OpenVPN on Linux

Connect Linux to RealVPN through the desktop network settings or straight from the terminal.

What you need

Ubuntu, Debian, Mint, Fedora, Arch or similar
An active RealVPN plan

Get your OpenVPN UDP (or TCP) config

Sign in at realvpn.io, open the Account menu and choose Manual VPN setup — or go straight to realvpn.io/settings.

Select OpenVPN UDP (or TCP), choose a location close to you and press Generate config. You’ll get a RealVPN.ovpn file (saved to your Downloads).

Manual VPN setup: pick a protocol, a location and a device.

Example result — your values will be different.

Device: choose New manual device the first time. Setting up the same device again? Pick it from the list to reuse its credentials instead of creating a new one.
Install the OpenVPN plugin

For GNOME/KDE network settings install the NetworkManager plugin:

Terminal

# Ubuntu / Debian / Mint $ sudo apt install network-manager-openvpn-gnome # Fedora $ sudo dnf install NetworkManager-openvpn-gnome # Arch $ sudo pacman -S networkmanager-openvpn
Import the file

Open Settings → Network, click + next to VPN and choose Import from file…. Select RealVPN.ovpn and click Add.

Add VPN

OpenVPN
IPsec/IKEv2 (strongswan)
Import from file…
Connect

Turn on the RealVPN VPN toggle in the network menu.

Terminal only (servers, headless)

Terminal

$ sudo apt install openvpn $ sudo openvpn --config RealVPN.ovpn # run in the foreground # or start automatically on boot $ sudo cp RealVPN.ovpn /etc/openvpn/client/realvpn.conf $ sudo systemctl enable --now openvpn-client@realvpn $ curl -s https://api.ipify.org # should print the server's IP

What you need

Get your OpenVPN UDP (or TCP) config

Install the OpenVPN plugin

Import the file

Connect

Terminal only (servers, headless)