Installing Ocserv on Alpine Linux Latest

Introduction

Ocserv is a free, open-source SSL VPN server. In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Ocserv on Alpine Linux Latest.

Prerequisites

Before you begin with the installation of Ocserv, make sure the following software is installed:

• Alpine Linux Latest
• Bash shell
• Text editor

Step 1: Install Required Packages

First, update the package list and install the following packages:

$ apk update
$ apk add ocserv openssl-dev gnutls-utils

Step 2: Generate SSL Certificates

Before starting the Ocserv server, you need to generate SSL certificates. Use the following command to create the self-signed SSL certificate:

$ cd /etc/ocserv/
$ openssl req -new -x509 -days 3650 -nodes -out ocserv.crt -keyout ocserv.key

This command will create the ocserv.crt and ocserv.key files in the /etc/ocserv/ directory.

Step 3: Configure Ocserv

Now you need to create a configuration file for Ocserv. You can create it using any text editor of your choice:

$ vi /etc/ocserv/ocserv.conf

Add the following configuration to the ocserv.conf file:

auth = "plain[/etc/ocserv/ocpasswd]"

# Server's public IP address
tcp-port = 443

# Server's hostname
server-cert = /etc/ocserv/ocserv.crt
server-key = /etc/ocserv/ocserv.key

# DNS configuration
dns = 8.8.8.8
dns = 8.8.4.4

# Routing configuration
route = 192.168.0.0/24
route = 10.0.0.0/8
route = 172.16.0.0/12
no-route = 192.168.1.0/24

In the above configuration, replace the auth file path with the actual path of the password file.

Step 4: Create User and Password

Ocserv requires authentication to connect to the VPN. You need to create a user and password for VPN access.

$ cd /etc/ocserv/
$ ocpasswd -c ocpasswd <user-name>

After running this command, it will prompt you to enter a password for the user.

Step 5: Start Ocserv

Now you are ready to start the Ocserv service. Use the following command to start the Ocserv service:

$ ocserv -c /etc/ocserv/ocserv.conf

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully installed and configured Ocserv on Alpine Linux Latest. You can now connect to the VPN by using any SSL VPN client, such as OpenConnect, which is available on almost all operating systems.

If you want to self-host in an easy, hands free way, need an external IP address, or simply want your data in your own hands, give IPv6.rs a try!

Alternatively, for the best virtual desktop, try Shells!