To set up an OpenVPN server on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, you can follow these steps:
- Install the OpenVPN package by running the command:
sudo apt-get install openvpn - Create a directory for the server configuration files:
sudo mkdir /etc/openvpn/server - Copy the sample server configuration file to the server directory:
sudo cp /usr/share/doc/openvpn/examples/sample-config-files/server.conf.gz /etc/openvpn/server/ - Unzip the server configuration file:
sudo gzip -d /etc/openvpn/server/server.conf.gz - Edit the server configuration file to suit your needs. For example, you can specify the IP address of the server, the port to listen on, and the encryption settings.
- Create a directory for the client configuration files:
sudo mkdir /etc/openvpn/client - Copy the sample client configuration file to the client directory:
sudo cp /usr/share/doc/openvpn/examples/sample-config-files/client.conf /etc/openvpn/client/ - Edit the client configuration file to match the server settings, such as the server IP address and port.
- Generate the server’s private key and certificate by running the command:
sudo openvpn --genkey --secret /etc/openvpn/server/ta.key - Start the OpenVPN server by running the command:
sudo systemctl start openvpn@server - Check the status of the server by running the command:
sudo systemctl status openvpn@server - Configure the firewall to allow traffic to the OpenVPN port, and also configure the client to connect to the server.
Once you have completed these steps, your OpenVPN server should be up and running. You can then use the client configuration files to connect to the server from other devices.