This is a tutorial on how to start an OpenVPN connection when your Linux system boots.
Auto-connect OpenVPN via terminal
1. Create an auth.txt file inside the /etc/openvpn directory using the following command:
sudo gedit /etc/openvpn/auth.txt
Type in your NordVPN credentials (your username and password) on the separate lines in the file and save it.
2. Open the file you are using to establish a connection:
sudo gedit /etc/openvpn/openvpn_udp/de75.nordvpn.com.udp.ovpn
Change this line:
auth-user-pass
to
auth-user-pass auth.txt
Save the file and change its name:
sudo mv /etc/openvpn/openvpn_udp/de75.nordvpn.com.udp.ovpn /etc/openvpn/de75.conf
3. Edit the openvpn boot file using this command:
sudo gedit /etc/default/openvpn
When the text editor opens, add the following line above #AUTOSTART="all":
AUTOSTART="de75"
Save the file and reboot your Linux device.
4. Once the device has rebooted, open the terminal and type in:
sudo traceroute 8.8.8.8
The first hop address should be 10.8.8.1, and on ipleak.net you should see the IP address of the German server you are connected to.
Auto-connect OpenVPN via Network Manager (Ubuntu)
First, set up the VPN connection using Network Manager.
Once the VPN connection is set up in the Network manager, edit your main network connection and select Automatically connect to VPN when using this connection. In the drop-down list, select the VPN connection you previously created.
Tip: Your VPN connection safety depends on your account password too. Don't forget to use a strong password on your account, as it will help you to avoid credential stuffing attacks and will keep your connections safe and uninterrupted.
As generating and remembering strong and secure passwords is not an easy task, we recommend downloading our free password manager — NordPass. It generates secure passwords for you and stores them safely, letting you avoid time-wasting password resets in the future.
