how to auto start openvpn (client) on ubuntu 12.04 cli?

Question

I have an *.ovpn file that works if I type in

sudo openvpn client.ovpn

Now I would like to start up openvpn when I boot the computer. It's a headless version of ubuntu - if that matters - 12.04 64bit.

I copied filename.ovpn to /etc/openvpn but it's not starting, even if I run

service openvpn start

How can I do this?

score 20 · Answer 1 · answered Dec 17 '12 at 07:51

On Ubuntu any VPN configuration you place in a file named /etc/openvpn/$NAME.conf will be automatically started.

So, all you have to do is copy your client.ovpn to /etc/openvpn/client.conf. I suggest you also use absolute paths in your client.conf for any keys, scripts and so on.

Of course, you might want to double check the /etc/default/openvpn file. By default it will autostart all VPNs, but the AUTOSTART value could have been changed to none, or to be a list of the specific configurations you want automatically started.

I tried that. All values were commented out and the documentation stated that the default was `all`. — waspinator, Dec 17 '12 at 15:23

score 10 · Answer 2 · edited Dec 16 '14 at 15:27

10

For Debian OS

Place your configuration file into /etc/openvpn, for example /etc/openvpn/client.conf.
Prefix/comment out lines starting with "down" and "up" (#down and #up) - or delete them (these are calling external script) from client.conf

Reload openvpn configuration

/etc/init.d/openvpn reload /etc/openvpn/client.conf

Check with
```
ifconfig
```
Do you see tun0 interface? Does it have IP assigned? Great.
Remember the IP, reboot and try to connect.

edited Dec 16 '14 at 15:27

masegaloeh

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answered Dec 16 '14 at 15:19

Ja Sc

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Also see https://wiki.debian.org/OpenVPN – Victor Häggqvist Oct 03 '15 at 21:09
Perfect for my Raspberry Pi – Michal Ciechan Mar 16 '16 at 13:51

score 9 · Answer 3 · edited Feb 18 '13 at 16:10

9

The client config must have the extension .conf and not .ovpn. Changing client.ovpn to client.conf in /etc/openvpn should work

edited Feb 18 '13 at 16:10

HopelessN00b

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answered Feb 18 '13 at 15:41

dballester

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score 1 · Answer 4 · edited May 24 '13 at 19:57

It would be nice to have a un hacker way of doing it, but this will have to do for now.

1) Create file myopenvpn in /etc/init/

nano /etc/init/myopenvpn

2) Insert into myopenvpn and save:

# OpenVPN autostart on boot upstart job

start on runlevel [2345]
stop on runlevel [!2345]

respawn

exec /usr/sbin/openvpn --status /var/run/openvpn.client.status 10 --cd /etc/openvpn --config /etc/openvpn/client.conf --syslog openvpn

SOURCE: http://www.hackerway.ch/2012/12/11/how-to-auto-start-openvpn-client-in-debian-6-and-ubuntu-12-04/#comment-79

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Dec 17 '12 at 04:32

0

You'll have to put this information inside the initialization scripting for openvpn in /etc/init.d. AND aqd appropriate symlinks to the appropriate run level based /etc/rc.d files so that it starts and stops.

answered Dec 17 '12 at 04:32

mdpc

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score 0 · Answer 6 · answered May 24 '13 at 20:07

0

I did it on a CentOS box with the following command inserted into /etc/rc.local:

openvpn --config /path/to/file.ovpn &

The commands in that file are executed after every multi-user runlevel finishes booting and unlike adding it to a startup script it will not slow down your boot if the VPN takes long to setup, but some people would call this a hack.

answered May 24 '13 at 20:07

Pedro Brito

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This isn't the Right Way to handle this, especially since Debian already has an initscript which does this. – mgorven May 24 '13 at 20:12
That's why I added that some people consider this a hack. This is not elegant but does the trick. – Pedro Brito May 24 '13 at 20:14

score 0 · Answer 7 · answered Oct 05 '18 at 14:03

0

Note that for 16.04 onward you'll need this:

systemctl start openvpn@server.service

answered Oct 05 '18 at 14:03

yuranos

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how to auto start openvpn (client) on ubuntu 12.04 cli?

7 Answers7

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