OpenVPN Client – How to Force DNS Server

clientsdns-serveropenvpn

Our Linux Ubuntu configuration does have a DNS server (Bind 9).
And resolv.conf has its

  nameserver 127.0.0.1

When using openvpn client on that Linux, the nameserver is not changed (by the VPN server) but I would like to set it – only during the VPN session – to another specific DNS server x.y.z.t, by changing the openvpn client config.

Then, when the openvpn session ends, nameserver should be back to 127.0.0.1.

Is there a "clean" way (ie a line in the openvpn client config file) to do that?

(Note: The VPN server config cannot be changed)

Best Answer

After more googling, could find the answer - below if it can help someone.

  • install resolvconf which can save and restore the resolv.conf config file
  • add a script to be run by openvpn, in /usr/share/openvpn, named update-resolv-conf. The script determines what should be the new resolv.conf, and how to restore it (see link below)
  • add

these lines

  script-security 2
  up /usr/share/openvpn/update-resolv-conf
  down /usr/share/openvpn/update-resolv-conf

in the openvpn client config file.

Read on this wiki for more information.

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