hwdsl2/openvpn-install
ShellOpenVPN server installer for Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, CentOS, Fedora, openSUSE, Amazon Linux and Raspberry Pi OS. Includes interactive setup and client management.
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OpenVPN Server Auto Setup Script
OpenVPN server installer for Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, CentOS, Fedora, openSUSE, Amazon Linux and Raspberry Pi OS.
This script will let you set up your own VPN server in just a few minutes, even if you haven't used OpenVPN before. OpenVPN is an open-source, robust and highly flexible VPN protocol.
Features:
- Fully automated OpenVPN server setup, no user input needed
- Supports interactive install using custom options
- Generates VPN profiles to auto-configure Windows, macOS, iOS and Android devices
- Supports managing OpenVPN users and certificates
- Optimizes
sysctlsettings for improved VPN performance - Dual-stack IPv4 and IPv6 support for VPN clients
Also available:
- Docker VPN: WireGuard, OpenVPN, IPsec VPN, Headscale
- AI: Self-Hosted AI Stack for local LLMs, chat, RAG, voice and AI tools
- Books: Privacy Tools in the Age of AI, Build Your Own VPN Server
Installation
First, download the script on your Linux server*:
wget -O openvpn.sh https://get.vpnsetup.net/ovpn
* A cloud server, virtual private server (VPS) or dedicated server.
Option 1: Auto install OpenVPN using default options.
sudo bash openvpn.sh --auto
See the script in action (terminal recording).
Note: This recording is for demo purposes only.
[!TIP] Optionally install WireGuard, IPsec VPN and/or Headscale on the same server.
For servers with an external firewall (e.g. EC2/GCE), open UDP port 1194 for the VPN.
Option 2: Interactive install using custom options.
sudo bash openvpn.sh
You can customize the following options: VPN server's DNS name, protocol (TCP/UDP) and port, DNS server for VPN clients and name of the first client.
For servers with an external firewall, open your selected TCP or UDP port for the VPN.
Click here if you are unable to download.
You may also use curl to download:
curl -fL -o openvpn.sh https://get.vpnsetup.net/ovpn
Then follow the instructions above to install.
Alternative setup URLs:
https://github.com/hwdsl2/openvpn-install/raw/master/openvpn-install.sh
https://gitlab.com/hwdsl2/openvpn-install/-/raw/master/openvpn-install.sh
If you are unable to download, open openvpn-install.sh, then click the Raw button on the right. Press Ctrl/Cmd+A to select all, Ctrl/Cmd+C to copy, then paste into your favorite editor.
Advanced: Auto install using custom options.
Advanced users can auto install OpenVPN using custom options, by specifying command-line options when running the script. For more details, see the next section "view usage information for the OpenVPN script".
Alternatively, you may provide a Bash "here document" as input to the setup script. This method can also be used to provide input to manage users after install.
First, install OpenVPN interactively using custom options, and write down all your inputs to the script.
sudo bash openvpn.sh
If you need to remove OpenVPN, run the script again and select the appropriate option.
Next, create the custom install command using your inputs. Example:
sudo bash openvpn.sh <<ANSWERS
n
1
1194
2
client
y
ANSWERS
Note: The install options may change in future versions of the script.
View usage information for the OpenVPN script.
Usage: bash openvpn.sh [options]
Options:
--addclient [client name] add a new client
--exportclient [client name] export configuration for an existing client
--listclients list the names of existing clients
--revokeclient [client name] revoke an existing client
--uninstall remove OpenVPN and delete all configuration
-y, --yes assume "yes" as answer to prompts when revoking a client or removing OpenVPN
-h, --help show this help message and exit
Install options (optional):
--auto auto install OpenVPN using default or custom options
--listenaddr [IPv4 address] IPv4 address that OpenVPN should listen on for requests
--serveraddr [DNS name or IP] server address, must be a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) or an IPv4 address
--proto [TCP or UDP] protocol for OpenVPN (TCP or UDP, default: UDP)
--port [number] port for OpenVPN (1-65535, default: 1194)
--clientname [client name] name for the first OpenVPN client (default: client)
--dns1 [DNS server IP] primary DNS server for clients (default: Google Public DNS)
--dns2 [DNS server IP] secondary DNS server for clients
To customize options, you may also run this script without arguments.
Community
- 📬 Subscribe for project updates (1–2 emails/month) — get free VPN and AI deployment guides (PDF)
- 💬 Join the r/selfhostedstack community for discussions
- ⭐ Star the repository if you find it useful — it helps others discover it
Next steps
After setup, you can run the script again to manage users or uninstall OpenVPN.
Get your computer or device to use the VPN. Please refer to:
Read :book: VPN book to access extra content.
Enjoy your very own VPN! :sparkles::tada::rocket::sparkles:
Credits
This script is based on the great work of Nyr and contributors, with enhancements and changes for compatibility with the Setup IPsec VPN project.
List of enhancements over Nyr/openvpn-install.
- Improved compatibility with Setup IPsec VPN
- Improved script reliability, user input and output
- Supports auto install using default or custom options
- Supports using a DNS name as server address
- Added support for openSUSE Linux
- Added support for Amazon Linux 2023
- Supports exporting configuration for an existing VPN client
- Supports listing existing VPN clients
- Supports custom DNS server(s) for VPN clients
- Supports command-line options for managing VPN clients
- Optimizes
sysctlsettings for improved VPN performance - Improved creation of client config files when using
sudo
...and more!
License
MIT