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Whether you’re setting up OpenVPN for the first time or troubleshooting a complex deployment, there are multiple resources available to help you succeed.

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Community support

The OpenVPN community provides free support through various channels:

Community forums

Ask questions and get help from the community

IRC chat

Real-time help on #openvpn-devel at irc.libera.chat

GitHub issues

Report bugs and track known issues

Mailing list

Technical discussions and developer support

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Community forums and wiki

The OpenVPN community website provides:
  • User forums for questions and discussions
  • Comprehensive wiki with guides and tutorials
  • FAQ for common issues
  • Developer documentation
Visit: https://community.openvpn.net/

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IRC channel

For quick questions and real-time support: Channel: #openvpn-devel on irc.libera.chat
You need to register and log in to Libera to join the channel. See the Libera Chat registration guide.
The IRC channel is best for:
  • Quick technical questions
  • Development discussions
  • Getting fast feedback on patches or configurations

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Mailing list

The openvpn-devel mailing list is the primary channel for:
  • In-depth technical discussions
  • Reporting complex bugs
  • Discussing architecture and design
  • Submitting and reviewing patches
Subscribe at: https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/openvpn-devel

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Documentation resources

Man page

Complete reference for all OpenVPN options and features

HOWTO

Step-by-step guide to setting up OpenVPN

Community wiki

User-contributed guides, tutorials, and documentation

FAQ

Frequently asked questions and common solutions

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Official documentation

The OpenVPN man page is the authoritative reference for all configuration options:
  • Command-line options
  • Configuration file directives
  • Cryptographic settings
  • Network configuration
  • Authentication methods
View at: http://openvpn.net/man.html

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Sample configurations

The OpenVPN source includes sample configuration files and scripts:
  • Basic client and server configurations
  • Advanced multi-client setups
  • Authentication scripts
  • Sample certificates (for testing only)
Find examples at: http://openvpn.net/howto.html

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Reporting issues

Make sure you’re reporting issues for the correct product. The community project is separate from commercial OpenVPN products.

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OpenVPN open source

For bugs in the community OpenVPN project:
1

Search existing issues

Check if your issue is already reported at GitHub Issues
2

Gather information

Collect:
  • OS and version
  • OpenVPN version
  • Configuration files (remove sensitive data)
  • Error messages and logs
  • Steps to reproduce
3

Create issue report

Open a new issue at https://github.com/OpenVPN/openvpn/issues/new
4

Provide details

Include:
  • Clear description of the bug
  • Steps to reproduce
  • Expected vs actual behavior
  • Version information
  • Relevant configuration (sanitized)

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Commercial OpenVPN products

OpenVPN Access Server, OpenVPN Connect, and other commercial products have separate support channels.
For commercial products, contact OpenVPN Inc. directly: Support portal: https://support.openvpn.net Commercial products include:
  • OpenVPN Access Server
  • OpenVPN Connect client apps
  • OpenVPN Cloud
  • Enterprise support plans

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Before asking for help

To get the best help quickly:

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Check the documentation first

  1. Read the relevant section in the man page
  2. Review the HOWTO guide
  3. Search the FAQ
  4. Look for similar issues on GitHub

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Prepare your question

Include:
  • What you’re trying to accomplish
  • What you’ve already tried
  • Specific error messages (exact text)
  • Relevant configuration (with secrets removed)
  • OS and OpenVPN version information
  • Network topology (if relevant)

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Sanitize sensitive information

Always remove sensitive information before sharing:
  • Private keys and certificates
  • Passwords and authentication credentials
  • Real IP addresses (use examples like 192.0.2.1)
  • Domain names that reveal your infrastructure

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Contributing back

If you’ve solved a problem or learned something valuable:
  • Update the wiki with your findings
  • Answer questions in the forums
  • Submit documentation improvements
  • Share configuration examples
  • Report bugs you encounter
See the Contributing guide to learn how to contribute code, documentation, and improvements.

Community overview

Connect with the OpenVPN community

Contributing

Learn how to contribute to OpenVPN

Downloads

Get the latest OpenVPN release

GitHub

View source code and report issues