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I'm trying to setup OpenVPN using NetworkManager. The GUI seems buggy and unresponsive. Are there any other tools for setting up a VPN client?

Tom Newton
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Nicholas Marshall
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7 Answers7

224

Yes, you can use OpenVPN directly. This way you can use more settings as well.

First you need the openvpn package:

sudo apt-get install openvpn

Then you can connect like this:

sudo openvpn --config /path/to/config.ovpn

The sudo is important because OpenVPN won't be able to connect otherwise (I think because it has to change the routes).

Louis Matthijssen
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78

Easiest method is running this command:

sudo apt-get install network-manager-openvpn-gnome

And then add a OpenVPN connection from Network Manager which after above command supports importing .ovpn files.

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Xaqron
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36

As Louis has explained installing openvpn client can be done with command

sudo apt-get install openvpn

However if you are using dual authentication mechanism for your vpn server, simple connection with

sudo openvpn --config /path/to/config.ovpn

will not be sufficient. You need some extra setup.

  1. Make sure your config file has auth-user-pass line.

  2. Next add --auth-retry interact to your connection command. So your entire command would look like

    sudo openvpn --config /path/to/config.ovpn --auth-retry interact
Aniket Thakur
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14

I'm coming here from the locked How to setup VPN using an .ovpn file? [duplicate], because I wanted to give an answer to problems of importing *.ovpn files in the GUI, which some users experience.

Just like others, I've made sure to install:

$ sudo apt-get install network-manager-openvpn-gnome

However, on Ubuntu 18.04 (had same problem on 16.04; it works with the GUI on Ubuntu 22.04), I've not been able to import a *.ovpn file using the GUI (Settings -> Network -> VPN + -> 'Import from file'). I always get:

Cannot import VPN connection

The file "foo.ovpn" could not be read or does not contain recognized VPN connection information

Error: the plugin does not support import capabilities

However, I just stumbled upon the following instruction from nixCraft for importing a *.opvn file:

$ sudo nmcli connection import type openvpn file /path/to/foo.ovpn
Connection 'foo' (2f5739f4-2eef-f325-3c8a-6c12e124c90a) successfully added.

After running that command, my 'foo' VPN connection gets listed under 'Settings -> Network -> VPN'. After editing the password, my VPN connection works. The VPN connection is also listed in top-panel menu that shows connections, power, users among other things.

HenrikB
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5

Install OpenVpn

sudo apt-get install network-manager-openvpn-gnome

Then go to Network Settings > Edit Connection > Add > Select VPN Point to Point Tunneling Protocol > Create

Add Username, Password and Gateway

Then go to Advanced Menu

Check Use point to point Encryption

Save

Then go to Network Settings > VPN Connection and select that VPN connection and connect it.

Zanna
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Mayur Bhandare
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0

If you don't want to involve Network Manager, this git repository has a simple script that does the whole job very well using an interactive session with less than half-a dozen questions. See docs in download.

https://github.com/Nyr/openvpn-install.git

Stephen Boston
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0

On Ubuntu 18, install network manager with the command: 

sudo apt-get install network-manager-openvpn-gnome

Then...

  1. Reopen Network settings
  2. Retry importing file

The import should work fine.

kawerewagaba
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