OpenVPN doesn't start no error no logs

[deleted]

Hello !

Have a weird issue, installed many openvpn servers already but never had that issue O_O

When I start openvpn:

Starting openvpn (via systemctl): openvpn.service.

Nothing else !!!!!!!!!!!! OpenVPN is not started at all.

No error, no logs, nothing.

Tried to reboot Debian, Tun device is set without any problem.

The main difference between my old servers and this one is that I have 2 virtual eth0 interfaces, but I doubt that it's the problem.

Any ideas ? (system logs doesn't say anything neither)

Traffic

Start openvpn like so:

# openvpn --config /path/to/config/config-name.conf

Then Please see the Forum rules (top of page)

[deleted]

Thu Jan 14 13:48:59 2016 OpenVPN 2.3.4 x86_64-pc-linux-gnu [SSL (OpenSSL)] [LZO] [EPOLL] [PKCS11] [MH] [IPv6] built on Dec  1 2014
Thu Jan 14 13:48:59 2016 library versions: OpenSSL 1.0.1k 8 Jan 2015, LZO 2.08
Thu Jan 14 13:48:59 2016 WARNING: file 'keys/maca/ma_server.key' is group or others accessible
Thu Jan 14 13:48:59 2016 TUN/TAP device tun0 opened
Thu Jan 14 13:48:59 2016 do_ifconfig, tt->ipv6=0, tt->did_ifconfig_ipv6_setup=0
Thu Jan 14 13:48:59 2016 /sbin/ip link set dev tun0 up mtu 1500
Thu Jan 14 13:48:59 2016 /sbin/ip addr add dev tun0 local 12.3.0.1 peer 12.3.0.2
Thu Jan 14 13:48:59 2016 GID set to nogroup
Thu Jan 14 13:48:59 2016 UID set to nobody
Thu Jan 14 13:48:59 2016 Listening for incoming TCP connection on [AF_INET]95.***.***.**:1192
Thu Jan 14 13:48:59 2016 TCPv4_SERVER link local (bound): [AF_INET]95.**.**.**:1192
Thu Jan 14 13:48:59 2016 TCPv4_SERVER link remote: [undef]
Thu Jan 14 13:48:59 2016 Initialization Sequence Completed

When i'm starting openvpn using openvpn --config theconfig.conf, it's looping, openvpn starts, tun device is getting activated aswell, i can see it in active interfaces BUT server is not responding at all.

When I kill it (ctrl-c ssh) log shows:

RTNETLINK answers: Operation not permitted
Thu Jan 14 13:49:51 2016 ERROR: Linux route delete command failed: external program exited with error status: 2
Thu Jan 14 13:49:51 2016 Closing TUN/TAP interface
Thu Jan 14 13:49:51 2016 /sbin/ip addr del dev tun0 local 12.3.0.1 peer 12.3.0.2
RTNETLINK answers: Operation not permitted
Thu Jan 14 13:49:51 2016 Linux ip addr del failed: external program exited with error status: 2
Thu Jan 14 13:49:51 2016 SIGINT[hard,] received, process exiting

The config:

port 1192
proto tcp-server
dev tun0
ca keys/maca/ca.crt
cert keys/maca/ma_server.crt
key keys/maca/ma_server.key
dh keys/maca/dh2048.pem
server 12.3.0.0 255.255.255.0
crl-verify keys/maca/crl.pem
cipher AES-256-CBC
user nobody
group nogroup
status servers/maserver/logs/openvpn-status.log
log-append servers/maserver/logs/openvpn.log
verb 2
mute 20
max-clients 100
keepalive 10 120
client-config-dir /etc/openvpn/servers/maserver/ccd
comp-lzo
persist-key
persist-tun
ccd-exclusive

Traffic

Glidro wroteThu Jan 14 13:48:59 2016 Initialization Sequence Completed

Started successfully.

Glidro wroteWhen I kill it (ctrl-c ssh) log shows:
Code:
RTNETLINK answers: Operation not permitted

Due to:

Glidro wroteThe config:
Code:

user nobody
group nogroup

[deleted]

Traffic wrote
Glidro wroteThu Jan 14 13:48:59 2016 Initialization Sequence Completed
Started successfully.

Glidro wroteWhen I kill it (ctrl-c ssh) log shows:
Code:
RTNETLINK answers: Operation not permitted
Due to:
Glidro wroteThe config:
Code:

user nobody
group nogroup

Worked on debian 7 o_o

What changed on debian 8 ? Can't use nobody as user & nogroup as group to get openvpn working properly ? o_o

Traffic

Glidro wroteWorked on debian 7

It worked exactly the same as it is now .. unless your configs are different ....

Glidro wroteWhat changed on debian 8 ? Can't use nobody as user & nogroup as group to get openvpn working properly ?

Nothing changed with OpenVPN with regard to this problem.

If you drop root privileges this is exactly what happens.

See --user and --group in The Manual v23x