Overview

There are two ways to install eduVPN on Linux. eduVPN ist built upon OpenVPN. You can choose between using eduVPN-GUI or OpenVPN. Then you have to download a profile.

eduvpn-GUI

easy renewing your expired profiles

OpenVPN with downloaded profile

slimmer installation

NetworkManager always adds a default route. This results in to all data passing the VPN tunnel. See Network Manager und default Route

eduVPN-GUI

you can install eduVPN from https://www.eduvpn.org/client-apps/ Select tab Linux

On the web page https://python-eduvpn-client.readthedocs.io/en/master/ navigate to Debian and Ubuntu or your preferred Linux installation. This guide uses Ubuntu. https://python-eduvpn-client.readthedocs.io/en/master/installation.html#debian-and-ubuntu

Follow the instructions to install the eduVPN-GUI client.

After successful installation, start the eduVPN client.

Now select the appropriate Server by simply typing a keyword. In case this does not work, please enter the institution's name. Select the entry below Institute Access

Institution	Keyword	Configuration Guide	eduVPN server
University of Applied Sciences Munich via LRZ-VPN	hm.edu	VPN - eduVPN - Konfiguration für HM	hm.eduvpn.lrz.de
Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences via LRZ-VPN	hswt.de	VPN - eduVPN - Konfiguration für HSWT	hswt.eduvpn.lrz.de
Leibniz Supercomputing Centre via LRZ-VPN	lrz.de	internal documentation	int.eduvpn.lrz.de
University of Munich via LRZ-VPN	lmu.de	VPN - eduVPN - Konfiguration für LMU	lmu.eduvpn.lrz.de
Technical University of Munich via LRZ-VPN	tum.de	VPN - eduVPN - Konfiguration für TUM	tum.eduvpn.lrz.de
Other VPN institutions with VPN affiliation	mwn.de	VPN - eduVPN - Konfiguration für andere Einrichtungen	rad.eduvpn.lrz.de

OpenVPN with eduVPN configuration profile

Requirements:

OpenVPN
OpenVPN Plugin for Network Manager

To get the profile you have to log on to your institution's VPN server. Select the server on from the table above in the last column.

Select the tab Configurations

Klicken sie auf den Reiter Einstellungen:

Expand the page. Now you can download configuration profiles. You need an extra configuration profile for every device you use. Give a speaking name to your profile to tell them apart.

The file name is built from these parts:

SERVERNAME_PROFILENAMEINTERN_DATE_YOURNAME.ovpn

You can manually check or even use your configuration profile from the command line:

$ sudo openvpn --verb 3 --config configuration.ovpn

To import your profile into NetworkManager open network setting in system settings:

Click on the little plus sign next to VPN

Here you can import your configuration profile.

Network Manager und Default-Route

To correct the routing select:

use this connection only for Ressources on its Network

within IPv4 and IPv6 settings.

Save your Network profile.

You can check your setting with nmcli in a terminal:

# Checkbox gesetzt, Routing o.k.
$ nmcli conn show eduVPN | grep never-default
ipv4.never-default:                     yes
ipv6.never-default:                     yes

# Checkbox nicht gesetzt, zusätzliche default Route
$ nmcli conn show eduVPN | grep never-default
ipv4.never-default:                     no
ipv6.never-default:                     no

You may as well configure this setting in NetworkManager's settings. Insert at [ipv4] and at [ipv6] never-default=true . The activate these new settings

/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/eduVPN
[connection]
id=eduVPN
uuid=8050532c-116f-11ec-93b7-23a58eab4fe8
type=vpn
permissions=

[vpn]
...

[ipv4]
dns-search=
method=auto
never-default=true

[ipv6]
addr-gen-mode=stable-privacy
dns-search=
method=auto
never-default=true

sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager.service

On the VPN server web frontend you may administer and optionally delete your profiles.