How to connect to OpenVPN with NetworkManager

Question

I have installed an OpenVPN server on my OpenWrt 10.03 router [freshly flashed]:

echo "nameserver 8.8.8.8" > /etc/resolv.conf; opkg update; opkg install luci-app-openvpn openvpn openssl-util openssh-sftp-server ntpd
vim /etc/ssl/openssl.cnf # modify a few lines
[ CA_default ]
dir             = /etc/openvpn
new_certs_dir   = $dir/certs
certificate = $dir/ca.crt
private_key = $dir/ca.key

touch /etc/openvpn/index.txt; touch /etc/openvpn/serial; echo 01 > /etc/openvpn/serial
openssl req -nodes -new -x509 -keyout /etc/openvpn/ca.key -out /etc/openvpn/ca.crt -days 3650 # give a common name, like: vpnserver
openvpn --genkey --secret /etc/openvpn/ta.key
openssl req -nodes -new -keyout /etc/openvpn/server.key -out /etc/openvpn/server.csr # give a common name, like: vpnserver
mkdir -p /etc/openvpn/certs; mkdir -p /etc/openvpn/private
openssl ca -out /etc/openvpn/server.crt -in /etc/openvpn/server.csr
time openssl dhparam -out /etc/openvpn/dh1024.pem 1024 # it could take 10 minutes!

# generate certs for clients [X = client number]
openssl req -nodes -new -keyout /etc/openvpn/clientX.key -out /etc/openvpn/clientX.csr # give a common name! it will be the user name
openssl ca -out /etc/openvpn/clientX.crt -in /etc/openvpn/clientX.csr
# e.g.: 
openssl req -nodes -new -keyout /etc/openvpn/client1.key -out /etc/openvpn/client1.csr # give a common name! it will be the user name
openssl ca -out /etc/openvpn/client1.crt -in /etc/openvpn/client1.csr

vim /etc/config/openvpn
config 'openvpn' 'openvpn_server'
    option 'enable' '1'
    option 'port' '1194'
    option 'proto' 'udp'
    option 'dev' 'tap'
    option 'ca' '/etc/openvpn/ca.crt'
    option 'cert' '/etc/openvpn/server.crt'
    option 'key' '/etc/openvpn/server.key'
    option 'tls_auth' '/etc/openvpn/ta.key 0' # server: 0
    option 'dh' '/etc/openvpn/dh1024.pem'
    option 'comp_lzo' '1'
    option 'server' '10.20.30.0 255.255.255.0'
    option 'keepalive' '10 120'
    option 'persist_key' '1'
    option 'persist_tun' '1'
    option 'mute' '20'
    option 'verb' '3'
    option 'client_to_client' '1'
    list 'push' 'dhcp-option DNS 10.20.30.1'
/etc/init.d/openvpn enable
/etc/init.d/openvpn start
ifconfig -a | less
ping 10.20.30.1

# here comes the firewall part
vim /etc/config/firewall # modify it
config 'include'
    option 'path' '/etc/firewall.user'

config 'redirect'
    option 'src' 'wan'
    option 'proto' 'udp'
    option 'src_dport' '1194'
    option 'dest_port' '1194'
    option '_name' 'OpenVPN'

vim /etc/firewall.user # modify it
iptables -t nat -A prerouting_rule -i $WAN -p udp --dport 11194 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A input_rule -i $WAN -p udp --dport 11194 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A forwarding_rule -i tap+ -o br-lan -j ACCEPT
iptables -A forwarding_rule -i br-lan -o tap+ -j ACCEPT
iptables -A input_rule -i tap+ -j ACCEPT
iptables -A output_rule -o tap -j ACCEPT

/etc/init.d/firewall restart

# tar the files that goes to the client1
mkdir -p /root/client1
cp /etc/openvpn/ca.crt /root/client1/; cp /etc/openvpn/client1.crt /root/client1/; cp /etc/openvpn/client1.key /root/client1/; cp /etc/openvpn/ta.key /root/client1/
cd /root/; tar -cf client1.tar client1

It seems "ok".

I connect my pc to the lan port of the router, and i want to try it out. I'm using Fedora 14 with GNOME. In the NetworkManager applet i set these things:

I try to connect, but it fails. Here are the logs:

Mar  7 15:42:43 ASDF NetworkManager[1458]: <info> Starting VPN service 'openvpn'...
Mar  7 15:42:43 ASDF NetworkManager[1458]: <info> VPN service 'openvpn' started (org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.openvpn), PID 23552
Mar  7 15:42:43 ASDF NetworkManager[1458]: <info> VPN service 'openvpn' appeared; activating connections
Mar  7 15:42:43 ASDF NetworkManager[1458]: <info> VPN plugin state changed: 1
Mar  7 15:42:43 ASDF NetworkManager[1458]: <info> VPN plugin state changed: 3
Mar  7 15:42:43 ASDF NetworkManager[1458]: <info> VPN connection 'elsovpn' (Connect) reply received.
Mar  7 15:42:43 ASDF nm-openvpn[23554]: OpenVPN 2.1.1 i686-redhat-linux-gnu [SSL] [LZO2] [EPOLL] [PKCS11] built on Jan  5 2010
Mar  7 15:42:43 ASDF nm-openvpn[23554]: WARNING: No server certificate verification method has been enabled.  See http://openvpn.net/howto.html#mitm for more info.
Mar  7 15:42:43 ASDF nm-openvpn[23554]: NOTE: the current --script-security setting may allow this configuration to call user-defined scripts
Mar  7 15:42:43 ASDF nm-openvpn[23554]: Cannot load certificate file /home/g/Desktop/client1/client1.crt: error:0200100D:system library:fopen:Permission denied: error:20074002:BIO routines:FILE_CTRL:system lib: error:140AD002:SSL routines:SSL_CTX_use_certificate_file:system lib
Mar  7 15:42:43 ASDF nm-openvpn[23554]: Exiting
Mar  7 15:42:43 ASDF kernel: [55630.235164] type=1400 audit(1299508963.340:23608): avc:  denied  { read } for  pid=23554 comm="openvpn" name="client1.crt" dev=dm-1 ino=3019385 scontext=system_u:system_r:openvpn_t:s0 tcontext=unconfined_u:object_r:user_home_t:s0 tclass=file
Mar  7 15:42:43 ASDF NetworkManager[1458]: <warn> VPN plugin failed: 1
Mar  7 15:42:43 ASDF NetworkManager[1458]: <info> VPN plugin state changed: 6
Mar  7 15:42:43 ASDF NetworkManager[1458]: <info> VPN plugin state change reason: 0
Mar  7 15:42:43 ASDF NetworkManager[1458]: <warn> error disconnecting VPN: Could not process the request because no VPN connection was active.
Mar  7 15:42:43 ASDF NetworkManager[1458]: <info> Policy set 'Auto Ethernet' (eth0) as default for IPv4 routing and DNS.
Mar  7 15:42:49 ASDF NetworkManager[1458]: <info> VPN service 'openvpn' disappeared

one important thing: my routers [the one with the openvpn server] ip address is 192.168.1.2, and i didn't had to write it nowhere. so how could the networkmanager applet know the ip address of my openvpn server? i think this is the problem, but i just can't find where to write 192.168.1.2

I tried to search Google for: "No server certificate verification method has been enabled." but i didn't find a thing, and i'm trying for hours now... :\
p.s.: if i [on the router]:

iptables -P INPUT ACCEPT
iptables -P FORWARD ACCEPT
iptables -P OUTPUT ACCEPT
iptables -t nat -P PREROUTING ACCEPT
iptables -t nat -P POSTROUTING ACCEPT
iptables -t nat -P OUTPUT ACCEPT
iptables -t mangle -P PREROUTING ACCEPT
iptables -t mangle -P OUTPUT ACCEPT

And stat tcpdump, and try to connect from my pc, nothing happens!.. so the bug is in the networkmanager applet!?

again, p.s.: if i:

$ telnet 192.168.1.2 1197
Trying 192.168.1.2...
telnet: connect to address 192.168.1.2: Connection refused
$connbsp;

Are there any good howtos about setting this kind of openvpn [as in the pastebin link, on an openwrt router..]?
Is it worth finding another openvpn client program? [other then the networkmanager applet]

Answer 1

Why exactly are you trying to connect to your OpenVPN server from inside your LAN? The point of installing OpenVPN on your router should either be:

A) as a client to connect your entire private network to another OpenVPN server or
B) as a server to connect into your private network from the WAN side

To answer your question, your problem here is in the debug output you pasted:

Cannot load certificate file /home/g/Desktop/client1/client1.crt: error:0200100D:system library:fopen:Permission denied:

Check the perms on that file, ensure they are readable by your user at the very least (and the parent dirs). Depending on your client.conf, you may also need to make it world readable.

Answer 2

It may be that the router only accepts OpenVPN connections from the WAN side, not the LAN side. Try reaching it from a computer outside your network going to the router's public IP address.

For that matter, make sure your router has a routable public IP address. The screenshots you posted suggest it doesn't. (Hint: If the public IP has the form 10.x.x.x or 192.168.x.x, it's not routable). This might happen if your ISP has put you behind their own NAT router. In that case, you won't be able to initiate a connection to your router from the Internet. (Game over.)

Answer 3

To also autoconnect, use following python script: https://gist.github.com/1547663

First parameter to script is VPN connection name in NetworkManager and second are comma separated names of networks that should be ignored (using VPN connection at home is useless).

Example

$ git clone git://gist.github.com/1547663.git /home/user/autovpn/
$ echo "python /home/user/autovpn/autovpn.py 'myvpn' 'Auto homenetwork,Auto worknetwork' > /var/log/autovpn.log&" > /etc/rc.local
$ /etc/rc.local

Now if you connect to a wifi/ethernet, it will also try to setup VPN connection.