VPN setup help requested

Help & Support Operating System
1

I am running the latest stable version of CoreElec on my S905x box.
I am running openvpn on my router as a server so that I can access my media while traveling.
I have a set of working keys that I have tested using my android phone, so I think they should be fine.

I installed the Zomboided client from their git, and pointed it at my keys using the User Defined VPN wizard. There were no errors when it imported them.

The vpn connection fails with this in the log:
2021-01-12 21:13:28.423 T:3605001088 NOTICE: Tue Jan 12 21:11:09 2021 WARNING: file ‘/storage/.kodi/addons/service.vpn.manager/UserDefined/client.key’ is group or others accessible
2021-01-12 21:13:28.424 T:3605001088 NOTICE: Options error: --status fails with ‘status’: Read-only file system (errno=30)
2021-01-12 21:13:28.424 T:3605001088 NOTICE: Options error: Please correct these errors.
2021-01-12 21:13:28.424 T:3605001088 NOTICE: Use --help for more information.
2021-01-12 21:13:28.424 T:3605001088 NOTICE: VPN Mgr : (vpnplatform.py) <<< VPN log file end
2021-01-12 21:13:28.489 T:3605001088 NOTICE: VPN Mgr : (managefiles.py) Copying log file to /storage/downloads/kodi_21-01-12_21-13-28.log. Using version 6.4.3

I tried a chmod 600 to /storage/.kodi/addons/service.vpn.manager/UserDefined/client.key to fix that.
However after that I just get a generic error saying there was an error connecting to the vpn.

The log shows this:
2021-01-12 21:26:28.843 T:3605001088 NOTICE: VPN Mgr : (vpnplatform.py) <<< VPN configuration file end
2021-01-12 21:26:28.910 T:3605001088 NOTICE: VPN Mgr : (vpnplatform.py) VPN log file start >>>
2021-01-12 21:26:28.910 T:3605001088 NOTICE: Tue Jan 12 21:25:07 2021 WARNING: file ‘/storage/.kodi/addons/service.vpn.manager/UserDefined/client.key’ is group or others accessible
2021-01-12 21:26:28.911 T:3605001088 NOTICE: Options error: --status fails with ‘status’: Read-only file system (errno=30)
2021-01-12 21:26:28.911 T:3605001088 NOTICE: Options error: Please correct these errors.
2021-01-12 21:26:28.911 T:3605001088 NOTICE: Use --help for more information.
2021-01-12 21:26:28.911 T:3605001088 NOTICE: VPN Mgr : (vpnplatform.py) <<< VPN log file end
2021-01-12 21:26:32.946 T:3605001088 ERROR: VPN Mgr : (common.py) Error connecting to VPN, something unexpected happened. Check log for more information.
2021-01-12 21:26:41.350 T:3605001088 ERROR: EXCEPTION Thrown (PythonToCppException) : -->Python callback/script returned the following error<–
- NOTE: IGNORING THIS CAN LEAD TO MEMORY LEAKS!
Error Type: <type ‘exceptions.TypeError’>
Error Contents: attribute of type ‘NoneType’ is not callable
Traceback (most recent call last):
File “/storage/.kodi/addons/service.vpn.manager/connect.py”, line 51, in
connectVPN(str(connection_order), “”)
File “/storage/.kodi/addons/service.vpn.manager/libs/common.py”, line 2187, in connectVPN
popupOpenVPNLog(getVPNLocation(vpn_provider))
File “/storage/.kodi/addons/service.vpn.manager/libs/logbox.py”, line 87, in popupOpenVPNLog
log_file = open(getVPNLogFilePath(), ‘r’, errors=‘backslashreplace’)
TypeError: attribute of type ‘NoneType’ is not callable
–>End of Python script error report<–
2021-01-12 21:27:24.749 T:3520066432 WARNING: CPythonInvoker(15): Script invoked without an addon. Adding all addon modules installed to python path as fallback. This behaviour will be removed in future version.
2021-01-12 21:27:29.993 T:3520066432 NOTICE: VPN Mgr : (vpnplatform.py) No VPN configuration exists to write
2021-01-12 21:27:30.062 T:3520066432 NOTICE: VPN Mgr : (vpnplatform.py) VPN log file start >>>
2021-01-12 21:27:30.062 T:3520066432 NOTICE: Tue Jan 12 21:25:07 2021 WARNING: file ‘/storage/.kodi/addons/service.vpn.manager/UserDefined/client.key’ is group or others accessible
2021-01-12 21:27:30.062 T:3520066432 NOTICE: Options error: --status fails with ‘status’: Read-only file system (errno=30)
2021-01-12 21:27:30.063 T:3520066432 NOTICE: Options error: Please correct these errors.
2021-01-12 21:27:30.063 T:3520066432 NOTICE: Use --help for more information.
2021-01-12 21:27:30.063 T:3520066432 NOTICE: VPN Mgr : (vpnplatform.py) <<< VPN log file end
2021-01-12 21:27:30.132 T:3520066432 NOTICE: VPN Mgr : (managefiles.py) Copying log file to /storage/downloads/kodi_21-01-12_21-27-29.log. Using version 6.4.3

Is there something obvious that I am doing wrong?
Thanks in advance.

2

Zomboided VPN Plugin (service.vpn.manager) works perfectly fine on all 4 of my test devices under CE 9.2.5 stable generic and -ng, as well as under Matrix Beta 2 (pre-release service manager) and the nightly builds, therefore I am confident this issue is unrelated to CoreELEC.

Since Zomboided VPN Plugin for Kodi is a 3rd party addon, I suggest directing your inquiries to:

3

Since I started using zerotier in CoreELEC I stopped using OpenVPN on my router because it is much easier to configure when you understand how it works, you do not need DDNS and you do not need to publish the IP or open ports or support vpn attacks from the internet.

For your case my advice is the following:

1.- Check the OpenVPN configuration of your router and export the access configuration ovpn file.

2.- Check the exported ovpn file with a plain word processor and change whatever is necessary (In my case, as my router didn’t even know the DDNS name, I needed to change this, my vpn port was not the usual one either).

3.- With a smartphone install the OpenVPN client application and load the ovpn file from the previous step. Keep in mind that the OpenVPN connection will not work from within the home network where the router server is, you will need to disconnect the WiFi of your smartphone for it to work. When this works you can move on to the next step.

4.- When the above steps are done, then you can try Zomboided VPN Plugin in CoreELEC. My advice is to delete the addon completely and start from scratch, use the ovpn file if possible, and don’t do weird things like change the permissions of any files (sorry, I don’t know the Zomboided VPN Plugin).

Remember that an OpenVPN client will not work within a home network when the server is the router.

4

Thank you for your comments.
Let me respond to your points.

  1. Already done. As noted in my first post I have functional keys/ovpn files and can connect with other devices without issue.
  2. I have a static IP in my ovpn file. However to be sure I swapped out the ip for my hostname. No change. My ports match my configuration.
  3. As noted in the first post my phone could already connect to the VPN server without issue (using the same files I am trying to use with coreelec - not at the same time). I also can connect from the inside and outside of my network to my VPN server.
  4. I have tried removing and reinstalling the Zomboided plug from scratch already. I used the ovpn file both times with no change. It just keeps giving me the read only error. If you can tell me a way to fix a read only error without changing file permissions I would very much like that information please.

I would have to disagree that the OpenVPN client can not connect within a home network with the server as the router as both my laptop and phone can do it without issue.

5

The impossibility of connecting an OpenVPN client with the server when this is the router was perhaps a problem for Asus routers with Asuswrt-Merlin firmware that only supports VPN connections from the internet side. This always seemed logical to me.

Nor can I answer the problems with Zomboided, I already told you that I do not know it.

Good luck!

6

I will leave this here in case someone else has this issue.

There is a line in the auto generated ovpn file that says ‘status status’.
I removed / commented out this line, and I was able to connect.

I am at a loss as to why this line broke the VPN on my CoreElec device, but it worked fine on my android and windows devices.

7

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