How to Install StrongSwan on Ubuntu Server Latest

StrongSwan is an open-source VPN client which offers high-security encryption and secure communication between devices. In this tutorial, we will guide you on how to install StrongSwan on your Ubuntu Server latest using the command-line interface.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with the installation, make sure that you have the following prerequisites:

Step 1: Update the system

To update the Ubuntu server, open up the terminal emulator and run the following command:

$ sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

This command will update the packages and repositories to ensure that everything installed on the system is up-to-date.

Step 2: Install StrongSwan on Ubuntu Server Latest

To install StrongSwan on Ubuntu Server Latest, run the following command:

$ sudo apt-get install strongswan

This command will install the StrongSwan VPN client on your Ubuntu server.

Step 3: Configure StrongSwan

After successfully installing StrongSwan, the next step is to configure it. First, you need to create a configuration file for StrongSwan. Run the following command to create a configuration file:

$ sudo nano /etc/ipsec.conf

This command will open the Nano text editor where you can configure the StrongSwan VPN client. You can add the following lines to the configuration file:

config setup
      charondebug = “ike 4, cfg 2, knl 3, net 2, esp 4, dmn 4”

conn %default
      type = tunnel

conn myvpn
      keyexchange = ikev2
      left = %any
      leftsubnet = 0.0.0.0/0
      leftauth = pubkey
      leftcert = /path/to/cert.pem
      leftid = @mydomain.com
      right = vpnserver-ip
      rightsubnet = 0.0.0.0/0
      rightauth = pubkey
      rightid = @vpnserver-domain.com
      auto = route
      dpdaction = restart
      dpddelay = 30s
      dpdtimeout = 120s

Save and exit the Nano text editor by pressing CTRL + X, Y, and ENTER.

Step 4: Add user credentials

In this step, you need to add user credentials for StrongSwan. To add user credentials, run the following command:

$ sudo nano /etc/ipsec.secrets

This command will open the Nano text editor where you need to add the following lines:

: RSA /path/to/privatekey.pem
user1 : EAP "password1"
user2 : EAP "password2"

Save and exit the Nano text editor by pressing CTRL + X, Y, and ENTER.

Step 5: Start StrongSwan service

After completing the configurations, start the StrongSwan service by running the following command:

$ sudo systemctl start strongswan

This command will start the StrongSwan VPN client service.

Step 6: Verify the StrongSwan installation

To verify that the StrongSwan VPN client is installed and running on your Ubuntu server, run the following command:

$ sudo systemctl status strongswan

This command will display the status of the StrongSwan VPN client service.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully installed StrongSwan on your Ubuntu Server Latest. Now you can easily configure a VPN connection with the StrongSwan VPN client on your Ubuntu server.

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