100 replies to this topic

[littlesat]

Why do you need openVPN?

[hus52]

so i can connect to my DM from work to setup recordings etc..., internet is heavily monitored/restricted since every1 used to waste time on facebook so now the only way to connect to anything is via vpn

[hus52]

would be me appreciated if tun can be enabled

[littlesat]

Don't you have VPN on your router?

[WanWizard]

The advantage of OpenVPN is that it's SSL, which you can tunnel over an HTTP proxy. Which means that unless the company uses content filtering and deep packet inspection, you can create a VPN.
Traditional VPN's are either IPSec of GRE based, which will never work though a corporate firewall (if the security officer is worth anything)...

Having said that, I agree that VPN's should be terminated on the internet router, so if OpenVPN is a requirement, look for a (broadband) router that supports OpenVPN. There are plenty around, for example the linksys range with openwrt software.

[hus52]

well i actually have a spare broadband connection at home which im contracted to and hardly costs me anything, so my dm500 actually has its on dedicated net connection. its great cos no port forwarded hassles, nice dedi ip, and upload speed excellent so webxtv works super. i could put a router inbetween but would be much better to have openvpn on the dm500

i wanted to avoid spending money/time on a linux router to put inbtween my dm500 and the modem just to run a linux app which could work nicely on the dm500 itself.

so would be fab to get openvpn supported on PLi images, PaphosAL has it mostly figured, just if tun support is switched on in the cramfs kernel to create /dev/net/tun (0 bytes) at boot then we could add this feature!

/images/smiley/grin.gif

[PaphosAL]

its a shame, the only alternative is darkstar2 openvpn edition, which i dont like to use since i prefer PLi builds

Yes- that's because DS2 is tuxbox cvs, which has tun support in the kernel enabled by default. All Team PLi need to do is match this in OpenPLi (like we have done, in our PLi build scripts).

But I fear we are banging our heads against a brick wall here. Or flogging a dead horse, as we say in Blighty.

AL

[hus52]

im sure PLi team will take on user feedback and implement if its not difficult and no objection to it, cant see why they wouldnt now it has been highlighted and requested by their community and there is no disadvantage, just to improve PLi

would be great

[hemertje]

our todo or wish list is just too big to make everyone happy
as OpenPLi sources are available for all, others can help us making PLi images better...

[hus52]

ok ill see if one of my web developers can have a go, im not too clued on linux but im sure one of them can spend a few hrs to try and figure it out, if i get anywhere ill release it on here.

else if PLi team cannot do it due to limited resources, i would be happy to make a donation, as im sure would other members to see this feature implemented.

[PaphosAL]

our todo or wish list is just too big to make everyone happy
as OpenPLi sources are available for all, others can help us making PLi images better...

This shouldn't put too much strain on the todo and wish lists, hemertje:

Thanks to Satseaching (of SS-Enigma DM500 v4.1 fame) on the UkCvs.org forum for spotting the diff needed in kernel_config.dm500 and kernel_config.dm500-maxvar

- # CONFIG_TUN is not set
+ CONFIG_TUN=y

And that's all there is to it!! However, we can lead a horse to water, but we cannot force it to drink...

Cheers- AL

[PaphosAL]

Forgot to mention (and Edit timed out on me), but it's line #402 in both those files, guys.

Cheers- AL (PLi Rookie)

[hemertje]

please create a ticket on our OpenPLi website so we won't forget it, thx!!

[hus52]

hi, thanks

already done a few days ago, all relevant info there

http://openpli.pli-i....org/ticket/187

[pieterg]

This shouldn't put too much strain on the todo and wish lists, hemertje:

Thanks to Satseaching (of SS-Enigma DM500 v4.1 fame) on the UkCvs.org forum for spotting the diff needed in kernel_config.dm500 and kernel_config.dm500-maxvar

- # CONFIG_TUN is not set
+ CONFIG_TUN=y

And that's all there is to it!! However, we can lead a horse to water, but we cannot force it to drink...

well, that's not all there is to it, that's actually where the problems will start.

We disabled less-frequently-used kernel options for a good reason, to shrink the kernel so we could actually call the resulting image a 'maxvar' image.
Everything just fits, the same goes for the kernel, which has to fit into a smaller partition than in the normal-sized 500 image.
Note that we have a 64K eraseblock resolution there, so even TUN/TAP could be too much.
(and I guess it was, or we wouldn't have disabled the option, we weren't just using some random kernelconfig)

[hus52]

So maybe this could be worked into the full image as a posed to maxvar? Or maybe a 1 off OpenVPN version?

thanks

[pieterg]

in the normal image it should be fine I guess, if not, I'll revert it.

(don't know what will be required on the buildserver to get it to notice the kernel needs to be rebuilt, cdk is not my thing)

[hus52]

/images/smiley/grin.gif

[hus52]

Thanks for implementing this PLi team!!!

To all those interested, the required changes have been made in the release for tonight (rev 151) so hopefully OpenVPN on PLi here we come............

[PaphosAL]

This shouldn't put too much strain on the todo and wish lists, hemertje:

Thanks to Satseaching (of SS-Enigma DM500 v4.1 fame) on the UkCvs.org forum for spotting the diff needed in kernel_config.dm500 and kernel_config.dm500-maxvar

- # CONFIG_TUN is not set
+ CONFIG_TUN=y

And that's all there is to it!! However, we can lead a horse to water, but we cannot force it to drink...

well, that's not all there is to it, that's actually where the problems will start.

We disabled less-frequently-used kernel options for a good reason, to shrink the kernel so we could actually call the resulting image a 'maxvar' image.
Everything just fits, the same goes for the kernel, which has to fit into a smaller partition than in the normal-sized 500 image.
Note that we have a 64K eraseblock resolution there, so even TUN/TAP could be too much.
(and I guess it was, or we wouldn't have disabled the option, we weren't just using some random kernelconfig)

Thankyou for implementing this change, pieterg! Rest assured tun support fits in the cramfs partition no problem, my friend. We've successfully tested it and it has passed with flying colors.

If space in cramfs was really as tight as you think it is, then PLi would never have tried to hide their boot logo (/cramfs/root/platform/kernel/bild - 58kb) in there, would they, LOL!

I'll start work on the OpenVPN tarball add-on kit to share here, then...

Cheers- AL