Hello,

I am a pretty new to linux but am loving playing with my linode. I would like to setup openvpn so when I am out using random wifi hotspots I can make sure no one is snooping my connection. (Plus I think it will be fun) So my question is can anyone point me to a good guide to get things setup? I have done some looking around and think that I need to setup a TUN device be for the life of my can't figure out how this is done on my linode??? Anyway if you can point out some guides or just give me some good advise here that would be great!

Thanks
Matt

Everything I ever needed to know about OpenVPN:

http://openvpn.net/index.php/documentation/howto.html

The TUN/TAP device should already be built into the linode kernel, so all you need to do is set up the openvpn daemon.

Hi,

Im trying to setip OpenVPN on my linode too.
I am using Debian etch but I have a problem with the tun device.
There is no tun device setup.

# dmesg | grep TUN
tun: Universal TUN/TAP device driver, 1.6

# ifconfig -a | grep tun
tunl0 Link encap:IPIP Tunnel HWaddr

# ls -l /dev/tun*
ls: /dev/tun*: No such file or directory

# ls -l /dev/net/
ls: /dev/net/: No such file or directory

If I try to create it I get:
# openvpn --mktun --dev tun0
Tue Oct 28 15:07:56 2008 Note: Cannot open TUN/TAP dev /dev/net/tun: No such file or directory (errno=2)
Tue Oct 28 15:07:56 2008 Note: Attempting fallback to kernel 2.2 TUN/TAP interface
Tue Oct 28 15:07:56 2008 Cannot open TUN/TAP dev /dev/tun0: No such file or directory (errno=2)
Tue Oct 28 15:07:56 2008 Exiting

My kernel is: 2.6.26-linode13
I have also tried with 2.6.18-something
Still there is no tun/tap device and I cannot create one. Any ideas?

Thanks

Hmm ok ignore my post I found it

I had to manually create the /dev/net/tun device with the command: mknod /dev/net/tun c 10 200

apt-get install udev

Just as an aside (in case you still have issues) -- I followed the guide on the Wiki, worked great: http://www.linode.com/wiki/index.php/OpenVPN

This is exactly what worked for me. Thanks tlogic!

NB: I don't think it was specified, but this can be required on the _client_ side. My linode was an openVPN client (on Debian Etch). After adding the device on the client, it was able to connect to an openVPN server (running CentOS 5.2) in another datacenter.

NB#2: put your client settings in /etc/openvpn/client.conf and they will be run at startup.