Summary of OpenVPN Installation and Configuration on FreeBSD

1. Installing OpenVPN

Install OpenVPN on FreeBSD:

sudo pkg install openvpn

or, if you want a more fine-tuned installation:

cd /usr/ports/security/openvpn
sudo make install clean

2. Preparing the Configuration

DOWNLOAD YOUR .OVPN CONFIG FILE OR GET ONE FROM protonvpn.com FOR FREE

Navigate to the OpenVPN config folder:

cd /usr/local/etc/openvpn/

Place your client configuration file here.
Example: client.conf

Rename client.conf to openvpn.conf:

sudo cp client.conf openvpn.conf

(because the default service expects openvpn.conf)

3. Ensuring the TUN/TAP Kernel Module is Loaded

OpenVPN requires a TUN interface.
Load the TUN module:

sudo kldload if_tun

If it is already active, you will see:

kldload: can't load if_tun: module already loaded or in kernel

To automatically load the module at boot:

sudo sh -c 'echo if_tun_load="YES" >> /boot/loader.conf'

4. Creating the tun0 Interface (if it doesn't exist)

If /dev/tun0 does not exist:

sudo ifconfig tun create

Check if tun0 has been created:

ifconfig tun0

5. Running OpenVPN Manually

To test if the configuration is valid:

sudo openvpn --config /usr/local/etc/openvpn/openvpn.conf

If successful, OpenVPN will display a log message like:

Initialization Sequence Completed

and tun0 will receive an IP address.

6. Configuring OpenVPN as a Service (Optional)

If you want OpenVPN to start automatically via the service system, edit /etc/rc.conf:

sudo ee /etc/rc.conf

Add the following line:

openvpn_enable="YES"

If your config file has a different name (not openvpn.conf), you will need to manually set up an instance.

To start the service:

sudo service openvpn start

If you encounter an error related to if_tun0, it's better to continue running OpenVPN manually using openvpn --config (as you did before).

7. Checking VPN Status

To make sure you are connected through the VPN:

• Open https://whatismyipaddress.com/
• Compare your IP address before and after connecting.

If your IP address changes ➔ OpenVPN is successfully connected!

Additional Notes

• Check OpenVPN logs in /var/log/ if there are any errors.
• Use ps aux | grep openvpn to see active OpenVPN processes.
• To manually kill the OpenVPN process:

sudo killall openvpn