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Why is running openvpn so DIFFICULT on Windows compared to Linux?



 
 
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  #31  
Old December 25th 15, 04:40 AM posted to alt.os.linux,alt.windows7.general,alt.comp.os.windows-10
Mark Bannon
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Posts: 42
Default Why is running openvpn so DIFFICULT on Windows compared toLinux?

On Thu, 24 Dec 2015 19:22:36 +0000, Roger Blake wrote:

Have you obtained or generated the necessary certs/keys? Those will
need to be plugged into your config files unless you are using a simple
static key configuration.


This is far easier than you can imagine.

Try this (it's so simple, it's crazy!).

1. Go to vpngate.net
2. Download a few of the ovpn config files.
3. $ openvpn --config one-of-those-config-files.ovpn

Voila!
And you're on VPN.

It's so simple, it's crazy.
At least using Linux it is.

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  #32  
Old December 25th 15, 04:41 AM posted to alt.windows7.general,alt.comp.os.windows-10
Mark Bannon
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Default Why is running openvpn so DIFFICULT on Windows compared toLinux?

On Thu, 24 Dec 2015 18:26:55 -0500, Nil wrote:

Right-clicking in Windows has been available to bring up context menus
since at least Windows 98. They didn't *just* change things, and it is
for the better.


Yes. But not to just get to the "Start Run cmd" terminal window.

  #33  
Old December 25th 15, 04:46 AM posted to alt.os.linux,alt.windows7.general,alt.comp.os.windows-10
Mark Bannon
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Default Why is running openvpn so DIFFICULT on Windows compared toLinux?

On Thu, 24 Dec 2015 18:26:55 -0500, Nil wrote:

Except for the licensing and telemetry issues, Windows 10 is no worse
on a non-touch screen than is Windows 8, IMO.


The biggest problem I have with Windows 10 is that I have absolutely
no problem finding "my" files.

Any file "I" want I already put either in:
C:\data\{well-organized-subfolders}\ (for all my data)
C:\apps{well-organized-subfolders}\ (for all my apps)

The problem I have with Windows 10 (and, to a lesser extent, Win7
and Win8) is that Microsoft doesn't have a clue how to *organize*
a file system for a single-user system.

All that garbage with "roaming" directories seemingly 10-floors
down (why they need such a *deep* hierarchy for roaming is idiotic).

And, who needs "My Pictures", "My Music", etc., when c:\data\music
and c:\data\pic works just fine?

I guess I'm old, so I grew up when we had to *define* our own
file hierarchies - which is easy enough since there are only two
that you really need anyway (data & apps) plus c:\tmp for temporary
stuff like temporary downloads.

Unfortunately, while the default Linux file system was originally
better organized, it too has become a mess because people can't
figure out how to organize their stuff easily and simply.
  #34  
Old December 25th 15, 04:51 AM posted to alt.os.linux,alt.windows7.general,alt.comp.os.windows-10
Mark Bannon
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Posts: 42
Default Why is running openvpn so DIFFICULT on Windows compared toLinux?

On Thu, 24 Dec 2015 18:26:55 -0500, Nil wrote:

Seems to me that most of the problems you've been describing are of
your own making, plus your application having a faulty installer. None
of the problems you describe are the fault of the OS.


I don't disagree.

1. My first mistake was to use the WinXP installer instead of the
Windows Vista and above 64-bit installer. That was a stupid
mistake on my part (and probably the reason for it not working).

2. My second mistake was that I wasn't sure *how* to tell the
openvpn GUI how to load a desired *.ovpn configuration file.

So, I don't disagree with you that most of the mistakes turned out
to be that of my own doing.

The fact that Windows asks idiotic questions every time you install
(which you get used to just clicking past without thinking about it)
is crazy though, but I'm sure that's a setting I can set somewhere.

Also, the limit of 50 *ovpn files seems a tad small, since I have
probably hundreds, because openvpn.net has different ones every day,
which work today and then not tomorrow and then they work again the
next day.

One hint that *everyone* on VPN should add to Windows is this!
http://www.freddi.de/coding/cpp/VPNWatcher_111.zip

If you're not using VPN, you're stupid; but if you're not using
a vpnwatch program, you're even more so. (jk)

  #35  
Old December 25th 15, 04:55 AM posted to alt.os.linux,alt.windows7.general,alt.comp.os.windows-10
Mark Bannon
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Posts: 42
Default Why is running openvpn so DIFFICULT on Windows compared toLinux?

On Thu, 24 Dec 2015 13:51:33 -0500, Ed Mullen wrote:

Yes. Right-click the shortcut, choose Properties, on the Shortcut tab
fill in a location in "Start in".

You can also put add a command in the folder-context menu of Explorer to
open to a specific folder that you right-click on.

Open regedit and change/create these keys:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Folder\shell\C ommand Prompt]
@="Command Prompt Here"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Folder\shell\C ommand Prompt\command]
@="cmd.exe /k pushd %1"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Drive\shell\Co mmand Prompt]
@="Command Prompt Here"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Drive\shell\Co mmand Prompt\command]
@="cmd.exe /k pushd %1"


Works perfectly!

Thanks.

Merry Christmas!

  #36  
Old December 25th 15, 05:09 AM posted to alt.os.linux,alt.windows7.general,alt.comp.os.windows-10
Mark Bannon
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Posts: 42
Default Why is running openvpn so DIFFICULT on Windows compared toLinux?

On Fri, 25 Dec 2015 07:03:55 +0700, Rosalie wrote:

Where can I find the ovpn config file for Linux?

I went to http://www.vpngate.net/en/ but couldn't find anything related
to Linux, only Windows, Mac, iPhone / iPad and Android.


Heh heh ... I know *exactly* what you are saying.
The people who *wrote* that page didn't know what they were doing.
But, the config files work!

The config files are openvpn config files.
So, they'll work with *any* operating system.

All you need is the text file from that page.

Then, on Linux, you just run it like this:
$ openvpn --config whatever-file-you-downloaded.ovpn

Voila! You're on VPN.

In practice, those files are flaky, so, generally 8 out of 10 of them work
right off the bat, but, two days later, only, say, 6 out of 10 work, and
then two months later, only 2 out of those original 10 still work.

So, in practice, what "I" do, is download a dozen or so today, and then
periodically, once every few days (when I run low on working VPN files),
I download a few more. I save them all (because they come back to life).

If you don't use Marek Novotny's scripts, you'll be doing things too
manually, so, I use a bunch of his scripts to make it all so easy.

If you're on Windows, you will want to use VPNWatcher.zip.
If you're on Linux, you'll want to use Marek's vpnstatus.sh (which does
the same thing as VPNWatcher does for Windows).

You'll also want Marek's vpnchecker.sh which allows you to keep a directory
filled to the brim with VPN config files and you just run Marek's checker
and it will essentially choose a working vpn file for you.

In practice, I've renamed Marek's scripts such that "my" use model is thus:

1. I have an alias that puts me in my directory of choice, of which
I have many for different purposes, each filled to the brim with
freely available vpn configuration files from vpngate.net.

2. I then run "vpnrun" (which is, essentially, a modified version of
Marek's "vpnchecker.sh" script, which, essentially, selects a good
VPN configuration file to start.

3. Once I'm on VPN, I run "vpnwatch" (which is, essentially, a modified
version of Marek's vpnstatus.sh script), which will kill privacy
sensitive apps (such as torrents) the instant the vpn goes down.

4. Meanwhile, I also run some of Marek's scripts to prevent certain
programs (e.g., Gmail access) from running when I'm on VPN, in case
I accidentally hit the icon or accidentally open a link or hit the
wrong context-sensitive menu which then tries to open my mail). This
is both to prevent inadvertent privacy leaks & to prevent Gmail from
getting mad at me for coming in from various countries).

5. Lastly, I run more of Marek's scripts which allow certain programs
to run (e.g., torrents) *only* when I'm on VPN. This prevents privacy
leaks in the other direction.

As always, it's a well-honed system that matters, each step simply being
a logical extension of the overall goal, which, for VPN, is privacy.

If you need the scripts I mentioned above, I can't tell you where they
are because I pulled them off of Usenet; but I'm sure Marek has them
all organized in his github account somewhere.

On Windows, I need to figure out how to do the same stuff, by the way.

  #37  
Old December 25th 15, 05:21 AM posted to alt.os.linux,alt.windows7.general,alt.comp.os.windows-10
Mark Bannon
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Posts: 42
Default Why is running openvpn so DIFFICULT on Windows compared toLinux?

On Fri, 25 Dec 2015 07:03:55 +0700, Rosalie wrote:

Where can I find the ovpn config file for Linux?

I went to http://www.vpngate.net/en/ but couldn't find anything related
to Linux, only Windows, Mac, iPhone / iPad and Android.


Just to reaffirm, all you want from vpngate.net are the text ovpn files.
Ignore everything else on those web pages.

Those text ovpn files will work with *any* operating system that has
openvpn compiled for it.

I think that's pretty much every operating system.

I've tested it myself on Android, Linux, and Windows, but I think openvpn
is also ported to iOS and OS/X, so, that's pretty much everything.

It's so easy to be on VPN, it's crazy.

1. Download a few ovpn files from vpngate.net
2. Install openvpn
3. Run openvpn, pointing to one of those config files

In practice, it helps a *lot* to use Marek Novotny's time-saving scripts,
because he has ingenious ways of determining whether the tunnel is working,
and, when the tunnel fails (which happens), his scripts immediately kill
privacy-sensitive apps you have in a specified list.

He also has scripts which prevent apps in a specified list from running
unless you're on VPN; and he has scripts which will only run when you're
not on VPN.

It's all part of a well-honed system.

On Linux, it's so easy, it's crazy.
That's why I was frustrated with Windows 10; but I have it working now.

Thanks & Merry Christmas!

  #38  
Old December 25th 15, 07:35 AM posted to alt.os.linux,alt.windows7.general,alt.comp.os.windows-10
Henry[_5_]
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Posts: 3
Default Why is running openvpn so DIFFICULT on Windows compared to Linux?

On 12/25/2015 11:21 AM, Mark Bannon wrote:
On Fri, 25 Dec 2015 07:03:55 +0700, Rosalie wrote:

Where can I find the ovpn config file for Linux?

I went to http://www.vpngate.net/en/ but couldn't find anything related
to Linux, only Windows, Mac, iPhone / iPad and Android.


Just to reaffirm, all you want from vpngate.net are the text ovpn files.
Ignore everything else on those web pages.

Those text ovpn files will work with *any* operating system that has
openvpn compiled for it.

I think that's pretty much every operating system.

I've tested it myself on Android, Linux, and Windows, but I think openvpn
is also ported to iOS and OS/X, so, that's pretty much everything.

It's so easy to be on VPN, it's crazy.

1. Download a few ovpn files from vpngate.net
2. Install openvpn
3. Run openvpn, pointing to one of those config files

In practice, it helps a *lot* to use Marek Novotny's time-saving scripts,
because he has ingenious ways of determining whether the tunnel is working,
and, when the tunnel fails (which happens), his scripts immediately kill
privacy-sensitive apps you have in a specified list.

He also has scripts which prevent apps in a specified list from running
unless you're on VPN; and he has scripts which will only run when you're
not on VPN.

It's all part of a well-honed system.

On Linux, it's so easy, it's crazy.
That's why I was frustrated with Windows 10; but I have it working now.

Thanks & Merry Christmas!

Many thanks for elaborated responses. I am not a technical person but
your detailed reply gives me the encouragement to get started with this
VPN service. I am on Linux Mint 17.2 KDE so it should be smooth sailing.

Merry Christmas to you too.

  #39  
Old December 25th 15, 02:56 PM posted to alt.os.linux,alt.windows7.general,alt.comp.os.windows-10
Roger Blake[_2_]
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Posts: 536
Default Why is running openvpn so DIFFICULT on Windows compared to Linux?

On 2015-12-25, Mark Bannon wrote:
Try this (it's so simple, it's crazy!).

1. Go to vpngate.net
2. Download a few of the ovpn config files.
3. $ openvpn --config one-of-those-config-files.ovpn


I'll take a look, but been "rolling my own" configurations with OpenVPN
for a long time now.

--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roger Blake (Posts from Google Groups killfiled due to excess spam.)

NSA sedition and treason -- http://www.DeathToNSAthugs.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  #40  
Old December 25th 15, 05:05 PM posted to alt.os.linux,alt.windows7.general,alt.comp.os.windows-10
J G Miller
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Posts: 13
Default Why is running openvpn so DIFFICULT on Windows compared toLinux?

On Friday, December 25th, 2015, at 04:09:31h +0000, Mark Bannon opined:

As always, it's a well-honed system that matters, each step simply being
a logical extension of the overall goal, which, for VPN, is privacy.


But can the private individual operators of the VPN access points (if I
have understood who VPNgate operators) be trusted not to monitor the traffic,
be trusted not to keep logs, and be trusted not to hand over details to
the FBI, NSA, GCHQ, City of London Police, KGB, BREIN, MPAA, RIAA, etc?
  #41  
Old December 25th 15, 05:23 PM posted to alt.os.linux,alt.windows7.general,alt.comp.os.windows-10
William Unruh
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Posts: 173
Default Why is running openvpn so DIFFICULT on Windows compared to Linux?

On 2015-12-25, J G Miller wrote:
On Friday, December 25th, 2015, at 04:09:31h +0000, Mark Bannon opined:

As always, it's a well-honed system that matters, each step simply being
a logical extension of the overall goal, which, for VPN, is privacy.


But can the private individual operators of the VPN access points (if I
have understood who VPNgate operators) be trusted not to monitor the traffic,
be trusted not to keep logs, and be trusted not to hand over details to
the FBI, NSA, GCHQ, City of London Police, KGB, BREIN, MPAA, RIAA, etc?


Or actually be run by one of those agencies.

  #42  
Old December 25th 15, 06:06 PM posted to alt.os.linux,alt.windows7.general,alt.comp.os.windows-10
Mark Bannon
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Posts: 42
Default Why is running openvpn so DIFFICULT on Windows compared toLinux?

On Fri, 25 Dec 2015 16:23:45 +0000, William Unruh wrote:

Or actually be run by one of those agencies.


If you're going to use an outside vpn service to mask your IP address,
what other option do you have than to trust *someone* as a VPN vendor?

Rolling your own VPN doesn't solve *that* problem.

Is there *any* other solution to masking your IP address on the net
than to trust at least one VPN vendor?

  #43  
Old December 25th 15, 06:41 PM posted to alt.os.linux,alt.windows7.general,alt.comp.os.windows-10
J G Miller
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Default Why is running openvpn so DIFFICULT on Windows compared toLinux?

On Friday, December 25th, 2015, at 17:06:03h +0000, Mark Bannon asked:

Is there *any* other solution to masking your IP address on the net
than to trust at least one VPN vendor?


If you just want to mask your IP address at the time of the transaction
and are less worried about either the confidentiality of the data you
are sending out nor the integrity of the data coming back, then VPNgate
is adequate and an acceptable solution for doing that job.

The point is that you should not be lulled into a state of full security
that using VPN gate will keep your connections a secret nor the content
of your data.

Here is a "just suppose" ...

Say you forgot that your traffic was going through a VPN gate host.

You initiate a connection to your financial institution. The VPN gate
operator has setup a "man in the middle" fake web site to exploit a
flaw in SSL. To you everything looks fine because the SSL certificate
verification appears normal but the VPN gate operator is able to grab
the password for that financial instution.

See

http://security.stackexchange.COM/questions/8145/does-https-prevent-man-in-the-middle-attacks-by-proxy-server

and

https://www.owasp.ORG/index.php/Man-in-the-middle_attack

and

http://www.darkreading.COM/vulnerabilities---threats/new-openssl-flaw-exposes-ssl-to-man-in-the-middle-attack

SSL should guard again such things happening but there have been at least two bugs
which allowed it (one fixed in 2002, one fixed in 2014)

And if the user carelessly just clicks on "accept" anyways (as most foolish
people are prone to do) in the web browser, it is game over.

If agencies such as the FBI and NSA get their way of insisting that
encryption software has backdoors so that they can spy, then eventually
the criminals will find ways of using those backdoors.

From http://www.theguardian.COM/technology/2015/jul/08/fbi-chief-backdoor-access-encryption-isis

QUOTE FBI chief wants 'backdoor access' to encrypted communications to fight Isis UNQUOTE

The same mentality as the "we had to destroy the village in order to save the village" policy.


"Those who would give up essential Liberty,
to purchase a little temporary Safety,
deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

-- Benjamin Franklin
  #44  
Old December 26th 15, 08:06 AM posted to alt.os.linux,alt.windows7.general,alt.comp.os.windows-10
William Unruh
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Posts: 173
Default Why is running openvpn so DIFFICULT on Windows compared to Linux?

On 2015-12-25, Mark Bannon wrote:
On Fri, 25 Dec 2015 16:23:45 +0000, William Unruh wrote:

Or actually be run by one of those agencies.


If you're going to use an outside vpn service to mask your IP address,
what other option do you have than to trust *someone* as a VPN vendor?

Rolling your own VPN doesn't solve *that* problem.

Is there *any* other solution to masking your IP address on the net
than to trust at least one VPN vendor?


Just because YOU feel you have to trust them does not mean that they are
trustworth. It might give you 50% more security (Ie a 50% chance that
the VPN is actually secure). But then we get people
worrying because the encryption used might go from
..000000000000000000000001% probability of being broken to
..000000000000000000001% and get all upset at how horrible that is.


  #45  
Old December 26th 15, 02:23 PM posted to alt.os.linux,alt.windows7.general,alt.comp.os.windows-10
Paul M. Cook
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Posts: 4
Default Why is running openvpn so DIFFICULT on Windows compared toLinux?

On Sat, 26 Dec 2015 07:06:21 +0000, William Unruh wrote:

Just because YOU feel you have to trust them does not mean that they are
trustworth. It might give you 50% more security (Ie a 50% chance that
the VPN is actually secure). But then we get people
worrying because the encryption used might go from
.000000000000000000000001% probability of being broken to
.000000000000000000001% and get all upset at how horrible that is.


If I were writing a syndicated news article on which is the best VPN to
use for privacy reasons, all I would do is ask each of the VPN providers
whether they keep logs or not, and for how long.

What else could I ask them?

Since they all will respect a subpoena, I'd have to expect them all to
tell me that they will rat you out to the police if asked.

None are gonna tell me that they're actually fronts for the NSA.
Neither are any gonna tell me they're fronts for criminal activity.

The fact they're free should be suspicious; but what about free
news servers? Free apps? Free web pages. etc.?

 




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