Linux - Sorry, 'Auth' password cannot be read from a file

INeverWantedAnAccount

Hi, I'm using Debian based CLI OS and I'm trying to get my VPN to know my username and password without me having to type it every time. When I configure my .conf file with "auth-user-pass auth.txt" I get the above error. Googling shows I need to build OpenVPN myself with: https://openvpn.net/index.php/open-source/documentation/install.html the following option: --enable-password-save

Attempt to configure the build and get the following option:
configure: WARNING: unrecognized options: --enable-password-save

Can anyone tell me how I can use an auth file please? I appreciate that it's not the most secure but my VPN provider doesn't provide certificates.

Traffic

What version of openvpn are you using ?

$ sudo openvpn --version

INeverWantedAnAccount

Running OpenVPN 2.3.8 x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu

Trying to compile the latest from OpenVPN.

INeverWantedAnAccount

I'm not sure if my last post wasn't submitted or has to be authorised so apologies if this is a double post.

I'm trying to build the latest version of OpenVPN as per the website.

Currently installed is: OpenVPN 2.3.8 x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu [SSL (OpenSSL)] [LZO] [EPOLL] [MH] [IPv6] built on Sep 30 2015

Traffic

Traffic wroteWhat version of openvpn are you using ?

$ sudo openvpn --version

Post full details.

INeverWantedAnAccount

No worries!

OpenVPN 2.3.8 x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu [SSL (OpenSSL)] [LZO] [EPOLL] [MH] [IPv6] built on Sep 30 2015
library versions: OpenSSL 1.0.1e 11 Feb 2013, LZO 2.06
Originally developed by James Yonan
Copyright (C) 2002-2010 OpenVPN Technologies, Inc. <sales@openvpn.net>
Compile time defines: enable_crypto=yes enable_crypto_ofb_cfb=yes enable_debug=yes enable_def_auth=yes enable_dlopen=unknown enable_dlopen_self=unknown enable_dlopen_self_static=unknown enable_fast_install=yes enable_fragment=yes enable_http_proxy=yes enable_iproute2=no enable_libtool_lock=yes enable_lzo=yes enable_lzo_stub=no enable_management=yes enable_multi=yes enable_multihome=yes enable_pam_dlopen=no enable_password_save=no enable_pedantic=no enable_pf=yes enable_pkcs11=no enable_plugin_auth_pam=yes enable_plugin_down_root=yes enable_plugins=yes enable_port_share=yes enable_selinux=no enable_server=yes enable_shared=yes enable_shared_with_static_runtimes=no enable_small=no enable_socks=yes enable_ssl=yes enable_static=yes enable_strict=no enable_strict_options=no enable_systemd=no enable_win32_dll=yes enable_x509_alt_username=no with_crypto_library=openssl with_gnu_ld=yes with_mem_check=no with_plugindir='$(libdir)/openvpn/plugins' with_sysroot=no

Traffic

INeverWantedAnAccount wroteOpenVPN 2.3.8 x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu [SSL (OpenSSL)] [LZO] [EPOLL] [MH] [IPv6] built on Sep 30 2015
<snip>
enable_password_save=no

However:

root@deb-760-live:~# uname -a
Linux deb-760-live 3.2.0-4-686-pae #1 SMP Debian 3.2.73-2+deb7u3 i686 GNU/Linux
root@deb-760-live:~# openvpn --version
OpenVPN 2.3.10 i486-pc-linux-gnu [SSL (OpenSSL)] [LZO] [EPOLL] [PKCS11] [MH] [IPv6] built on Jan  4 2016
library versions: OpenSSL 1.0.1k 8 Jan 2015, LZO 2.08
Originally developed by James Yonan
Copyright (C) 2002-2010 OpenVPN Technologies, Inc. <sales@openvpn.net>
Compile time defines: enable_crypto=yes enable_crypto_ofb_cfb=yes enable_debug=no enable_def_auth=yes enable_dlopen=unknown enable_dlopen_self=unknown enable_dlopen_self_static=unknown enable_fast_install=yes enable_fragment=yes enable_http_proxy=yes enable_iproute2=no enable_libtool_lock=yes enable_lzo=yes enable_lzo_stub=no enable_management=yes enable_multi=yes enable_multihome=yes enable_pam_dlopen=no enable_password_save=yes enable_pedantic=no enable_pf=yes enable_pkcs11=yes enable_plugin_auth_pam=yes enable_plugin_down_root=yes enable_plugins=yes enable_port_share=yes enable_selinux=no enable_server=yes enable_shared=yes enable_shared_with_static_runtimes=no enable_small=no enable_socks=yes enable_ssl=yes enable_static=yes enable_strict=no enable_strict_options=no enable_systemd=no enable_win32_dll=yes enable_x509_alt_username=no with_crypto_library=openssl with_gnu_ld=yes with_mem_check=no with_plugindir='$(libdir)/openvpn/plugins' with_sysroot=no

So:

OpenVPN 2.3.10 i486-pc-linux-gnu [SSL (OpenSSL)] [LZO] [EPOLL] [PKCS11] [MH] [IPv6] built on Jan 4 2016

For:

enable_password_save=yes

Keep your system up to date .. :mrgreen:

INeverWantedAnAccount

Linux computer 3.2.0-4-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 3.2.73-2+deb7u1 x86_64 GNU/Linux

aptitude update & aptitude upgrade =

root@computer $ aptitude update
<snip>
Hit http://ftp.uk.debian.org wheezy-updates Release                             
etc
</snip>
root@computer $ aptitude upgrade
No packages will be installed, upgraded, or removed.
0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B of archives. After unpacking 0 B will be used.

I can only update as fast as my repositories are updated.

Traffic

Or you can look a little further:
https://community.openvpn.net/openvpn/wiki/OpenvpnSoftwareRepos

INeverWantedAnAccount

Now I'm confused. Added the repository:

Package: openvpn                         
State: installed
Automatically installed: no
Version: 2.3.10-debian0
Priority: optional
Section: net
Maintainer: Samuli Seppänen <samuli@openvpn.net>
Architecture: amd64
Uncompressed Size: 1,097 k
Depends: debconf (>= 0.5) | debconf-2.0, libc6 (>= 2.3.2), liblzo2-2, libpam0g
         (>= 0.99.7.1), libpkcs11-helper1 (>= 1.05), libssl1.0.0 (>= 1.0.0a),
         openssl-blacklist (>= 0.4), openvpn-blacklist, net-tools
Suggests: openssl, resolvconf, easy-rsa
etc.

$ sudo openvpn --version
OpenVPN 2.3.8 x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu [SSL (OpenSSL)] [LZO] [EPOLL] [MH] [IPv6] built on Sep 30 2015
library versions: OpenSSL 1.0.1e 11 Feb 2013, LZO 2.06
Originally developed by James Yonan
Copyright (C) 2002-2010 OpenVPN Technologies, Inc. <sales@openvpn.net>
Compile time defines: enable_crypto=yes enable_crypto_ofb_cfb=yes enable_debug=yes enable_def_auth=yes enable_dlopen=unknown enable_dlopen_self=unknown enable_dlopen_self_static=unknown enable_fast_install=yes enable_fragment=yes enable_http_proxy=yes enable_iproute2=no enable_libtool_lock=yes enable_lzo=yes enable_lzo_stub=no enable_management=yes enable_multi=yes enable_multihome=yes enable_pam_dlopen=no enable_password_save=no enable_pedantic=no enable_pf=yes enable_pkcs11=no enable_plugin_auth_pam=yes enable_plugin_down_root=yes enable_plugins=yes enable_port_share=yes enable_selinux=no enable_server=yes enable_shared=yes enable_shared_with_static_runtimes=no enable_small=no enable_socks=yes enable_ssl=yes enable_static=yes enable_strict=no enable_strict_options=no enable_systemd=no enable_win32_dll=yes enable_x509_alt_username=no with_crypto_library=openssl with_gnu_ld=yes with_mem_check=no with_plugindir='$(libdir)/openvpn/plugins' with_sysroot=no

Just need to replace the original with /usr/sbin/openvpn.

$ sudo /usr/sbin/openvpn --version
OpenVPN 2.3.10 x86_64-pc-linux-gnu [SSL (OpenSSL)] [LZO] [EPOLL] [PKCS11] [MH] [IPv6] built on Jan  4 2016
library versions: OpenSSL 1.0.1e 11 Feb 2013, LZO 2.06
Originally developed by James Yonan
Copyright (C) 2002-2010 OpenVPN Technologies, Inc. <sales@openvpn.net>
Compile time defines: enable_crypto=yes enable_crypto_ofb_cfb=yes enable_debug=no enable_def_auth=yes enable_dlopen=unknown enable_dlopen_self=unknown enable_dlopen_self_static=unknown enable_fast_install=yes enable_fragment=yes enable_http_proxy=yes enable_iproute2=no enable_libtool_lock=yes enable_lzo=yes enable_lzo_stub=no enable_management=yes enable_multi=yes enable_multihome=yes enable_pam_dlopen=no enable_password_save=yes enable_pedantic=no enable_pf=yes enable_pkcs11=yes enable_plugin_auth_pam=yes enable_plugin_down_root=yes enable_plugins=yes enable_port_share=yes enable_selinux=no enable_server=yes enable_shared=yes enable_shared_with_static_runtimes=no enable_small=no enable_socks=yes enable_ssl=yes enable_static=yes enable_strict=no enable_strict_options=no enable_systemd=no enable_win32_dll=yes enable_x509_alt_username=no with_crypto_library=openssl with_gnu_ld=yes with_mem_check=no with_plugindir='$(libdir)/openvpn/plugins' with_sysroot=no

Either way, it works. Thank you so much.

Traffic

INeverWantedAnAccount wroteGoogling shows I need to build OpenVPN myself with: <url> the following option: --enable-password-save

INeverWantedAnAccount wrote

$ sudo /usr/sbin/openvpn --version
OpenVPN 2.3.10 x86_64-pc-linux-gnu [SSL (OpenSSL)] [LZO] [EPOLL] [PKCS11] [MH] [IPv6] built on Jan  4 2016
library versions: OpenSSL 1.0.1e 11 Feb 2013, LZO 2.06
<..>
enable_password_save=yes

Now you have enable_password_save=yes with openvpn 2.3.10

INeverWantedAnAccount wroteEither way, it works. Thank you so much.

Thanks for letting us know you have a solution 8-)