How to Set Up OpenVPN on Linux Using the Terminal

Last updated: February 19, 2020

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This guide will show you how to manually set up ExpressVPN on Linux using the Terminal. You will be establishing a Linux OpenVPN connection via Terminal, using ExpressVPN’s configuration files.

Prefer app setup? See the instructions for setting up the ExpressVPN app for Linux.

Jump to…

Download the OpenVPN configuration files
Install and set up the VPN
Connect to the VPN server location
Disconnect from the VPN server location

Download the OpenVPN configuration files

Open the Welcome Email you received when you signed up for ExpressVPN. Click the link in the email.

If you cannot find the link, sign in to your account here.

Once you have clicked the link in the welcome email or signed in to the website, click on Set Up on More Devices.

Click on Manual Config on the left side of the screen and then select the OpenVPN tab on the right. You will first see your username and password and then a list of OpenVPN configuration files.

Find the server location(s) you want to connect to (for example, Los Angeles, New York, Hong Kong), then download and save the .ovpn file(s) to your desktop.

Note: Please have your username and password ready, as you will be asked to enter them later in the setup process.

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for immediate assistance.

Install and set up the VPN

For installation instructions, click on the version of Linux you use below:

Ubuntu 14.04

If you are using Ubuntu 14.04, enter the following commands.

For installation:

sudo apt-get install network-manager network-manager-openvpn network-manager-openvpn-gnome openvpn easy-rsa

For configuring OpenVPN:

sudo openvpn --config

Next, drag and drop the .ovpn file you wish to use from the desktop into the Terminal window. Terminal will automatically capture the path for you.

Ubuntu 16.04 or 16.10

If you are using Ubuntu 16.04 or 16.10, enter the following commands.

For installation:

sudo apt-get install -y openvpn

For configuring OpenVPN:

sudo openvpn --up /etc/openvpn/update-resolv-conf --down /etc/openvpn/update-resolv-conf --script-security 2 --config

Next, press the space bar once and drag the .ovpn file you wish to use from the desktop into the Terminal window. Terminal will automatically capture the path for you.

Other versions of Linux

If you are using a different version of Linux, enter the following commands.

For installation:

sudo apt-get install -y openvpn

For configuring OpenVPN:

sudo openvpn --config

Next, drag and drop the .ovpn file you wish to use from the desktop into the Terminal window. Terminal will automatically capture the path for you.

Need help? Contact the ExpressVPN Support Team for immediate assistance.

Connect to the VPN server location

To connect OpenVPN, once the path is loaded, press Enter to initiate connection to the server.

Wait for the connection sequence to finish. Once the connection has been established successfully, you should see something like the screenshot below (Initialization Sequence Completed).