The openvpn3 command is used to manage VPN sessions and configurations on Linux systems. It provides a set of subcommands to start, stop, import, and manage VPN sessions and configurations. This article will illustrate how to use each of the following use cases of the openvpn3 command: starting a new VPN session, listing established sessions, disconnecting a session, importing a VPN configuration, and listing imported configurations.

Use case 1: Start a new VPN session

Code:

openvpn3 session-start --config path/to/config.conf

Motivation:

Starting a new VPN session is useful when you need to establish a secure connection to a remote network or server. By using the openvpn3 session-start command, you can easily initiate a VPN session with the provided configuration file.

Explanation:

• openvpn3: The main command to manage VPN sessions and configurations.
• session-start: The subcommand to start a new VPN session.
• --config path/to/config.conf: Specifies the path to the configuration file to be used for the VPN session.

Example Output:

Started a new VPN session with configuration file: path/to/config.conf
Session ID: 1234567890

Use case 2: List established sessions

Code:

openvpn3 sessions-list

Motivation:

Listing established sessions can be helpful for monitoring and managing active VPN connections on your Linux system. The openvpn3 sessions-list command provides an overview of all active VPN sessions, including their session IDs, status, and associated configurations.

Explanation:

• openvpn3: The main command to manage VPN sessions and configurations.
• sessions-list: The subcommand to list all established VPN sessions.

Example Output:

Session ID      Status        Configuration
--------------------------------------------------------------
1234567890      Connected     /path/to/config.conf
2345678901      Disconnected  /path/to/another/config.conf
3456789012      Connected     /path/to/one/more/config.conf

Use case 3: Disconnect the currently established session

Code:

openvpn3 session-manage --config path/to/config.conf --disconnect

Motivation:

Disconnecting the currently established VPN session can be necessary in case of network issues or when you no longer require the VPN connection. The openvpn3 session-manage command allows you to explicitly disconnect a specific session by providing its associated configuration file.

Explanation:

• openvpn3: The main command to manage VPN sessions and configurations.
• session-manage: The subcommand to manage VPN sessions.
• --config path/to/config.conf: Specifies the configuration file associated with the session.
• --disconnect: Instructs the command to disconnect the specified session.

Example Output:

Disconnected VPN session with configuration file: path/to/config.conf

Use case 4: Import VPN configuration

Code:

openvpn3 config-import --config path/to/config.conf

Motivation:

Importing VPN configurations is useful when you want to add new configurations for future use. The openvpn3 config-import command allows you to import a VPN configuration from a specified file, making it available for starting new VPN sessions.

Explanation:

• openvpn3: The main command to manage VPN sessions and configurations.
• config-import: The subcommand to import a VPN configuration.
• --config path/to/config.conf: Specifies the path to the configuration file to be imported.

Example Output:

Imported VPN configuration from file: path/to/config.conf

Use case 5: List imported configurations

Code:

openvpn3 configs-list

Motivation:

Listing imported configurations can help you keep track of the available VPN configurations on your system. The openvpn3 configs-list command provides a list of all imported configurations, including their names and paths.

Explanation:

• openvpn3: The main command to manage VPN sessions and configurations.
• configs-list: The subcommand to list all imported VPN configurations.

Example Output:

Configuration Name     Configuration Path
--------------------------------------------------------------
Config1                /path/to/config1.conf
Config2                /path/to/config2.conf
Config3                /path/to/config3.conf

Conclusion:

The openvpn3 command offers powerful features for managing VPN sessions and configurations on Linux systems. By following the examples provided in this article, you can easily start, monitor, disconnect, import, and list VPN sessions and configurations.