Connecting via VPN (Linux)

Follow this guide to privately access your server from your Linux device using a VPN.

Prerequisites

• Connecting Remotely - VPN

Contents

• WireGuard
• OpenVPN

WireGuard

1. Obtain a WireGuard config file for your device.

   • StartTunnel: Follow instructions here
   • Router: Follow your router’s instructions.

2. Install wireguard and wireguard-tools.

   • Debian / Ubuntu

     sudo apt update && sudo apt install wireguard
     

   • Fedora / RHEL

     sudo dnf update && sudo dnf install wireguard-tools
     

   • Arch / Manjaro

     sudo pacman -Syu && sudo pacman -S wireguard-tools && sudo pacman -S wireguard
     

3. Move into the directory where you downloaded your Root CA (usually ~/Downloads), for example:

   cd ~/Downloads
   

4. Copy the contents of your WireGuard configuration file into /etc/wireguard/wg0.conf (or enter them from your notes)

   sudo mv myconf.conf /etc/wireguard/wg0.conf
   

   Be certain to replace myconf.conf with the name of the file you downloaded.

5. Set the permissions on the configuration file correctly:

   sudo chmod 600 /etc/wireguard/wg0.conf
   

6. Bring the interface up using wp-quick, which will create the interface and necessary routing rules for you the first time you use it.

   sudo wg-quick up wg0
   

7. Verifiy that a this worked by examining the output of:

   sudo wg
   

8. Enable WireGuard on Boot (optional) - this would connect you each time you boot

   sudo systemctl enable wg-quick@wg0
   

Tip

Each time you want to close the VPN connection: sudo wg-quick down wg0

OpenVPN

1. Install openvpn.

   • Debian / Ubuntu

     sudo apt update && sudo apt install openvpn
     

   • Fedora / RHEL

     sudo dnf update && sudo dnf install openvpn
     

   • Arch / Manjaro

     sudo pacman -Syu && sudo pacman -S openvpn
     

2. Move into the directory where you downloaded your Root CA (usually ~/Downloads), for example:

   cd ~/Downloads
   

3. Copy the contents of your OpenVPN configuration file into /etc/openvpn/client.conf (or enter them from your notes)

   sudo mv myconf.ovpn /etc/openvpn/client.conf
   

   Be certain to replace myconf.ovpn with the name of the file you downloaded.

4. Set the permissions on the configuration file correctly:

   sudo chmod 600 /etc/openvpn/client.conf
   

5. Start OpenVPN and load the config file, entering your username and password when requested.

   sudo systemctl start openvpn@client
   

6. Verifiy that a this worked by examining the output of:

   sudo systemctl status openvpn@client
   

7. Enable OpenVPN on Boot (optional) - this would connect you each time you boot

   sudo systemctl enable openvpn@client
   

Tip

Each time you want to close the VPN connection: sudo systemctl stop openvpn@client