Setting up a VPN Server
 

Perhaps a little ambitious for a newbie but I would like to offer users a VPN tunnel into my network.

I am not a network administrator and am learning as I go for a small educational charity where I have SUSE linux 10.2 working as a file server and PDC using Samba and a few Windows XP Pro workstations hanging off it. This is working well and I have allowed users to use Remote Desktop Connection in Windows to log-on remotely. This too is working well but locks a PC in the office each time it is accessed remotely.

Some people need to access the system that way because they need to use software that is only installed on a particular PC and which they do not have at home. They could use VNC but that allows their actions to be viewed in the office if the monitor is turned on.

Others need only access to the file server and VPN came to mind. Trouble is I do not have a clue where to start in Linux (though I do VNP/VNC into my home Windows PC with my Windows laptop when out and about).

I would prefer to use the KDE GUI in SUSE if possible as I am not yet confident in all things command line.

Could anyone guide me in the right direction?

Thanks.

SuSE has packages for openvpn and openswan. There also is a kvpn KDE program that will allow you to administer either graphically. I don't know which one would be easier for Windows users to install.

You should still read the vpn howto on the www.tldp.org website. If a client has Linux, they could use SSH's scp and sftp as well. Simply secure your server and ssh access. The scp and sftp programs use the ssh protocol and are part of the ssh installation.