Automatically start vpn on boot up ?

[Chrisdb]

Also I had tried to place the up-vpn.sh file into /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/ but it said I couldn’t as I didn’t have permission or something?

The script should indeed be located at:

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etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d

Did you try with sudo?
What's the exact command and error you got?

[parkerc]

I was using the UI and right click ‘copy to’ command option to move it over into that folder, but it wouldn’t let me

The message is along the lines that I do not have the permissions necessary to save the file there .

How do you ‘sudo’ via the UI ?

[Chrisdb]

What desktop environment are you using? Gnome, xfce, ...

Anyway, the easiest way is to use the terminal and copy the file with 'sudo'.

[parkerc]

I’m just using the standard (out of the box) desktop, sorry not sure what that is called..

I have now managed to copy the file over via the command line using..

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 sudo cp /home/me/Documents/up-vpn.sh /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/

However after a few reboots, it’s still not auto firing the VPN?

Any ideas? Is there anything else I need to do ?

[Chrisdb]

What is the output of:

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ls -l /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/up-vpn.sh

And:

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systemctl status NetworkManager-dispatcher.service

What does the following command say if you run it from the terminal:

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sudo nmcli connection up id nl2-nodecentral-udp-udp

[parkerc]

What is the output of:

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ls -l /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/up-vpn.sh

-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 430 Feb 29 20:25 /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/up-vpn.sh

What is the output of:
And:

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systemctl status NetworkManager-dispatcher.service

● NetworkManager-dispatcher.service - Network Manager Script Dispatcher Service
Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/NetworkManager-dispatcher.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
Active: inactive (dead)

What is the output of:
What does the following command say if you run it from the terminal:

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sudo nmcli connection up id nl2-nodecentral-udp-udp

Error: Connection activation failed: Connection 'nl2-nodecentral-udp-udp' is already active

[parkerc]

I’ve just turned the vpn off and run the last command again

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 sudo nmcli connection up id nl2-nodecentral-udp-udp

A password is required to connect to 'nl2-nodecentral-udp-udp'.
Warning: password for 'vpn.secrets.password' not given in 'passwd-file' and nmcli cannot ask without '--ask' option.
Error: Connection activation failed: No valid secrets

The link originally shared gives me a couple of options

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ne ... stablished

Trying to connect with the above script may still fail with NetworkManager-dispatcher.service complaining about 'no valid VPN secrets', because of the way VPN secrets are stored. Fortunately, there are different options to give the above script access to your VPN password.

1: One of them requires editing the VPN connection configuration file to make NetworkManager store the secrets by itself rather than inside a keyring that will be inaccessible for root: open up /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/name of your VPN connection and change the password-flags and secret-flags from 1 to 0.

If that alone does not work, you may have to create a passwd-file in a safe location with the same permissions and ownership as the dispatcher script,

2: Alternatively, change the password-flags and put the password directly in the configuration file adding the section vpn-secrets:

Any recommendations?

[Chrisdb]

The choice is up to you, but if you're the only one using this system, I would use option 2 as it is easier tot accomplish

[parkerc]

Do you have any Idea why I have to store my credentials again, when I already have the username and password for the nl2.nodecentral-utp-utp VPN configuration stored in the Network Manager UI under ‘Identity’ ?

Looking under the NetworkManager/system-connections/ folder I have two connections listed.

nl2.nodecentral-utp-utp.nmconnection
Wiredconnection1

They look like they relate to the two connections I have listed on the Network Manager UI?
Unfortunately I can’t open the nmconnection file via the UI, it states that the file is of an unknown file type, but could the user/password be in there?

[Chrisdb]

If it doesn't work by using the GUI, check the file contents through your terminal.

What is the value of 'password-flags' and 'secret-flags'?

If both are set to '0', follow the guide from the arch Wiki you mentioned before:

create a passwd-file in a safe location (/path/to/passwd-file) with the same permissions and ownership as the dispatcher script, containing the following:

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vpn.secrets.password:YOUR_PASSWORD

Your script must be changed accordingly, so that it gets the password from the file:

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...
nmcli connection up id "$VPN_NAME" passwd-file /path/to/passwd-file
...

[parkerc]

Thanks for all your help on this.

Opening the nl2-nodecentral-udp-udp.nmconnection file in nano I can see under the [vpn] section the flag is set to 1

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[vpn]
password-flags=1

So using option 2, I’ll need to add the following new [vpn-secrets] section into the nl2-nodecentral-udp-udp.nmconnection file

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[vpn-secrets]
password=your_password

Sound correct to you , as I’ve tried the above, and also did a reboot or two, but the VPN is still not starting automatically ?

[Chrisdb]

Rerun the 'nmcli' command manually again (after reboot) and post the output

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sudo nmcli connection up id nl2-nodecentral-udp-udp

Also please post your final up-vpn.sh file again

EDIT:
You did change the password-flags to 0?

[parkerc]

Rerun the 'nmcli' command manually again (after reboot) and post the output
You did change the password-flags to 0?

No, let me try that...

[parkerc]

Rerun the 'nmcli' command manually again (after reboot) and post the output

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sudo nmcli connection up id nl2-nodecentral-udp-udp

Also please post your final up-vpn.sh file again

EDIT:
You did change the password-flags to 0?

I’ve rebooted the VM , logged in again but the VPN did not start automatically..

When I rerun the following command, via the terminal...

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 sudo nmcli connection up id nl2-nodecentral-udp-udp

it gave me this message..

Connection successfully activated (D-Bus active path: /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager/ActiveConnection/2

So the up-vpn script seems to work, the issue is getting it to automatically run once i’m logged in ?

[Chrisdb]

Also please post your final up-vpn.sh file again

Look at the journal:

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sudo journalctl -u NetworkManager-dispatcher.service

[parkerc]

- that was it !! I’m so sorry...

School-boy error - I had been checking/changing the vpn name to try out other connections, and it looks like the one in up-vpn.sh was slightly different, and that looks like it was the issue.

It’s looking good now .

Thank you so much..

[parkerc]

Hi,

I’m noticing that the automatic turning on of the vpn, often fails and I think it’s because it occurs too quickly - as running it again it normally works.

Is there a way to slightly delay the execution of the up-vpn.sh script ?

Or is there maybe a way it could retry the connection again, if first unsuccessful (e.g try up to 5 times if needed before reporting a failure?)

[Chrisdb]

Hi,

I’m noticing that the automatic turning on of the vpn, often fails and I think it’s because it occurs too quickly - as running it again it normally works.

It cannot start too quickly as the script is only started when the interface is up and running (issued by event).

check journal:

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sudo journalctl -u NetworkManager-dispatcher.service

I have the same problems.I’m really interested in all VPN world, so would be great if you do more this type of question and answers about how/where/when to use a VPN

Start a new thread with your question.

[parkerc]

Thanks @Chrisdb

It cannot start too quickly as the script is only started when the interface is up and running (issued by event).

check journal:

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sudo journalctl -u NetworkManager-dispatcher.service

This was what was reported in the journal...

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-- Logs begin at Wed 2020-03-04 19:57:43 GMT, end at Thu 2020-03-05 14:02:02 GMT. --
Mar 04 19:57:55 debian-x234 systemd[1]: Starting Network Manager Script Dispatcher Service...
Mar 04 19:57:55 debian-x234 systemd[1]: Started Network Manager Script Dispatcher Service.
Mar 04 19:57:57 debian-x234 nm-dispatcher[569]: req:1 'hostname': new request (2 scripts)
Mar 04 19:57:57 debian-x234 nm-dispatcher[569]: req:1 'hostname': start running ordered scripts...
Mar 04 19:57:58 debian-x234 nm-dispatcher[569]: req:2 'connectivity-change': new request (2 scripts)
Mar 04 19:57:58 debian-x234 nm-dispatcher[569]: req:2 'connectivity-change': start running ordered scripts...
Mar 04 19:58:04 debian-x234 nm-dispatcher[569]: req:3 'up' [ens3]: new request (2 scripts)
Mar 04 19:58:04 debian-x234 nm-dispatcher[569]: req:3 'up' [ens3]: start running ordered scripts...
Mar 04 19:58:04 debian-x234 nm-dispatcher[569]: req:4 'connectivity-change': new request (2 scripts)
Mar 04 19:59:12 debian-x234 nm-dispatcher[569]: Error: Connection activation failed: The connection attempt timed out
Mar 04 19:59:12 debian-x234 nm-dispatcher[569]: req:3 'up' [ens3], "/etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/up-vpn.sh": complete: failed with Script '/etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/up-vpn.sh' exited with error status 4.
Mar 04 19:59:12 debian-x234 nm-dispatcher[569]: req:4 'connectivity-change': start running ordered scripts...
Mar 04 19:59:22 debian-x234 systemd[1]: NetworkManager-dispatcher.service: Succeeded.

[Chrisdb]

The connection attempt timed out...strange...

You're sure the following command works if you run it manually:

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sudo nmcli connection up id "$VPN_NAME"

There's not much more to go on here, we have to enable extra logging.
Edit the file '/etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf' and add (or change to INFO):

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[logging]
level=DEBUG

Then reboot and check the journal again with the command I provided before.

Also just to be sure, post your final 'up-vpn.sh' file.

EDIT:
Can you also post output of file: '/var/log/messages'