Set up PiVPN on Ubuntu 22.04

In this guide, we intend to teach you To Set up PiVPN on Ubuntu 22.04.

PiVPN is a lightweight OpenVPN server designed to run on Raspberry Pi 2 or 3. It gives you access to your home network through a secure connection over the internet. By plugging a Raspberry Pi into your router, it acts somewhat like a bridge between mobile devices and your network.

You can use Pi VPN to:

Access your files, music, and movies from anywhere
Encrypt your mobile internet connection
Print on your home printers from your laptop
Bypass firewalls and website restrictions at work and abroad
Hide your mobile IP address
Connect with your home cameras and smart devices

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Steps To Set up PiVPN on Ubuntu 22.04

Steps To Set up PiVPN on Ubuntu 22.04

To complete this guide, you must log in to your Ubuntu 22.04 server as a root user.

The installation of PiVPN is easy and takes a few minutes.

Step 1 – Install PiVPN on Ubuntu 22.04

First, you need to update your local package index with the following command:

sudo apt update

Then, you need to create a new user for your PiVPN. To do this, run the following command, you can choose your desired name:

adduser vpn

Then, run the following command to install PiVPN as the root user:

curl -L https://install.pivpn.io | bash

During the installation try to keep the settings the default. Then, it will automatically find your new user and add it as the default storage for the VPN profiles.

When your installation is completed let’s see how to use it.

Step 2 – Use PiVPN on Ubuntu 22.04

At this point, you are ready to Add and Remove VPN profiles.

Add a Client with PiVPN

To add a profile, use the PiVPN command on Ubuntu 22.04:

pivpn add

You will be asked to enter a name for the client.

Output
Enter a Name for the Client: orca
::: Client Keys generated
::: Client config generated
::: Updated server config
::: WireGuard reloaded
======================================================================
::: Done! orca.conf successfully created!
::: orca.conf was copied to /home/vpn/configs for easytransfer.
::: Please use this profile only on one device and create additional
::: profiles for other devices. You can also use pivpn -qr
::: to generate a QR Code you can scan with the mobile app.
======================================================================

List PiVPN Clients

To view the list of the PiVPN profiles on Ubuntu 22.04, run the command below:

pivpn list

Output
::: Clients Summary :::
Client      Public key                                        Creation date
orca        e09wkbgxH+QD9ImxTmK5AhLbLyNAWODwrzhPRz5uKDg=      20 Nov 2022, 12:50, UTC
::: Disabled clients :::

Remove a PiVPN Client

Anytime you decide to remove a user, you can use the command below:

pivpn remove orca

Output
Do you really want to delete orca? [y/N] y
::: Updated server config
::: Client config for orca removed
::: Client Keys for orca removed
::: Successfully deleted orca
::: WireGuard reloaded

To get more information about PiVPN options, you can run the command below:

pivpn --help

Output
::: Control all PiVPN specific functions!
:::
::: Usage: pivpn <command> [option]
:::
::: Commands:
:::    -a, add              Create a client conf profile
:::    -c, clients          List any connected clients to the server
:::    -d, debug            Start a debugging session if having trouble
:::    -l, list             List all clients
:::   -qr, qrcode           Show the qrcode of a client for use with the mobile app
:::    -r, remove           Remove a client
:::  -off, off              Disable a client
:::   -on, on               Enable a client
:::    -h, help             Show this help dialog
:::    -u, uninstall        Uninstall pivpn from your system!
:::   -up, update           Updates PiVPN Scripts
:::   -bk, backup           Backup VPN configs and user profiles