In this tutorial, you will learn how to set up the OpenVPN app on your Linux device. This method is a proven way to easily connect to the VPN from countries with internet restrictions like China, UAE, Russia, etc.
You will learn how to:
- Get your credentials
- Install the OpenVPN package
- Download the configuration files
- Connect to the VPN
You will need a device running Linux operating system and an active Surfshark subscription. If you don’t have the subscription yet, you can get it here.
Get your credentials
- Log in to your Surfshark account. You can find the direct link here. Here you will find the Credentials tab.
-
Go to the VPN -> Manual setup -> Desktop or Mobile -> Credentials and copy the Username and the Password.
Install the OpenVPN package
- Open the terminal window.
You can do that by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T keys or navigating to it through your apps menu. -
Enter this command to install all the necessary packages:
sudo apt-get install openvpn unzip
You may need to enter your computer password to confirm this process. In such a case, enter the password and press Enter.
Download the configuration files
- Navigate to the OpenVPN directory. You can do that by entering this command:
cd /etc/openvpn - Download the Surfshark OpenVPN configuration files:
sudo wget https://surfshark.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/360018527519/configurations.zip - Extract configurations.zip with this command:
sudo unzip configurations -
To see the list of all the available servers, enter:
ls
Connect to the VPN
- Choose one server from the list you want to connect to and copy the hostname (URL) representing this server's hostname.
- Connect to this server by entering this command:
sudo openvpn paste the server name here
For example, if you'd like to connect to the US_udp server, this will be the command:
sudo openvpn US_udp.ovpn - Before connecting to the server, you should enter Surfshark service credentials.
These are the credentials you collected in the 'Get your credentials' part. Then press enter. - Can you see the 'Initialization Sequence Completed' line in your terminal?
Great! This means you have successfully connected to Surfshark! - To disconnect from the OpenVPN connection, open the terminal and press Ctrl + C.
Congratulations - you have successfully installed and configured the OpenVPN connection on your Linux device! As long as you’re connected, your location is private, and your sensitive data is secure.
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