Installing OpenVPN on CentOS 7

OpenVPN is an open-source virtual private network (VPN) application that allows you to create secure and encrypted connections between multiple devices over the internet. It provides a secure way to access network resources remotely and ensures the privacy and confidentiality of data transmitted over the network.

Here are the steps to install OpenVPN on CentOS 7:

     $ sudo yum update   

     $ sudo yum install epel-release     $ sudo yum install openvpn easy-rsa   

     $ sudo mkdir /etc/openvpn     $ sudo mkdir /etc/openvpn/easy-rsa   

     $ cp -r /usr/share/easy-rsa/3.0/* /etc/openvpn/easy-rsa   

     $ sudo vi /etc/openvpn/easy-rsa/vars   

Modify the variables according to your requirements. For example, you can change the country, organization, and email address.

     $ sudo -i     $ cd /etc/openvpn/easy-rsa     $ source ./vars     $ ./easyrsa init-pki   

Follow the on-screen instructions to initialize the PKI.

     $ ./easyrsa build-ca   

You will be prompted to enter a common name for your CA. Press Enter to use the default name.

     $ ./easyrsa gen-req server nopass     $ ./easyrsa sign-req server server   

You will be prompted to enter a password for the server certificate. Press Enter to leave it blank.

     $ ./easyrsa gen-dh   

     $ sudo cp /etc/openvpn/easy-rsa/pki/ca.crt /etc/openvpn/     $ sudo cp /etc/openvpn/easy-rsa/pki/issued/server.crt /etc/openvpn/     $ sudo cp /etc/openvpn/easy-rsa/pki/private/server.key /etc/openvpn/     $ sudo cp /etc/openvpn/easy-rsa/pki/dh.pem /etc/openvpn/   

     $ sudo vi /etc/openvpn/server.conf   

Add the following content to the file (you can modify it according to your requirements):

          proto udp     ;proto tcp     dev tun     user nobody     group nobody     persist-key     persist-tun     ca ca.crt     cert server.crt     key server.key     dh dh.pem     server 10.8.0.0 255.255.255.0     ifconfig-pool-persist ipp.txt     push "redirect-gateway def1 bypass-dhcp"     push "dhcp-option DNS 8.8.8.8"     push "dhcp-option DNS 8.8.4.4"     keepalive 10 120     tls-auth ta.key 0     cipher AES-256-CBC     auth SHA256     comp-lzo     max-clients 10     user nobody     status openvpn-status.log     verb 4        

     $ sudo firewall-cmd --add-service=openvpn --permanent     $ sudo firewall-cmd --reload   

     $ sudo systemctl enable [email protected]     $ sudo systemctl start [email protected]   

     $ sudo systemctl status [email protected]   

1. Update your system:
2. Install the necessary packages:
3. Create the OpenVPN directory structure:
4. Copy the necessary files to the OpenVPN directory:
5. Edit the Easy-RSA configuration file:
6. Initialize the Easy-RSA PKI (Public Key Infrastructure):
7. Build the Certificate Authority (CA):
8. Generate the server certificate and key:
9. Generate Diffie-Hellman parameters:
10. Copy the necessary files to the OpenVPN directory:
11. Create the OpenVPN server configuration file:
12. Create the firewall rule to allow OpenVPN traffic:
13. Enable and start the OpenVPN service:
14. If everything is set up correctly, you should see the OpenVPN service running:

Congratulations! OpenVPN has been successfully installed on your CentOS 7 server. You can now configure your client devices to connect to the VPN server using the generated keys and certificates.

Remember to secure your OpenVPN server by adjusting firewall rules and implementing additional security measures as needed.