OpenVPN

I know about SSH tunneling, but I'd like to try to use OpenVPN. I've been able to build the application and generate the appropriate certificates but I get the following error.

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$ ../sbin/openvpn --config server.conf
Sat Aug 19 11:32:00 2006 OpenVPN 2.0.7 i686-pc-linux [SSL] [LZO] [EPOLL] built on Aug 17 2006
Sat Aug 19 11:32:01 2006 Diffie-Hellman initialized with 1024 bit key
Sat Aug 19 11:32:02 2006 TLS-Auth MTU parms [ L:1541 D:138 EF:38 EB:0 ET:0 EL:0 ]
Sat Aug 19 11:32:02 2006 Note: Cannot open TUN/TAP dev /dev/net/tun: No such file or directory (errno=2)
Sat Aug 19 11:32:02 2006 Note: Attempting fallback to kernel 2.2 TUN/TAP interface
Sat Aug 19 11:32:02 2006 Cannot allocate TUN/TAP dev dynamically
Sat Aug 19 11:32:02 2006 Exiting
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There's no /dev/net directory, and there's no /dev/tun or /dev/tap either. Am I stuck, is there a workaround, or has Dreamhost deliberately removed these devices because they don't want me doing this?

In reply to:

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There's no /dev/net directory, and there's no /dev/tun or /dev/tap either. Am I stuck, is there a workaround, or has Dreamhost deliberately removed these devices because they don't want me doing this?

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Generally its a good idea to contact DreamHost directly through the support page on the Web Panel to ask if something is supported or not, especially when it comes to services it doesn't advertise or necessary to web hosting. They can't run everything under the sun on a shared server naturally. Generally they may install something on request if it is good for all their customers and doesn't affect level of service.

The home page for OpenVPN describes it as a daemon which is something you wouldn't be able to run on a shared server due to the prohibition on persistent processes.

VPN service is provided to customers on the Strictly Business plan which includes two VPN users.

More information is available here:
http://wiki.dreamhost.com/index.php/KB_/_Account_Control_Panel_/_VPN_Users

Atropos | openvein.org

> Generally its a good idea to contact DreamHost directly through
> the support page on the Web Panel to ask if something is
> supported or not,

I don't require official support, that's why I'm posting here instead of there. I'm asking whether something is technically possible, not whether it's officially supported.

> The home page for OpenVPN describes it as a daemon which is
> something you wouldn't be able to run on a shared server due to
> the prohibition on persistent processes.

OpenVPN is most commonly run as a daemon, but it's not essential to do so. Since I only need it to serve myself I was planning to run it *non-persistently*: fire it up with an SSH account when I need it, and kill the process before I log out.

> VPN service is provided to customers on the Strictly Business
> plan which includes two VPN users.

That's good. My question concerns whether it's possible to "roll my own" without buying Strictly Business service.