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Table of Contents
Introduction
Before asking questions on an OpenVPN support channel please try to solve your problem yourself first. Nobody likes people who ask to be fed with a spoon. It's also a good idea to
- Read the How To Ask Questions The Smart Way article by Eric Raymond
- Familiarize yourself with Netiquette and Chatiquette
A common error, made by people not familiar with IRC, is to leave too soon, only minutes after asking their question. So, please keep your IRC client open for hours (or even days) and monitor it, because it is possible that the only person that can help you is on an entirely different timezone and/or unavailable at the moment. If you are not online, he/she is not able to give an answer to you.
Once you are sure you have done your homework go ahead and ask your question: nobody expects you to know everything (including the solution) before asking a question. If you are looking for help with developing OpenVPN (OSS), please start by reading this article.
OpenVPN (OSS) user support
Documentation
You should always do some research first before asking any questions. There are two good places to look:
- http://openvpn.net/index.php/open-source/documentation.html (official documentation)
- https://community.openvpn.net (Wiki documentation]
If you need to dig really deep (i.e. nobody can help you), also take a look at these:
- https://forums.openvpn.net (forum posts)
- http://dir.gmane.org/gmane.network.openvpn.user (openvpn-users mailinglist archives)
- http://dir.gmane.org/gmane.network.openvpn.devel (openvpn-devel mailinglist archives)
- https://community.openvpn.net/openvpn/report/1 (known bugs)
If you think you have found a new bug, please read this article first:
User IRC channel
The user IRC channel (#openvpn on irc.freenode.net) is probably the easiest way to get help with generic OpenVPN (OSS) questions. For support with commercial products take a look below.
Windows IRC channel
If you are sure that your issue with OpenVPN is related to Windows, you can ask for assistance on the #openvpn-windows IRC channel on Freenode. If you are unsure, please use the #openvpn channel first: you will be redirected to #openvpn-windows as needed.
User support forums
OpenVPN forums are the second-easiest way to get help with OpenVPN (OSS):
To use the forums you need to create an account first:
Please select the correct forum board and ask your question.
NOTE: The best way to search the forum is to use the site: feature offered by google and duckduckgo. To use the site: search operator type into their search field like so (space must not be used between site: and the selected URL):
site:forums.openvpn.net your desired search
User mailing list
The traditional way to get support with OpenVPN (OSS) is the openvpn-users mailinglist:
You need to subscribe to it before sending in any questions:
Posts to this mailinglist are archived here:
Additional archives are available on the mailing list archives page:
Access Server user support
Access Server IRC channel
If you are using the Access Server product you should use #openvpn-as channel on irc.freenode.net for real-time support. If you are looking for official support, please type !staff and !hours to the chat window before asking questions. If not, you can ask your question any time and with any luck, a fellow user may be able to help you out.
Access server forum boards
OpenVPN forums are also used for Access server support:
To use the forums you need to create an account first:
Private Tunnel user support
If you are having trouble using Private Tunnel, please look here:
OpenVPN (OSS) developer support
Developer IRC channel
The developer IRC channel (#openvpn-devel at irc.freenode.net) is most straightforward way to contact the developers. At the moment (8th Aug 2011) most active developers are in Europe, so the best time to talk to them is between 9-22 (9AM-10PM) UTC. Most of the discussion on the IRC is informal, but we do have scheduled IRC meetings, too.
NOTE: As of late July 2011 joining the #openvpn-devel channel requires being logged in to IRC using a registered Freenode nickname and password. Instructions for registering are available here.
Windows IRC channel
The #openvpn-windows IRC channel on Freenode is for people who work on OpenVPN for Windows: developers, packagers, testers and power users. Any development questions related to tap-windows6, openvpn-build or openvpn-gui should preferably be directed to this channel.
Developer mailing list
The openvpn-devel mailinglist is the main communication channel for OpenVPN (OSS) developers. If you subscribe to it, you will be able to follow the development process very closely. All other, important things (e.g. IRC meetings and meeting summaries) will be announced on the mailinglist.
Posts to this mailinglist are archived here. Additional archives are available on the mailing list archives page.
Security issues list
If you have found a potential security issue in OpenVPN you can send email to the private OpenVPN security list (security at openvpn dot net). You do not need to be subscribed to send mail there, but please do not misuse the list by sending generic support requests there, or you will just get flogged and redirected to the proper support channels.
