Invalid vpn secrets error on gnome network manager

[bob mullen]

I keep getting the ugly invalid vpn secrets message on Gnome in Ubuntu
13.10.

It's apparently a very common problem on the web with all Ubuntu users for
years.

But the solution is to replace the gnome network manager with the kde
network manager or to run vpn manually at the command line.

How do I replace the gnome network manager with the kde network manager?

[bob mullen]

On Thu, 27 Feb 2014 20:35:46 -0800, bob mullen wrote:

> How do I replace the gnome network manager with the kde network manager?

Nobody?

[John Bokma]

The obvious answer should be:

sudo apt-get purge network-manager-gnome
sudo apt-get install network-manager-kde

but no idea if that will break your system in a very horrible way. I can
imagine that at least you have to do some manual tweaking.

--
John Bokma j3b

Blog: http://johnbokma.com/ Perl Consultancy: http://castleamber.com/
Perl for books: http://johnbokma.com/perl/help-in-exchange-for-books.html

[bob mullen]

On Sat, 01 Mar 2014 12:42:55 -0600, John Bokma wrote:

> sudo apt-get purge network-manager-gnome
> sudo apt-get install network-manager-kde

I understand.
That's why I asked.
I assume removing Gnome network manager will wreck the system, but
that's what is suggested here:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=991144&p=7510238#post7510238

But, they didn't say what they did to remove and replace it.

I am at my wits end because I can't (a) figure out what a VPN secret is,
and (b) googling, I see everyone has this problem, but, nobody
seems to know what the real solution is.

To be clearer, there are MANY solutions proposed if you google:
"ubuntu 13.10 not valid vpn secrets invalid vpn secrets"

But, when you get down to what they are, you see everyone is
guessing. They don't know what they're doing.
The proposed solutions are all over the map.
But I've tried them all.

This blog says openvpn is broken in gnome:
http://www.ibvpn.com/billing/knowledgebase/38/Invalid-VPN-secret-error-in-Linux-GUI.html

But I added the "at_console" policy to the existing file:
/etc/dbus-1/system.d/nm-openvpn-service.conf
and it didn't change anything.

I tried changing the password flag in the file:
/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/VPN Reactor file
http://www.ubuntugeek.com/ubuntu-tiphow-to-connectdisconnect-vpn-from-the-command-line.html#

And, I've rebooted and restarted the network manager hundreds
of times, so, if anyone suggests that one more time in the
results of my searches, I'm going to blow up the Internet:
$ sudo service network-manager restart

I've checked and unchecked the "all users" flag a dozen times,
as suggested here http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1750132
and it still did nothing to solve the invalid vpn secrets problem.

My password doesn't have any special characters as suggested here:
https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/forum/index.php?p=/discussion/1095/invalid-vpn-secrets-error/p1

And, I don't have a gnome keyring (I don't even know what it is),
as suggested in this article:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=991144

And, lastly, I tried to use the command line VPN interface,
but I'm not sure what to put for the answers:
$ sudo vpnc-connect
Enter IPSec gateway address:
Enter IPSec ID for gateway:
Enter IPSec secret gateway:
Enter username for gateway:
Enter password for gateway:
$ vpnc-disconnect

Does anyone have experience with the VPN command line interface
who can advise me as to what to put in those answers for the
"Vpn secret" line?

[Dirk T. Verbeek]

op 02-03-14 05:37 schreef bob mullen:

> On Sat, 01 Mar 2014 12:42:55 -0600, John Bokma wrote:
>
>> sudo apt-get purge network-manager-gnome
>> sudo apt-get install network-manager-kde
>
> I understand.
> That's why I asked.
> I assume removing Gnome network manager will wreck the system, but
> that's what is suggested here:
> http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=991144&p=7510238#post7510238
>
> But, they didn't say what they did to remove and replace it.
>
> I am at my wits end because I can't (a) figure out what a VPN secret is,

A VPN secret is similar to a password but different to the password
going with your account name/login.
Either you have one/ it's given to you or you don't, in the last case
you probably don't need it.

A good and simple explanation is given her:
https://help.riseup.net/en/vpn-secret

> and (b) googling, I see everyone has this problem, but, nobody
> seems to know what the real solution is.

So it depends mainly on who your VPN provider is and what their policy
is, they have to supply the secret.

Yes there seems to be a problem with the Ubuntu network manager asking
for a secret when none is needed.

I think this is a good write-up:
"http://www.ibvpn.com/billing/knowledgebase/38/Invalid-VPN-secret-error-in-Linux-GUI.html"

If you were not given e secret (like don't need it) and you want to try
the CLI way you should leave this field open.

[Norman Peelman]

http://www.debuntu.org/how-to-connect-to-a-cisco-vpn-with-vpnc/
http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/network/vpn/vpnc/
http://www.lullabot.com/blog/article/using-vpnc-command-line-vpn-client
http://man.cx/vpnc-connect

--
Norman
Registered Linux user #461062
AMD64X2 6400+ Ubuntu 10.04 64bit

[tigger]

bob mullen writted thus:

I have the same frustrations here, I've been down this road many times
with Ubuntu and have given up. I'm pretty sure my invalid secrets problem
is always an authentication issue with the access to keyring, but I
honestly can't be arsed to follow it up again.

[bob mullen]

On Sun, 02 Mar 2014 11:40:35 +0100, Dirk T. Verbeek wrote:

> A good and simple explanation is given her:
> https://help.riseup.net/en/vpn-secret

Thanks for your help because I felt all alone on a sinking ship
since nobody had responded for a long while.

It's really strange, but when I google for the definition
of a VPN secret, I find plenty of people with the same problem,
but, only ONE (the one you found) explanation of what a VPN
secret really is.

There's not even a WIkipedia on the vpn secret, and it's not
explained in the wikipedia on vpn.

[jeff g.]

On 03/02/2014 12:17 PM, bob mullen wrote:

> There's not even a WIkipedia on the vpn secret, and it's not
> explained in the wikipedia on vpn.

You can write it up for the wiki if you feel it is neglected - that is
what makes wiki so useful, though I wouldn't know how high/low level
your s/w question is - I don't have any use for a vpn ATM.

The evidence of a lot of google hits and few answers would indicate a
low level of interest in the development community - just why that is is
I couldn't even guess...

[bob mullen]

On Sun, 02 Mar 2014 10:07:08 -0500, Norman Peelman wrote:

> http://www.debuntu.org/how-to-connect-to-a-cisco-vpn-with-vpnc/
> http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/network/vpn/vpnc/
> http://www.lullabot.com/blog/article/using-vpnc-command-line-vpn-client
> http://man.cx/vpnc-connect

The instructions I had followed for Ubuntu 13.10 were here:
http://www.vpnreactor.com/linux_openvpn.html

Those instructions are for they payware service, so I have to
figure out on my own how to change those instructions to fit
the freeware service.

The only difference I know of in the freeware service is that
there is only one server allowed, according to the home page:
https://www.vpnreactor.com/
and that server is: vpn.vpnreactor.com

Also, the freeware only supports PPTP according to here:
https://www.vpnreactor.com/freeaccounts.aspx

Since the Gnome network manager is known to have a bug in this
area for many years (well predating saucy salamander), I am
now trying to run vpn from the command line.

I just don't know what to put in the fields, given the service
I'm trying to use is vpnreactor (I'll use *any* free service
that works on ubuntu - I just picked this one because it had
an easy, I thought, how to install).

This is what I put in the Gnome Network Manager GUI:
Connection name = VPNReactor
Gateway = vpn.vpnreactor.net
Type = Password
User name = (my VPNReator username, let's call it ramullen)
Password = (my VPNReactor password, let's call it snafu)
CA Certificate = /etc/openvpn/ca.vpnreactor.crt
Use LZO data compression = [yes]

Notice not only is there no place in the Gnome network manaager
to put whatever a 'vpn secret' is, but I don't even know what
it is because the instructions don't mention it anywhere.
http://www.vpnreactor.com/linux_openvpn.html

So, given that is all I know, is this the right sequence yet?
$ sudo vpnc-connect
Enter IPSec gateway address: vpn.vpnreactor.net
Enter IPSec ID for vpn.vpnreactor.net: VPN_Reactor
Enter IPSec secret for VPN_R...@vpn.vpnreactor.net: (what's the secret?)
Enter username for vpn.vpnreactor.net: ramullen
Enter password for MyUse...@vpn.vpnreactor.net: snafu
$ vpnc-disconnect

Note: Do you think the fact that PPTP is only supported, that I need
to enter that fact in here somewhere?