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Accepted
Enrique Moreno Tent
Asked: 2018-01-26 01:31:01 +0800 CST

Cant import ovpn file - Key file contains "client" which is not a key-value pair

  • 772

When I try to import the VPN settings from an OVPN file, I get the following error.

The file "test.ovpn" could not be read or does not contain recognized VPN connection information. Error: Key file contains line "client" which is not a key-value pair, group, or comment

I am quite sure that the line "client" should not be a problem, since I have it in other .ovpn files as well.

What is wrong with this?

PS: This is the beginning of the ovpn file (with fake data)

client
dev tun
proto tcp
remote xxxxx.yyyyyyyyy.de 443
verify-x509-name "C=de, L=Somewhere, O=mycompanyname AG, CN=xxxxx.yyyyyyyy.de, [email protected]"
route remote_host 255.255.255.255 net_gateway
resolv-retry infinite
nobind
persist-key
persist-tun
auth-user-pass
cipher AES-256-CBC
auth MD5
comp-lzo no
route-delay 4
verb 3
reneg-sec 0
vpn

2 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    There is a known bug in NetworkManager : configuration files with inline certificates can't be imported.

    There are several workarounds which can be taken:

    1. Use the this python script which extract the embedded certificates and rewrite the ovpn config to use separate key and cert files. (reference)

    2. Execute the ovpn config using command line:

      sudo openvpn your-ovpn-config-filename.ovpn

    3. separate lines which contains port into several lines:

      remote xxxxx.yyyyyyyyy.de 443

      To be:

      remote xxxxx.yyyyyyyyy.de 
port 443
    • 6

  2. Could be because of mssfix 0 option. Per NM's opinion it's wrong. How to check which option is not acceptable? Try from terminal:

    # nmcli connection import type openvpn file client1_udp.ovpn
[sudo] password for ipeacocks: 
Error: failed to import 'client1_udp.ovpn': configuration error: invalid 1th argument to “mssfix” where number expected (line 136).

    Link https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/network-manager-openvpn/+bug/606365/comments/95

    • 2