How to Create a VPN Server on Ubuntu 12.04

pt-get update

apt-get install openvpn openssl

cd /etc/openvpn

cp -r /usr/share/doc/openvpn/examples/easy-rsa/2.0 ./easy-rsa

apt-get install nano

nano easy-rsa/vars

change

export EASY_RSA=”`pwd`”

to

export EASY_RSA=”/etc/openvpn/easy-rsa”

. ./easy-rsa/vars

./easy-rsa/clean-all

cd easy-rsa

ln -s openssl-1.0.0.cnf openssl.cnf

cd ..

./easy-rsa/build-ca OpenVPN

./easy-rsa/build-key-server server

./easy-rsa/build-key client1

./easy-rsa/build-dh

nano openvpn.conf

begin openvpn.conf contents – copy below this line

dev tun

proto udp

port 1194

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/dh1024.pem

user nobody

group nogroup

server 10.8.0.0 255.255.255.0

persist-key

persist-tun

status /var/log/openvpn-status.log

verb 3

client-to-client

push “redirect-gateway def1″

#set the dns servers

push “dhcp-option DNS 8.8.8.8″

push “dhcp-option DNS 8.8.4.4″

log-append /var/log/openvpn

comp-lzo

end openvpn.conf contents – copy above this line

echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward

do “ifconfig” to get adapter name and ipaddress (venet0 was mine since my vps host is using openvz)

iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -s 10.8.0.0/24 -o venet0 -j SNAT --to YOUR.VPS.IP

cd ..

nano sysctl.conf

un-comment (remove the #) from the line containing #net.ipv4.ip_forward=1

cd ..

/etc/init.d/openvpn start

begin newvpn.ovpn contents – copy below this line

dev tun

client

proto udp

remote YOUR.VPS.IP 1194

resolv-retry infinite

nobind

persist-key

persist-tun

ca ca.crt

cert client1.crt

key client1.key

comp-lzo

verb 3

end newvpn.ovpn contents – copy above this line

The software I download the files with is called WinSCP. It allows you to transfer files via SSH. This is useful if you do not have an ftp or http server running.