Hello there. I'm new to Linux and i have a little problem installing the TUN/TAP driver on a Slackware 11 kernel 2.6.18. I need Tun/Tap up and running cuz i need to install a OpenVPN server (( and import a WINDOWS configuration file but that is a completely different story )) on this server. I've think* I've searched the internet for the info i need but i have failed.

At first i thought that it is a module that just needs to be activated in the kernel. So i searched in /usr/src/linux-2.6.18/make menuconfig ... but there is no optin for adding the tun/tap . There is a IPTunneling option ( that is not selected ) but it does not do the job .

I've try'ed with absolutely every package at the vtun.sourceforge.net/tun but with no luck.

If i try to compile the normal package i get an "wrong kernel version must be a 2.2.x or 2.4.x" error.

If i try compiling the FreeBSD package -> Wrong OS.

Using the rpm2tgz on the RH7.2 package and than pkginstall. Installation went just fine so i thought i did it .. but after doing a modprobe tun -> FATAL. Module tun not found.

insmod if_tap.ko ( from the FreeBSD package ) error's out ->
insmod: error inserting '/ex/tun1.1/BSD_driver/modules/if_tap.ko': -1 Invalid module format

Wile searching the Hamachi forums where i found this -> hamachi.cc/tuntap I whent to the dir /usr/src/linux-2.6.18/Documentation/networking/tuntap.txt

But there is absolutely NO info on how to the the driver up and running on a slackware 11 box with a 2.6.18 kernel ( any 2.6 kernel any box if that matters ). To my knowledge CentOS has a build-in tun/tap driver ... maybe i can do something from there ... i dunno i have no idea what to do any more.

Please help me -)) HELP ! -)

Before any questions about changing the distro or the kernel are asked.
Changing the distro is out of the question as to the kernel i cannot cuz there is an IBM Director software that does NOT run under 2.4 kernels ... So i am stuck with this little issue.

P.S. Sorry no links ... 1-st post and i can't have url's in post -)

Kernel 2.6.17.13 should be the same for 2.6.18 ?

Device drivers > Network device support > Universal TUN/TAP device driver support.

you must first create the device using mknod
Look in the INSTALL file and it tells the steps required
or it may be in the README file
not sure which
but I just went thru this a few days ago
Good Luck

@The_Outlander
Thanks -). Found it out several hours after i posted -) It is there.

@AlleyTrotter
Alley you do not need to do anything with mknod.
The device is installed form /usr/src/linux/make menuconfig and as The_Outlander said "Device drivers > Network device support > Universal TUN/TAP device driver support."

Than you do a "make" and "insmod tun.ko" ( tun/ko is located in /usr/src/linux/drivers/net/tun.ko )

There you have it -)

You may whant to do a make modules_install or you will have to do the same operation ( insmod tun.ko ) every time you reboot your machine -)

I got the same error message
On my 11.0 system with 2.6 generic kernel
the /dev/net directory did not even exist until I created it
Below is a quote from the OpenVPN INSTALL file
which worked for me
""
*************************************************************************

TUN/TAP Driver Configuration:

* Linux 2.4 or higher (with integrated TUN/TAP driver):

(1) make device node: mknod /dev/net/tun c 10 200
(2a) add to /etc/modules.conf: alias char-major-10-200 tun
(2b) load driver: modprobe tun
(3) enable routing: echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward

Note that either of steps (2a) or (2b) is sufficient. While (2a)
only needs to be done once per install, (2b) needs to be done once
per reboot. If you install from RPM (see above) and use the
openvpn.init script, these steps are taken care of for you.
""

so I guess everyones config is a little different
the module loaded automagically for me after the above steps 1 and 2a