How to Set Up an OpenVPN Server on Ubuntu

Setting up an OpenVPN server on Ubuntu is a great way to secure your internet traffic and protect your online privacy. OpenVPN is a popular open-source VPN protocol that is easy to use and configure. In this guide, we will show you how to set up an OpenVPN server on Ubuntu step by step.

Prerequisites:

• An Ubuntu server with a public IP address
• Root access to your Ubuntu server
• A text editor, such as nano or vi

Step 1: Install OpenVPN and Easy-RSA

First, we need to install OpenVPN and Easy-RSA, which is a tool for generating certificates and keys. Open a terminal window and run the following command:

Bash

sudo apt install openvpn easy-rsa

Step 2: Generate Certificates and Keys

Next, we need to generate certificates and keys for our OpenVPN server. This can be done using the following commands:

Bash

cd /etc/openvpn
mkdir easy-rsa
cp -rf /usr/share/doc/openvpn/examples/easy-rsa/ .
./easy-rsa/pkitool init-config
./easy-rsa/pkitool genkey
./easy-rsa/pkitool req-cert server
./easy-rsa/pkitool sign-cert server

Step 3: Configure OpenVPN

Now, we need to configure the OpenVPN server. Open the following file in a text editor:

Bash

sudo nano /etc/openvpn/server.conf

Add the following lines to the file:

port 1194
proto udp
dev tun
ca /etc/openvpn/easy-rsa/keys/ca.crt
cert /etc/openvpn/easy-rsa/keys/server.crt
key /etc/openvpn/easy-rsa/keys/server.key
dh /etc/openvpn/easy-rsa/keys/dh.pem
server 192.168.1.0 255.255.255.0
ifclient /etc/openvpn/client.list
push "redirect-gateway def1"
push "dhcp-renew-time 120"
push "dhcp-release-time 3600"
push "DNS 8.8.8.8"
push "DNS 8.8.4.4"

Replace 192.168.1.0 with the subnet of your VPN network. You can also add more DNS servers to the push directives.

Step 4: Create Client Configuration Files

Next, we need to create client configuration files for each user who wants to connect to the VPN server. For example, to create a client configuration file for a user named user1, run the following command:

Bash

cp /etc/openvpn/easy-rsa/keys/ca.crt /etc/openvpn/client-configs/user1.ca.crt
cp /etc/openvpn/easy-rsa/keys/ta.key /etc/openvpn/client-configs/user1.ta.key
cp /etc/openvpn/easy-rsa/keys/user1.crt /etc/openvpn/client-configs/user1.crt
cp /etc/openvpn/easy-rsa/keys/user1.key /etc/openvpn/client-configs/user1.key
cp /etc/openvpn/server.conf /etc/openvpn/client-configs/user1.ovpn

Step 5: Start and Enable OpenVPN

Now, we can start the OpenVPN server and enable it to start automatically at boot. Run the following commands:

Bash

sudo systemctl start openvpn-server@server
sudo systemctl enable openvpn-server@server

Step 6: Connect to the VPN Server

To connect to the VPN server, you will need to distribute the client configuration files to your users. Users can then connect to the VPN server using an OpenVPN client. There are many different OpenVPN clients available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android.

Additional Notes:

• You can change the port that the OpenVPN server listens on by editing the port directive in the /etc/openvpn/server.conf file.
• You can add more clients to the VPN server by creating additional client configuration files.