Set Up OpenVPN on Linux Mint via Network Manager

This guide will explain how to set up OpenVPN on Linux Mint (on the Cinnamon desktop environment) via Network Manager.

Jump to…

• Step 1: Install OpenVPN and Network Manager
• Step 2: Get Your OpenVPN Configuration Files
• Step 3: Add the OpenVPN Connection
  • Optional: Add the OpenVPN Connection Manually
• Step 4: Connect to CyberGhost VPN

Requirements

• Linux Mint 22.3 running on the Cinnamon desktop environment (other desktop environments like KDE Plasma will have different steps).
• Updated software packages.
• OpenVPN software.
• Network Manager.
• A CyberGhost VPN account.
  • Here's how to create a CyberGhost VPN account online
  • Here's how to manage your CyberGhost VPN account
• A CyberGhost VPN subscription.
  • How to purchase or upgrade a subscription
  • How to enter an activation key

Disclaimer: We document each technical step as carefully as possible, but interface options, firmware behavior, or setup steps may change depending on your setup, so check your router’s documentation if something doesn’t match the instructions.     

Step 1: Install OpenVPN and Network Manager

1. Open Menu > Software Manager.

2. Search for OpenVPN and double-click to install:

• Openvpn
• Network-manager-openvpn gnome
• Network-manager-openvpn

You can also install the required packages from Terminal with these commands:

sudo apt-get install openvpn
sudo apt-get install openvpn bridge-utils
sudo apt-get install network-manager-openvpn 
sudo apt-get install network-manager-openvpn-gnome

Note: If Network Manager doesn’t show the OpenVPN option, run:

• sudo apt-get install network-manager-pptp network-manager-vpnc

Then restart Network Manager:

• sudo service network-manager restart

You can also log out and sign back in or restart your device.

Step 2: Get Your OpenVPN Configuration Files

1. Go to your CyberGhost VPN online account and log in with your username and password.

2. Select VPN > Configure Device.

3. Select the following:

• OpenVPN protocol. You can also choose UDP (usually faster but potentially less stable in some cases) or TCP (usually more stable, but potentially slower in some cases).
• Your preferred country.
• The Premium server group.
• A device name.

4. When done, click Save Configuration. 

Note: If you want to set up multiple countries, repeat steps 2 and 3 for each country you want to set up.

5. Click View Configuration on the configuration you just created.

6. Remember these details, as you’ll need them later:

• Server group: The server address for the selected country, such as “12345-1-ca.cg-dialup.net.”
• Username: The OpenVPN username generated for this manual configuration.
• Password: The OpenVPN password generated for this manual configuration.

7. Click Download Configuration.

8. Save the ZIP file to an accessible folder, such as your desktop.

Step 3: Add the OpenVPN Connection

1. Create a new folder on your desktop called CyberGhost.

2. Copy the configuration files from Step 2 into the CyberGhost folder.

Note: If you made configuration files for multiple countries, rename each openvpn.ovpn file before you copy the next one. For example:

• CG_USA.ovpn
• CG_RO.ovpn

You only need one copy of the certificate and key files.

Turn Off IPv6

Before you connect, CyberGhost VPN recommends that you disable IPv6 to help prevent IPv6 traffic from leaving the VPN tunnel:

1. Go to Menu > System Settings.

2. Select Network.

3. Select your wired or wireless connection and click the gear icon in the bottom-right corner.

4. Select IPv6 and disable it from the top-right corner. Hit Apply.

Create a New VPN Profile

1. In the Network window, click the + icon and select Import from file…

2. Open the CyberGhost folder and select the .ovpn configuration file. Click Open.

3. Check the imported VPN settings:

• Connection name: Enter a clear name, such as CG_France.
• Gateway: This should already be filled in from the .ovpn file.
• Type: Select Password with certificates (TLS).
• Username: Enter the OpenVPN username generated in your CyberGhost account (see Step 2).
• Password: Enter the OpenVPN password generated in your CyberGhost account (see Step 2).
• User certificate: Select client.crt.
• CA certificate: Select ca.crt.
• Private key: Select client.key.

4. Click Add. If prompted, enter your keyring password.

The CyberGhost VPN profile will now appear in Network Manager and in the bottom-right corner of the panel, under the Network icon. You can now move on to Step 4.

Optional: Add the OpenVPN Connection Manually

Use this option only if you cannot import the .ovpn file:

1. In the Network window, click the + icon and select OpenVPN.

2. In Gateway, enter the server group from your CyberGhost account. Enter the OpenVPN username and password generated in your CyberGhost account. Select the certificates and key files from your CyberGhost folder:

3. Click Advanced.

In the General tab, use these settings:

• Use custom gateway port: 443
• Use a TCP connection: Enable this only if you selected TCP in your CyberGhost account.
• Set virtual device type: TUN
• Virtual device name: tun
• Specify ping interval: 5
• Specify exit or restart ping: ping-exit, 60

4. In the Security tab, use these settings:

• Cipher: AES-256-CBC
• HMAC Authentication: SHA256

5. Click Apply.

Step 4: Connect to CyberGhost VPN

1. Open Network Manager and select the CyberGhost VPN connection you created. Click the Connect button to connect to the VPN.

If the connection works, you will see a message that the VPN connection has been successfully established. If these steps do not match your Linux Mint version, check your distribution’s help documentation or the OpenVPN documentation.

Need assistance? Contact our Customer Support team:

• via email at support@cyberghost.ro 
• via online request at https://support.cyberghostvpn.com/hc/en-us/requests/new 
• via 24/7 Live Chat by clicking the Support button below