StrongSwan is an open-source VPN client which offers high-security encryption and secure communication between devices. In this tutorial, we will guide you on how to install StrongSwan on your Ubuntu Server latest using the command-line interface.
Prerequisites
Before proceeding with the installation, make sure that you have the following prerequisites:
- An Ubuntu Server Latest installed
- sudo privileges or root account access
- Basic knowledge of the command-line interface
Step 1: Update the system
To update the Ubuntu server, open up the terminal emulator and run the following command:
$ sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgradeThis command will update the packages and repositories to ensure that everything installed on the system is up-to-date.
Step 2: Install StrongSwan on Ubuntu Server Latest
To install StrongSwan on Ubuntu Server Latest, run the following command:
$ sudo apt-get install strongswanThis command will install the StrongSwan VPN client on your Ubuntu server.
Step 3: Configure StrongSwan
After successfully installing StrongSwan, the next step is to configure it. First, you need to create a configuration file for StrongSwan. Run the following command to create a configuration file:
$ sudo nano /etc/ipsec.confThis command will open the Nano text editor where you can configure the StrongSwan VPN client. You can add the following lines to the configuration file:
config setup charondebug = “ike 4, cfg 2, knl 3, net 2, esp 4, dmn 4”conn %default type = tunnelconn myvpn keyexchange = ikev2 left = %any leftsubnet = 0.0.0.0/0 leftauth = pubkey leftcert = /path/to/cert.pem leftid = @mydomain.com right = vpnserver-ip rightsubnet = 0.0.0.0/0 rightauth = pubkey rightid = @vpnserver-domain.com auto = route dpdaction = restart dpddelay = 30s dpdtimeout = 120sSave and exit the Nano text editor by pressing CTRL + X, Y, and ENTER.
Step 4: Add user credentials
In this step, you need to add user credentials for StrongSwan. To add user credentials, run the following command:
$ sudo nano /etc/ipsec.secretsThis command will open the Nano text editor where you need to add the following lines:
: RSA /path/to/privatekey.pemuser1 : EAP "password1"user2 : EAP "password2"Save and exit the Nano text editor by pressing CTRL + X, Y, and ENTER.
Step 5: Start StrongSwan service
After completing the configurations, start the StrongSwan service by running the following command:
$ sudo systemctl start strongswanThis command will start the StrongSwan VPN client service.
Step 6: Verify the StrongSwan installation
To verify that the StrongSwan VPN client is installed and running on your Ubuntu server, run the following command:
$ sudo systemctl status strongswanThis command will display the status of the StrongSwan VPN client service.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You have successfully installed StrongSwan on your Ubuntu Server Latest. Now you can easily configure a VPN connection with the StrongSwan VPN client on your Ubuntu server.
If you want to self-host in an easy, hands free way, need an external IP address, or simply want your data in your own hands, give IPv6.rs a try!
Alternatively, for the best virtual desktop, try Shells!
