Autoconnect VPN not working in Network Manager

User Support
1

I created a sys qubes with network manager service, and added a VPN, which does connect fine, but unlike the solutions I find when googling, the auto connect option isn’t there.

For example these solutions How to automatically connect to VPN with Network-Manager - Ask Ubuntu dont seem to work

2

Take away id from nmcli con up.

If you want to fully automate it, try the following:

nmcli con up $(nmcli con show | grep -m1 vpn | awk '{print $1}')

This will pick the first available vpn and connect to it.

If you want to connect to it automatically on vm startup, do the following in your sys-vpn (or dvm template, if sys-vpn is disposable):

  1. Create the script and make it executable:
$ cat <<EOF > $HOME/start_vpn.sh
#!/bin/bash
nmcli con up \$(nmcli con show | grep -m1 vpn | awk '{print \$1}')
EOF
$ chmod +x $HOME/start_vpn.sh
  1. Create autostart file
$ mkdir -p $HOME/.config/autostart
$ cat <<EOF > $HOME/.config/autostart/start_vpn.desktop
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=Start VPN
Exec=$HOME/start_vpn.sh
EOF

This should do it.

3

You need to wait for the internet connection

while ! ping -c 1 -W 1 1.1.1.1; do
	sleep 5
done

nmcli con up id proton passwd-file /rw/config/NM-system-connections/secret

That works for me, id is the name of the vpn connection and secret is the file with username and password.

4

that worked. do you know why the gui tools like network manager and xfce session settings dont work inside qubes?

also do you know how to auto reconnect if disconnected?

5

Well they do work, they perhaps miss certain features you’re looking for. nmcli is just the cli interface to NetworkManager.

I haven’t looked into that. However I can provide you a way to prevent leaks in case the connection to the vpn drops.

Run the following as root in your sys-vpn (or dvm template, if sys-vpn is disposable):

[root@vpn-dvm]# cat <<EOF > /rw/config/qubes-firewall-user-script
# VPN kill switch
iptables -I FORWARD -o eth0 -j DROP
iptables -I FORWARD -i eth0 -j DROP
ip6tables -I FORWARD -o eth0 -j DROP
ip6tables -I FORWARD -i eth0 -j DROP
EOF
[root@vpn-dvm]# chmod +x /rw/config/qubes-firewall-user-script
6

That seems to have broken my vpn qube. the qube connecting to it has no connection.

How I installed my vpn is just by installing sudo apt install network-manager-openvpn-gnome and clicking add vpn in network manager.

7

Because it drops all connections unless you have an active vpn connection.

To revert it, just delete the file and restart sys-vpn.

8

Weird it wasn’t working yesterday even after rebooting, it had no connection even when connected to the VPN, but it is working fine today.