OpenVPN is a popular open-source VPN software that allows users to establish secure connections over the internet. OpenBSD is a free and secure operating system that is known for its emphasis on security and simplicity.
In this tutorial, we will walk you through the steps to install OpenVPN on OpenBSD.
Before we start, make sure that you have:
OpenVPN is available in OpenBSD's package repository. To install it, run the following command in your terminal:
$ sudo pkg_add openvpn
This command will download and install the latest version of OpenVPN and its dependencies.
Once OpenVPN is installed, you need to configure it. The configuration files for OpenVPN are located in the /etc/openvpn directory.
First, you need to generate a key and certificate for the OpenVPN server. To do this, run the following command:
$ sudo /usr/local/sbin/easyrsa init-pki
Then, create a new certificate authority (CA) by running:
$ sudo /usr/local/sbin/easyrsa build-ca
You will be prompted to enter a passphrase for the CA.
Next, generate a server key and certificate:
$ sudo /usr/local/sbin/easyrsa build-server-full openvpn-server
This command will create a new key and certificate for the OpenVPN server.
Now, we need to create a configuration file for the server. You can use the sample configuration file located at /usr/local/share/examples/openvpn/sample-config-files/server.conf.
Copy this file to the OpenVPN configuration directory:
$ sudo cp /usr/local/share/examples/openvpn/sample-config-files/server.conf /etc/openvpn
Then, open the server.conf file in your text editor:
$ sudo vi /etc/openvpn/server.conf
In this file, you need to configure the IP address and port that the OpenVPN server will listen on, as well as the server certificate and key. You can find more information about configuring OpenVPN in the official documentation.
Once the configuration is done, you can start OpenVPN by running:
$ sudo openvpn /etc/openvpn/server.conf
This will start the OpenVPN server and it will listen on the configured IP address and port.
Now, you can test the OpenVPN connection by establishing a connection from a client machine. You will need to install the OpenVPN client on the client machine and configure it to connect to the OpenVPN server.
You can find more information about configuring the OpenVPN client in the official documentation.
Congratulations! You have successfully installed and configured OpenVPN on OpenBSD. OpenVPN is a powerful and flexible VPN software that can be used to secure your network connections.
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