Setup a Ubuntu VPN server

I recently installed Ubuntu Linux on a home server (I hate that word, but it best describes what it is, so). Anyway, I’d like to be able to create a VPN network between my home server and my MacbookPro, which might be anywhere in the world.

This first part of the tutorial describes how to setup a VPN server in Ubuntu. ~ First, install the pptpd package. pptpd offers a PPTP-type VPN which is supported by Microsoft and other network vendors. This is also the easiest to setup.

1sudo apt-get install pptpd

Next up, edit /etc/pptpd.conf with sudo vi /etc/pptp.conf. At the bottom add the following lines:

1localip 192.168.1.10
2remoteip 192.168.1.230-239

Here localip references the IP of my home server. The remoteip variable configures which IPs remote clients may use when the connect through VPN to my network. In this case I reserve 10 IP address: 192.168.1.230 through 192.168.1.239.

With that out of the way, let’s tell PPTP which users to allow. Edit /etc/ppp/chap-secrets, just like you did before using sudo.

1# client    server  secret          IP Address
2ariejan     pptpd   somepassword    *

That’s all! Yes, seriously. Just restart the pptpd daemon and you’re good to go.

Now, go and watch my PPTP VPN setup for Mac OS X Snow Leopard

Note: This was tested on Ubuntu 10.10-amd64