SEC.01
The playbook
The run starts read-only: the recon probes decide what happens next. The steps that follow are adapted to the distribution and state found — a real machine is rarely clean.
- 01reconOpenVPN already present?
- 02reconexisting server config or active service? (then stop, do not reinstall)
- 03reconport free?
- 04recondefault route to preserve; 10.8.0.0/24 (script default subnet) already in use?
- 05recon/dev/net/tun present
- 06reconsupported distro (Debian >= 11, Ubuntu >= 18.04, Fedora, Rocky/Alma >= 8) and active firewall
- 07actDownload the script (pinned version)verify
- 08actInstall OpenVPN (road-warrior)destructiveverify
- 09actOpen the port (only if ufw is active)verify
- 10actClient profile ready, server routing intactverify
SEC.02
What it verifies
Each step ships its own check. The run only moves on when the check passes, so what the recipe reports as done is what is actually on the server.
- 01verifyDownload the script (pinned version)Verified by
bash -n /root/openvpn-install.sh && echo ok - 02verifyInstall OpenVPN (road-warrior)Verified by
systemctl is-active openvpn-server@server 2>/dev/null || systemctl is-active openvpn@server - 03verifyOpen the port (only if ufw is active)Verified by
ufw status | grep -c "${port}/${protocol}" - 04verifyClient profile ready, server routing intactVerified by
test -s /root/${client}.ovpn && ip -4 route show default
SEC.03
Guardrails
Non-negotiable instructions the run must respect, whatever it finds on the server.
Never break the server connectivity: no change to the default route, /etc/resolv.conf or the rules that let the Servor agent and the SSH session out. Compare the default route and DNS resolution before/after. The script enables forwarding and NAT for clients: expected, but it must not change the server default route. An existing OpenVPN install → stop, do not replace it. The .ovpn file contains keys: give its path, never display it (no cat).
SEC.04
Variables
What you choose before launching — the recipe fills in the rest.
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ${port} | Port |
| ${protocol} | Protocol |
| ${client} | First client name |
SEC.05
How a recipe runs in Servor
Servor is zero-knowledge: the platform cannot execute anything on its own. When you launch this recipe, a run reads the reconnaissance, plans the steps and asks for your approval. Each approved command is signed by your browser — with a key the server never sees — then relayed verbatim to the agent, which verifies the signature locally before executing.
search by intent — type “firewall”, get ufw
- 01Read-only reconnaissance before any change
- 02Every command signed by your browser, approved by you
- 03Each step verified before the run moves on, every run kept in the history
SEC.06
Deploy on Servor button
Maintain OpenVPN or a project that needs it? Put this button in your README or on your site: one click and your users install it on their own server.
Dark background
Light background[](https://servor.app/deploy/install-openvpn)SEC.07
More networking recipes
- 01TailscaleTailscale mesh VPN: auth key or login link, without touching the server DNS.
- 02WireGuardWireGuard VPN server + a first client, without touching routing. Destructive: network interface.
- 03Pi-holePi-hole v6 (DNS + ad blocking) in a container, on the chosen IP. Destructive when listening on 0.0.0.0 (port 53).
- 04AdGuard HomeAdGuard Home filtering DNS, local UI. Destructive: may free port 53.
- 05DNS resolver (Unbound)Unbound validating (DNSSEC) recursive DNS resolver, on localhost.
Verified recipe
Run this recipe on your server
Connect a server, launch the recipe, and approve each step as Servor executes and verifies it. Free plan, no card required.