= Introduction =

OpenVPN Windows releases include a Windows GUI, which is not part of the core project. OpenVPN versions 2.2.x and earlier include the [http://openvpn.se old Windows GUI], whereas 2.3 and later include the [http://sourceforge.net/projects/openvpn-gui/ new Windows GUI]. These instruction cover building the new GUI, although instruction for the old one are probably very similar.

= Building the OpenVPN installer bundle =

Currently the easiest way to build OpenVPN-GUI is to build the entire OpenVPN Windows installer bundle and extract the produced OpenVPN-GUI binary. Thorough instructions are available [https://community.openvpn.net/openvpn/wiki/BuildingUsingGenericBuildsystem here].

= Building OpenVPN-GUI =

This information is adapted from [http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.network.openvpn.devel/10516/focus=10531 Selva's email] to openvpn-devel mailing list.

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Cross compiling on linux is possible. Actually its the only way I've build the gui. Its well documented when done as a part of the full distribution build using openvpn-build (as Samuli pointed out), but could be built alone as well. Here is a very basic description of what I do. The only complication is you need openssl built for the target (windows). I have this cross-compiled from source and installed in $HOME/windows/. There are some tutorials out there on how to cross-compile openssl. Alternatively if change-password feature is not required, you don't need openssl at all to build the gui (see below).

I work on Debian Jessie, have autoconf, automake etc and mingw-w64-x86-64-dev and mingw-w64-i686-dev installed.

'''Steps -- building for 64 bit windows'''

Starting from a clone of this gui repo from github, do

{{{$ autoreconf -i -v}}}

run configure as

{{{$  OPENSSL_CRYPTO_CFLAGS="-I /home/selva/windows/include/ OPENSSL_CRYPTO_LIBS="-L/home/selva/windows/lib/ -lcrypto" ./configure --prefix=/ --libdir=//lib --host=x86_64-w64-mingw32 --target= --build=x86_64-pc-linux-gnu --program-prefix='' --sbindir=/bin}}}

Replace, /home/selva/windows by the location of openssl include and libs. If disable-change-password is ok, run configure as

{{{$ ./configure --prefix=/ --libdir=//lib --host=x86_64-w64-mingw32 --target= --build=x86_64-pc-linux-gnu --program-prefix='' --sbindir=/bin  CFLAGS=-DDISABLE_CHANGE_PASSWORD OPENSSL_CRYPTO_LIBS="-L./"}}}

Then run make:

{{{$ make}}}

Optionally use -j n with make.

That will build openvpn-gui.exe. The exec can be easily installed manually but you can also make the installer as

{{{$ make installer}}}

This needs makensis in PATH.