openvpn service file missing?

[Whoever]

I am a new to systemd, please help me with this issue:
I have a CentOS 7 VM, and installed openvpn from the EPEL repository. I checked that it is using the CentOS7 EPEL repo.

I installed all the configuration files needed for openvpn, but when I try to start it, I get:

Code: Select all

# systemctl start  openvpn.service
Failed to start openvpn.service: Unit not found.

[TrevorH]

I think it's one of those where you get an openvpn@.service file and you start it by using the name of the config file

[Whoever]

Where do I get the file and then what? I said I am a novice with systemd.

[jlehtone]

A "template" is already in the package.

You simply create a config for a connection.
Let say you have defined connection "foo", i.e. have config file "/etc/openvpn/foo.conf".

Then you start:

Code: Select all

systemctl start  openvpn@foo.service

However, if on GUI, then you can use NetworManager's applet to define a connection and start it too.
That approach does in fact store config for the connection into somewhere else than /etc/openvpn.

[Whoever]

A "template" is already in the package.

You simply create a config for a connection.
Let say you have defined connection "foo", i.e. have config file "/etc/openvpn/foo.conf".

Then you start:

Code: Select all

systemctl start  openvpn@foo.service

However, if on GUI, then you can use NetworManager's applet to define a connection and start it too.
That approach does in fact store config for the connection into somewhere else than /etc/openvpn.

Thank you, that worked.

A further question: how do I set environment variables before starting the daemon? Obviously, if I am starting it in a shell, I can set them, but if the system is starting the daemon?

I need to set a couple of environment variable to make openvpn accept md5 certs. Obviously, I really need to regenerate the certs, but until I do this, I need a temporary solution.

[jlehtone]

With systemd?

The configuration can set environment for a service. Preferably with a "drop-in":
https://access.redhat.com/documentation ... nit_Config