OpenVPN Server

1st Official Post

    Hello,

    I tried to test OpenVPN Server on Rpi2 (without plugins, just using openvpn, included on LibreElec base - openvpn Server.ovpn). But I cant get it working. Am I doing something wrong, or openvpn isnt mentioned to used there as server? I tried clients both on mobile and windows, but it stuck when tried to recieve server configuration or something:
    PUSH: Received control message: 'PUSH_REQUEST'
    WARNING: Received bad push/pull message: PUSH_REQUEST

    Server.ovpn

    Client.ovpn

    Server log
    Wed May 18 19:24:38 2016 us=559366 OpenVPN 2.3.10 armv7ve-libreelec-linux-gnueab - Pastebin.com

    Client log
    Wed May 18 19:25:05 2016 us=265135 netbios_node_type = 0 Wed May 18 19:25:05 - Pastebin.com

    Edited once, last by JimmySmith (May 18, 2016 at 7:16 PM).

    Just for the case, that someone would have same idea to test it, just remove --disable-server isnt enough. It goes through compile without problems, but the same problem :)

    How many kilobytes does --disable-server save again? :P

    LE is not a server OS indeed but I'm sure there are quite a few users that would want to run an OpenVPN server on it anyway.

    • Official Post

    To avoid "the death of a thousand cuts" we have a long-standing history of avoiding server features in the distro. Sure it would only be a few extra KB to add support for OpenVPN server, but then we'd have to go along with adding NFS server, and a heap of other stuff too "because you added that server thing for those folks, why not my request!?" ..and before you know it we're trying to match general purpose distro's like Ubuntu, which has never been an objective.

    Our concession to appease the "I want my LE to do everything" user is docker support. This allows us to support one thing only (docker) but that one thing allows users to independently raid the docker candy store for containers that provide whatever app they want to run.

    So if you desperately want an OpenVPN server go find a docker container with OpenVPN server. If you hold breath wanting or waiting for it to be added to our core OS you're in for a long wait.

    It's not an entirely fair comparison because in this case you are actually shipping the software, just the server portion being disabled at compile time and it has created confusion. In any case, I roll my own so not an issue for me. Just my two cents :)

    Quote from chewitt


    To avoid "the death of a thousand cuts" we have a long-standing history of avoiding server features in the distro. Sure it would only be a few extra KB to add support for OpenVPN server, but then we'd have to go along with adding NFS server, and a heap of other stuff too "because you added that server thing for those folks, why not my request!?" ..and before you know it we're trying to match general purpose distro's like Ubuntu, which has never been an objective.

    Our concession to appease the "I want my LE to do everything" user is docker support. This allows us to support one thing only (docker) but that one thing allows users to independently raid the docker candy store for containers that provide whatever app they want to run.

    So if you desperately want an OpenVPN server go find a docker container with OpenVPN server. If you hold breath wanting or waiting for it to be added to our core OS you're in for a long wait.

    As I mentioned before TINC has already a server option and it is part of LibreELEC.
    OpenVPN it is also part of LibreELEC, but it will never have a server option.
    Beyond that I'm not used to hold my breath waiting for a piece of software.

    Quote from chewitt


    To avoid "the death of a thousand cuts" we have a long-standing history of avoiding server features in the distro. Sure it would only be a few extra KB to add support for OpenVPN server, but then we'd have to go along with adding NFS server, and a heap of other stuff too "because you added that server thing for those folks, why not my request!?" ..and before you know it we're trying to match general purpose distro's like Ubuntu, which has never been an objective.

    Our concession to appease the "I want my LE to do everything" user is docker support. This allows us to support one thing only (docker) but that one thing allows users to independently raid the docker candy store for containers that provide whatever app they want to run.

    So if you desperately want an OpenVPN server go find a docker container with OpenVPN server. If you hold breath wanting or waiting for it to be added to our core OS you're in for a long wait.


    I understand and agree with your point.

    On the other hand, reasons mentioned in escalade post also makes sense to me. I understand you dont want to bring difficulties and problems in future. Decision what include and what not isnt easy, and I like that ELEC is minimalistic and fast, with modification posibilities as benefit. But when you already have the binary included..

    Similiar situation is with vpeter's LAMP addon. I agree that LAMP is little bit overkill to "just Kodi as HTPC idea" (although very usefull and god bless you vpeter ), but I totally can imagine only Mysql plugin(with querry cache and innodb by default because Kodi performance) with predefined user,rights and minimalistic my.cnf, which would be serve primarily as Kodi Library purposes. If you think about LibreELEC as HTPC, considering IOT and number of devices in Home nowadays, it makes totally sense to me - allow share Movie/TV Show library out of the box.

    P.S.: I also have OpenVPN on router, and vpeters LAMP (MySQL) works just amazing, just my two cents..

    Edited once, last by JimmySmith (May 21, 2016 at 9:19 AM).

    • Official Post

    Docker is likely to be the route we take for MySQL, but there are some chicken vs. egg logic challenges to figure out first since you want MySQL to start before Kodi but in the current design docker is a Kodi addon that starts with/after Kodi. It's being discussed, albeit not at a high priority.

    • Official Post
    Quote from chewitt


    Docker is likely to be the route we take for MySQL, but there are some chicken vs. egg logic challenges to figure out first since you want MySQL to start before Kodi but in the current design docker is a Kodi addon that starts with/after Kodi. It's being discussed, albeit not at a high priority.


    This was just changed in the recent docker addon update

    Hi Folks I've got LibreElec on my MXQ with kodi 16 jarvis, Ive installed Tinc but haven't a clue as to how to use it. I'm new to linux and just beginning to find my way round it but I've been looking for a vpn and my mate told me to enable Tinc but he's as thick as me so it's a case of the blind leading the blind.
    I run OpenBook on my PC and as you probably know it uses OenVPN, wish I could do the sasme with LE.
    Can anyone help please
    (Thick old fart)