, etc.). If you installed the ppp package with kernel modules to support the appropriate protocol, restart your computer.

How to set up a VPN on Linux
How to set up a VPN on Linux

Step 4

Try configuring the VPN using configuration scripts such as pptp-command or pptpsetup. They are often included in VPN client software packages. For help on the command line parameters of these utilities, use them to run with the --help option. For example:

pptpsetup --help

If no configuration scripts have been installed, proceed to the next step to manually configure the VPN.

How to set up a VPN on Linux
How to set up a VPN on Linux

Step 5

Create a directory / etc / ppp with a file named chap-secrets. Open the file in a text editor. Add a line like this to it:

LOGIN SERVER PASSWORD *

The LOGIN and PASSWORD values are username and password. They must be provided by your VPN service provider. Replace SERVER with an arbitrary connection name or *.

How to set up a VPN on Linux
How to set up a VPN on Linux

Step 6

Create a directory / etc / ppp / peers. Create a file in it that has the same name as the SERVER value from the previous step (or an arbitrary name if * was specified). Edit this file to add information like:

pty "pptp SERVER --nolaunchpppd"

name LOGIN

ipparam SERVER

remotename SERVER

lock

noauth

nodeflate

nobsdcomp

The LOGIN and SERVER values here are the same as in step 5. This completes the VPN configuration in Linux.

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