linux Using AirVPN with Debian Network Manager (NOT RECOMMENDED)

[Staff 9950]

UPDATE

Due to multiple, critical  problems in network-manager-openvpn which after years have not been solved we recommend to NOT use it. Please understand that we will not provide support to network-manager-openvpn. In GNU/Linux we recommend that you run our free and open source software "Eddie", or our free and open source software "Hummingbird", or OpenVPN directly

 

21/04/2014: network-manager-openvpn runs OpenVPN so that OpenVPN does not check the server certificate.
Therefore we DO NOT RECOMMEND usage of network-manager for security reasons.
This issue is already fixed in newest version not yet available in Debian 7 Wheezy

• Download your configuration file from the page Config Generator
• Select "Advanced Mode"
• Tick "Separate certs/keys from .ovpn files"
• Save the downloaded zip-file somewhere, say in ~/.airvpn. Unzip it. Five files should be extracted. Try to make sure nobody but you can read the file user.key, because that one is secret.
• Erase the zip-file. Or at least, make sure only you can read it (since it contains the secret user.key file inside)
• Install the package named network-manager-openvpn-gnome, which is a plugin to NetworkManager handling OpenVPN connections. The install will automatically include all needed packages, like openvpn etc.
• Perhaps you'll have to log out and log in again, or even restart the computer or something. To check that openvpn plugin was properly installed in NetworkManager, click on the nm-applet (the NetworkManager icon) => VPN Connections => Configure VPN. In the little window that comes up, click the Add button. Is there an OpenVPN option in the menu? Good. But don't click on it. Just close the windows. This was just a check.
• Click on the nm-applet (the NetworkManager icon) => VPN Connections => Configure VPN
• In the little window that comes up, click the Import button.
• In the file chooser that comes up, find the previously downloaded file air.ovpn (perhaps you stored it in the ~/.airvpn directory?)
• A new little window comes up. It is pre-filled with the necessary airvpn-configuration stuff.
• Click the NetworkManager applet. Under VPN-connections, you should now be able to select the VPN-connection named air. After a little while, the applet icon should be decorated with a little padlock.

For any comment or feedback, you can find the discussion here.
Thanks to HugeHedon for this article.

[dwright 25]

I'm considering switching to Debian, and I was just wondering, does the warning still apply or is it now "fixed"?

 

What is the best way of connecting to Air in Debian if not this, and what are the risks of using the not recommended method?

[Staff 9950]

Hello,

 

in Debian 7, Eddie 2.1beta works very well. Otherwise run OpenVPN directly.

 

Kind regards