Prerequisites
- A Linux system (Ubuntu/Debian preferred)
- Access to your OpenVPN Access Server portal
- Administrator privileges (sudo access)
Step 1: Visit the OpenVPN Access Server Page
Open your web browser (Firefox, Chrome, etc.) and navigate to your organization’s OpenVPN Access Server URL
https://vpn.myVPNName.in:555/?src=connect
Log In (If Required)
You may be prompted to log in using your credentials. If you’ve forgotten them, click “Change Password” (if available) or contact your VPN administrator.
Step 2: Download Your OpenVPN Profile
- Scroll to the Available Connection Profiles section
- Click on “Yourself (user-locked profile)”.
- This will download a
.ovpnfile (e.g.,client.ovpn) to your default downloads folder (~/Downloads).
Step 3: Install OpenVPN on Linux
sudo apt update
sudo apt install openvpn
Step 4: (Optional): Install NetworkManager Plugin for GUI
If you prefer using a GUI to manage VPN connections, install the NetworkManager plugin:
sudo apt install network-manager-openvpn
Step 5: Import the Profile Using NetworkManager (GUI Method)
- Open your system’s Network Settings.
- Go to the VPN section.
- Choose Import from file.
- Select the
.ovpnfile you downloaded earlier. - Enter your VPN username and password (same as the Access Server login).
- Save and Connect to the VPN.
Step 6: Connect Using Terminal (CLI Method)
Prefer command-line? Here’s how:
- Navigate to your downloads folder: cd ~/Downloads
- Run the OpenVPN client: sudo openvpn --config client.ovpn
- Enter your VPN credentials when prompted.
Step 7: Verify VPN Connection
To check if your VPN is connected and your IP has changed, run:
curl ifconfig.me
You should see a new IP address reflecting your VPN’s network.
Step 8: Check File Permissions (If Needed)
If OpenVPN fails to read the file, ensure correct permissions:
ls -l ~/Downloads/client.ovpn
If necessary, update the file permissions:
chmod 644 ~/Downloads/client.ovpn
Step 9:Additional Cleanup (Optional)
Free up space by removing unused kernel packages:
