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338 lines
13 KiB
338 lines
13 KiB
OpenVPN GUI
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#####################################################
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.. image:: https://travis-ci.org/OpenVPN/openvpn-gui.svg?branch=master
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:target: https://travis-ci.org/OpenVPN/openvpn-gui
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:alt: TravisCI status
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.. image:: https://ci.appveyor.com/api/projects/status/github/OpenVPN/openvpn-gui?branch=master&svg=true
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:target: https://ci.appveyor.com/project/mattock/openvpn-gui
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:alt: AppVeyor status
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Installation Instructions for OpenVPN GUI for Windows
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#####################################################
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OpenVPN-GUI has been bundled with OpenVPN installers for a long time, so there
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is rarely a need to install it separately. Bleeding-edge
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versions of OpenVPN-GUI are available in `OpenVPN snapshot
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installers <http://build.openvpn.net/downloads/snapshots/>`_ based on Git master
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branch. OpenVPN-GUI gets installed by default in all OpenVPN installers.
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Installation using the official OpenVPN installers
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**************************************************
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* Download an `OpenVPN installer <https://openvpn.net/index.php/download/community-downloads.html>`_
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* If you have a previous version of OpenVPN GUI running, shut it down.
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Make sure it's closed by ALL logged on users.
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* Run the OpenVPN installer
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Manual installation of OpenVPN GUI
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**********************************
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* `Download <https://openvpn.net/index.php/download/community-downloads.html>`_
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and install OpenVPN
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* Download OpenVPN GUI of your choice and save it in OpenVPN's bin folder.
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Default is *C:\\Program Files\\OpenVPN\\bin\\*. You must put it in this folder
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because OpenVPN GUI depends on the OpenSSL DLLs installed in this folder by
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OpenVPN.
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Configuring OpenVPN GUI to start on Windows logon
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*************************************************
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OpenVPN GUI can be configured to start automatically on logon to Windows from
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its setting menu. This is default behavior for all users if OpenVPN GUI was
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installed by an OpenVPN 2.4 installer using default installer options.
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Adding an OpenVPN configuration file
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************************************
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To launch a VPN connections using OpenVPN GUI you need to add an OpenVPN
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configuration file with .ovpn suffix. Any text editor (e.g. notepad.exe) can be
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used to create a OpenVPN configuration files. Note that *log* and *log-append*
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options are ignored as OpenVPN GUI redirects the normal output to a log file
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itself. There are sample config files in the *sample-config* folder. Please
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refer to the `OpenVPN How To <https://openvpn.net/community-resources/how-to/#creating-configuration-files-for-server-and-clients>`_ for more
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information regarding creating the configuration file.
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Once the configuration file is ready, you need to let OpenVPN GUI know about it.
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There are three ways to do this:
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* Place the file into the system-wide location, usually
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*C:\\Program Files\\OpenVPN\\config\\*, or any of its immediate
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subdirectories. This VPN connection will be visible for all users of the
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system.
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* Place the file into *C:\\Users\\username\\OpenVPN\\config\\*, or any of its
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immediate subdirectories. The configuration file is only visible for the
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user in question. If the user is not a member of the built-in "Administrators"
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group or "OpenVPN Administrators" group and tries to launch such a connection,
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OpenVPN GUI pops up a UAC, offering to create the latter group (if missing)
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and to add the user to it. This will only work if admin-level credentials are
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available.
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* Use the "Import file" function in OpenVPN GUI itself
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Using OpenVPN GUI
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#################
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When OpenVPN GUI is started your OpenVPN config folders
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(*C:\\Users\\username\\OpenVPN\\config* and
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*C:\\Program Files\\OpenVPN\\config*) will be scanned for .ovpn files and the
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OpenVPN GUI icon will appear in the system tray. Each OpenVPN configuration
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file shows up as a separate menu item in the OpenVPN GUI tray, allowing you to
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selectively connect to and disconnect to your VPNs. The config dir will be
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re-scanned for new config files every time you open the OpenVPN GUI menu by
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right-clicking the icon.
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When you choose to connect to a site OpenVPN GUI will launch openvpn with
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the specified config file. If you use a passphrase protected key you will be
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prompted for the passphrase.
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If you want OpenVPN GUI to start a connection automatically when it's started,
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you can use the --connect cmd-line option. The extension of the config file
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may be optionally included. Example::
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openvpn-gui --connect office.ovpn
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OR
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openvpn-gui --connect office
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To get help with OpenVPN GUI please use one of the official `OpenVPN support
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channels <https://community.openvpn.net/openvpn/wiki/GettingHelp>`_.
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Running OpenVPN GUI
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*******************
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Run OpenVPN-GUI as normal user by double clicking on the icon. No
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administrative privileges or `runas-administrator` options are required.
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It just works as limited user with the help of Interactive Service which
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is enabled by default.
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Persistent or Pre-started connections
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*************************************
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Starting release 2.5.8 (GUI version 11.30), OpenVPN GUI can
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control connections started by the "automatic service"
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(OpenVPNService) --- also referred to as persistent connections.
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OpenVPNService, if running, starts all connection profiles
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listed in the `config-auto` directory in the installation path.
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By default, such connections are scanned for, and attempt is
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made to attach to their management interfaces if available.
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User can then view the status of these connections, and disconnect,
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reconnect, detach or re-attach them using the menu items.
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It requires that such connections be started with
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`--management 127.0.0.1 port [pw-file]` option in their config file.
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`pw-file` containing a password is optional, but highly recommended.
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Further, if `--auth-user-pass` or any such options requiring
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interactive user input are present, the config file must also
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contain `--management-query-passwords`.
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This feature may be controlled by changing the `Persistent Connections`
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setting in the `General` tab of the `Settings` menu: choose `auto`
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for the default behaviour described above, `manual` to enumerate
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and list such connections but not auto-attach, or `disable` to not scan
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auto-started connection profiles.
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Interactively starting connections before logon
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***********************************************
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Starting release 2.6 (GUI version 11.30), "Start Before Logon"
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aka Pre-Logon Access Provider is supported. This feature is not
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enabled by default. It may be enabled during installation or
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through the `General Settings` menu of the GUI via the
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`Start Before Logon` check mark.
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Only `persistent connection` profiles described in the previous
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section will be listed on the login screen. Ensure that
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connections that may be interactively started from login
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screen are setup in the `config-auto` folder, `OpenVPNService`
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is running, and these connections are visible and controllable
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from the GUI.
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Once those pre-requisites are satisfied, the login screen will
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display an icon for `Pre-Logon Access Providers`, clicking which
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will bring up a list of OpenVPN connection profiles available, and
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allow connecting or disconnecting them interactively.
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Run Connect/Disconnect/Preconnect Scripts
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*****************************************
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There are three different scripts that OpenVPN GUI can execute to help
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with different tasks like mapping network drives.
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Preconnect If a file named "xxx_pre.bat" exist in the config folder
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where xxx is the same as your OpenVPN config file name,
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this will be executed BEFORE the OpenVPN tunnel is established.
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Connect If a file named "xxx_up.bat" exist in the config folder
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where xxx is the same as your OpenVPN config file name,
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this will be executed AFTER the OpenVPN tunnel is established.
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Disconnect If a file named "xxx_down.bat" exist in the config folder
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where xxx is the same as your OpenVPN config file name,
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this will be executed BEFORE the OpenVPN tunnel is closed.
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The outputs of these scripts are redirected to "xxx_pre.log",
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"xxx_up.log" and "xxx_down.log" respectively. These log
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files are created in the ``log_dir`` and over-written during
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each evocation.
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Send Commands to a Running Instance of OpenVPN GUI
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**************************************************
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When an instance of the GUI is running, certain commands may be sent to
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it using the command line interface using the following syntax::
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openvpn-gui.exe --command *cmd* [*args*]
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Currently supported *cmds* are
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connect ``config-name``
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Connect the configuration named *config-name* (excluding the
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extension .ovpn). If already connected, show the status window.
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disconnect ``config-name``
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Disconnect the configuration named *config-name* if connected.
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reconnect ``config-name``
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Disconnect and then reconnect the configuration named *config-name*
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if connected.
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disconnect\_all
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Disconnect all active connections.
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silent\_connection 0 \| 1
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Set the silent connection flag on (1) or off (0)
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exit
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Disconnect all active connections and terminate the GUI process
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rescan
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Rescan the config folders for changes
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import ``path``
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Import the config file pointed to by ``path``.
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If no running instance of the GUI is found, these commands do nothing
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except for *--command connect config-name* which gets interpreted
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as *--connect config-name*
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Registry Values affecting the OpenVPN GUI operation
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***************************************************
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Parameters taken from the global registry values in
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*HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\OpenVPN\\* key
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(Default)
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The installation directory of openvpn (e.g., *C:\\Program Files\\OpenVPN*).
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This value must be present.
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config_dir
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The global configuration file directory. Defaults to
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*C:\\Program Files\\OpenVPN\\config*
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exe_path
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path to openvpn.exe, defaults to *C:\\Program Files\\OpenVPN\\bin\\openvpn.exe*
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priority
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the windows priority class for each instantiated OpenVPN process,
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can be one of:
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* IDLE_PRIORITY_CLASS
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* BELOW_NORMAL_PRIORITY_CLASS
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* NORMAL_PRIORITY_CLASS (default)
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* ABOVE_NORMAL_PRIORITY_CLASS
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* HIGH_PRIORITY_CLASS
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ovpn_admin_group
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The windows group whose membership allows the user to start any configuration file
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in their profile (not just those installed by the administrator in the global
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config directory). Default: "OpenVPN Administrators".
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disable_save_passwords
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Set to a nonzero value to disable the password save feature.
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Default: 0
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auto_config_dir
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If persistent connection support is enabled and the so-called automatic
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service (OpenVPNService) is running, any config files in this folder are
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scanned and listed in the list of connection profiles.
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User Preferences
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****************
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All other OpenVPN GUI registry values are located below the
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*HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\SOFTWARE\\OpenVPN-GUI\\* key. In a fresh
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installation none of these values are present and are not
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required for the operation of the program. These keys are only
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used for persisting user's preferences, and the key names
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and their values are subject to change.
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The user is not expected to edit any of these values directly.
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Instead, edit all preferences using the settings menu.
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config_dir
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The user-specific configuration file directory: defaults to
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*C:\\Users\\username\\OpenVPN\\config*.
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The GUI parses this directory for configuration files before
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parsing the global config_dir.
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config_ext
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file extension on configuration files, defaults to *ovpn*
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connectscript_timeout
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Time in seconds to wait for the connect script to finish. If set to 0
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the exitcode of the script is not checked.
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disconnectscript_timeout
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Time in seconds to wait for the disconnect script to finish. Must be a
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value between 1-99.
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preconnectscript_timeout
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Time in seconds to wait for the preconnect script to finish. Must be a
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value between 1-99.
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log_dir
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log file directory, defaults to *C:\\Users\\username\\OpenVPN\\log*
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log_append
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if set to "0", the log file will be truncated every time you start a
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connection. If set to "1", the log will be appended to the log file.
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silent_connection
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If set to "1", the status window with the OpenVPN log output will
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not be shown while connecting. Warnings such as interactive service
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not started or multiple config files with same name are also suppressed.
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show_balloon
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0: Never show any connected balloon
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1: Show balloon after initial connection is established
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2: Show balloon even after re-connects
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config_menu_view
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0: Use a hierarchical (nested) display of config menu reflecting the directory sturcture of config files if the number of configs exceed 25, else use a flat display
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1: Force flat menu
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2: Force nested menu
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disable_popup_messages
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If set to 1 echo messages are ignored
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popup_mute_interval
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Amount of time in hours for which repeated echo messages are not displayed.
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Defaults to 24 hours.
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management_port_offset
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The management interface port is chosen as this offset plus a connection specific index.
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Allowed values: 1 to 61000, defaults to 25340.
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All of these registry options are also available as cmd-line options.
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Use "openvpn-gui --help" for more info about cmd-line options.
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Building OpenVPN GUI from source
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################################
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See `BUILD.rst <BUILD.rst>`_ for build instructions.
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