Changes between Version 1 and Version 2 of HOWTO


Ignore:
Timestamp:
07/25/14 07:28:25 (10 years ago)
Author:
Samuli Seppänen
Comment:

Fixed formatting up to "MacOS X notes" section

Legend:

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  • HOWTO

    v1 v2  
    2020= Additional Documentation =
    2121
    22 The original [wiki:Openvpn1xHOWTO OpenVPN 1.x HOWTO] is still available, and remains relevant for point-to-point or static-key configurations.
    23 
    24 For additional documentation, have a look at the [wiki:WikiStart documentation front page].
    25 
    26 = OpenVPN Quickstart =
     22The original [wiki:Openvpn1xHOWTO OpenVPN 1.x HOWTO] is still available, and remains relevant for point-to-point or static-key configurations. Complete list of documentation is available on the [wiki:WikiStart documentation front page].
    2723
    2824While this HOWTO will guide you in setting up a scalable client/server VPN using an X509 PKI (public key infrastruction using certificates and private keys), this might be overkill if you are only looking for a simple VPN setup with a server that can handle a single client.
    2925
    30 If you would like to get a VPN running quickly with minimal configuration, you might check out the [wiki:StaticKeyMiniHowto Static Key Mini-HOWTO].
    31 
    32 
    33 Static Key advantages
    34 
    35     Simple Setup
    36     No X509 PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) to maintain
    37 
    38 Static Key disadvantages
    39 
    40     Limited scalability -- one client, one server
    41     Lack of perfect forward secrecy -- key compromise results in total disclosure of previous sessions
    42     Secret key must exist in plaintext form on each VPN peer
    43     Secret key must be exchanged using a pre-existing secure channel
    44 
    45 Installing OpenVPN
    46 
    47 OpenVPN source code and Windows installers can be downloaded here. Recent releases (2.2 and later) are also available as Debian and RPM packages; see the OpenVPN wiki for details.
    48 
    49 For security, it's a good idea to check the file release signature after downloading.
     26If you would like to get a VPN running quickly with minimal configuration, you might check out the [wiki:StaticKeyMiniHowto Static Key Mini-HOWTO]. The advantages of a static key setup:
     27
     28 * Simple Setup
     29 * No X509 PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) to maintain
     30
     31And the disadvantages:
     32
     33 * Limited scalability -- one client, one server
     34 * Lack of perfect forward secrecy -- key compromise results in total disclosure of previous sessions
     35 * Secret key must exist in plaintext form on each VPN peer
     36 * Secret key must be exchanged using a pre-existing secure channel
     37
     38= Installing OpenVPN =
     39
     40OpenVPN source code and Windows installers can be [https://community.openvpn.net/downloads.html downloaded here]. Recent releases (2.2 and later) are also available as Debian and Ubuntu packages; see [wiki:OpenvpnSoftwareRepos this article] for details.
     41
     42For security, it's a good idea to check the [https://community.openvpn.net/signatures.html file release signature] after downloading.
    5043
    5144The OpenVPN executable should be installed on both server and client machines, since the single executable provides both client and server functions.
    52 Linux Notes (using RPM package)
    53 
    54 If you are using a Linux distribution which supports RPM packages (SuSE, Fedora, Redhat, etc.), it's best to install using this mechanism. The easiest method is to find an existing binary RPM file for your distribution. You can also build your own binary RPM file:
    55 
    56     rpmbuild -tb openvpn-[version].tar.gz
    57 
    58 Once you have the .rpm file, you can install it with the usual
    59 
    60     rpm -ivh openvpn-[details].rpm
    61 
    62 or upgrade an existing installation with
    63 
    64     rpm -Uvh openvpn-[details].rpm
    65 
    66 Installing OpenVPN from a binary RPM package has these dependencies:
    67 
    68     openssl
    69     lzo
    70     pam
    71 
    72 Furthermore, if you are building your own binary RPM package, there are several additional dependencies:
    73 
    74     openssl-devel
    75     lzo-devel
    76     pam-devel
    77 
    78 See the openvpn.spec file for additional notes on building an RPM package for Red Hat Linux 9 or building with reduced dependencies.
    79 Linux Notes (without RPM)
    80 
    81 If you are using Debian, Gentoo, or a non-RPM-based Linux distribution, use your distro-specific packaging mechanism such as apt-get on Debian or emerge on Gentoo.
     45
     46== Linux Notes ==
     47
     48If you are using Linux, it's usually best to use your distribution's own mechanism (yum, apt-get, zypper, emerge...) for installing OpenVPN.
    8249
    8350It is also possible to install OpenVPN on Linux using the universal ./configure method. First expand the .tar.gz file:
    84 
    85     tar xfz openvpn-[version].tar.gz
    86 
     51{{{
     52tar xfz openvpn-[version].tar.gz
     53}}}
    8754Then cd to the top-level directory and type:
    88 
    89     ./configure
    90     make
    91     make install
    92 
    93 Windows Notes
    94 
    95 OpenVPN for Windows can be installed from the self-installing exe file on the OpenVPN download page. Remember that OpenVPN will only run on Windows XP or later. Also note that OpenVPN must be installed and run by a user who has administrative privileges (this restriction is imposed by Windows, not OpenVPN). The restriction can be sidestepped by running OpenVPN in the background as a service, in which case even non-admin users will be able to access the VPN, once it is installed. More discussion on OpenVPN + Windows privilege issues.
    96 
    97 Official OpenVPN Windows installers include OpenVPN-GUI, which allows managing OpenVPN connections from a system tray applet. Other GUI applications are also available.
    98 
    99 After you've run the Windows installer, OpenVPN is ready for use and will associate itself with files having the .ovpn extension. To run OpenVPN, you can:
    100 
    101     Right click on an OpenVPN configuration file (.ovpn) and select Start OpenVPN on this configuration file. Once running, you can use the F4key to exit.
    102 
    103      
    104     Run OpenVPN from a command prompt Window with a command such as:
    105 
    106      
    107 
    108         openvpn myconfig.ovpn
    109 
    110     Once running in a command prompt window, OpenVPN can be stopped by the F4 key.
    111     Run OpenVPN as a service by putting one or more .ovpn configuration files in \Program Files\OpenVPN\config and starting the OpenVPN Service, which can be controlled from Start Menu -> Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services.
    112 
    113 Additional Windows install notes.
    114 Mac OS X Notes
     55{{{
     56./configure
     57make
     58make install
     59}}}
     60
     61== Windows Notes ==
     62
     63OpenVPN for Windows can be installed from the self-installing exe file on the [https://community.openvpn.net/downloads.html OpenVPN download page]. Remember that OpenVPN will only run on Windows XP or later. Also note that OpenVPN must be installed and run by a user who has administrative privileges (this restriction is imposed by Windows, not OpenVPN). The restriction can be sidestepped by running OpenVPN in the background as a service, in which case even non-admin users will be able to access the VPN, once it is installed. More discussion on OpenVPN + Windows privilege issues [http://openvpn.se/files/howto/openvpn-howto_run_openvpn_as_nonadmin.html here].
     64
     65Official OpenVPN Windows installers include [wiki:OpenVPN-GUI OpenVPN-GUI], which allows managing OpenVPN connections from a system tray applet. Other GUI applications are also available.
     66
     67After you've run the Windows installer, OpenVPN is ready for use and will associate itself with files having the '''.ovpn''' extension. To run OpenVPN, you can:
     68
     69 * Right click on an OpenVPN configuration file (.ovpn) and select '''Start OpenVPN on this configuration file'''. Once running, you can use the '''F4''' key to exit.
     70 * Run OpenVPN from a command prompt Window with a command such as "'''openvpn myconfig.ovpn'''". Once running in a command prompt window, OpenVPN can be stopped by the F4 key.
     71 * Run OpenVPN as a service by putting one or more .ovpn configuration files in '''\Program Files\OpenVPN\config''' and starting the OpenVPN Service, which can be controlled from Start Menu -> Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services.
     72
     73[https://github.com/OpenVPN/openvpn/blob/master/INSTALL-win32.txt Additional Windows install notes].
     74
     75== Mac OS X Notes ==
    11576
    11677Angelo Laub and Dirk Theisen have developed an OpenVPN GUI for OS X.