Install OpenVPN for Debian

OVPN uses shared IP addresses - which means you will be disconnected to your server if you're connected to it remotely. You will need our Public IPv4 add-on to connect remotely.

1. Run as superuser

su

2. Download components

apt-get update && apt-get upgrade && apt-get install openvpn unzip

3. Download the configuration you want

You need to be logged in to download the configuration files. Once you're logged in, you will find the files here.

4. Enter your login credentials

echo  "username"  >> /etc/openvpn/credentials
echo "CHANGE TO YOUR PASSWORD" >> /etc/openvpn/credentials

5. Start OpenVPN and see that everything works

openvpn --config /etc/openvpn/ovpn.conf --daemon

6. Verify that the connection was successful

Wait about 30 seconds and then run:

curl https://www.ovpn.com/v1/api/client/ptr

You should see something like:

{"status":true,"ip":"the external ip","ptr":"PTR for the IP address"}

7. Done

Congratulations! Your device is now protected behind OVPN and will automatically connect on reboots. If you encountered any issues, please send the log file (/tmp/openvpn.log) to our support.

A few commands that are good to know:

service openvpn start   # Starts OpenVPN and connect automatically to OVPN
service openvpn stop    # Stops OpenVPN
service openvpn restart # Restarts OpenVPN and connects automatically to OVPN
service openvpn status  # Shows status for OpenVPN.

« Back to all guides