VPN Access

If you need to access Bowdoin resources (eg, files on robocup.bowdoin.edu/files) while you're not on the campus network, you'll likely need to access those resources using a VPN. Bowdoin IT provides a multi-platform VPN, but support for Linux is shaky; it does not seem to compile on any Linux kernel above 2.6.18.

Instead, use the open-source VPN alternative vpnc to connect, using the following steps.

1. Apply here for VPN access, using Chowndawg as your supervisor, your dean as your senior officer and Robocup as your reason. IT should get back to you reasonably soon.

2. Install vpnc, if you haven't already.
   sudo apt-get install vpnc

3. Make vpnc's configuration directory modifiable, so you can add a custom Bowdoin vpn configuration.
   sudo chmod go+rx /etc/vpnc

4. Create your own configuration file.
   gksu gedit /etc/vpnc/bowdoin.conf

5. Make it look like this:

IPSec gateway vpn.bowdoin.edu  
IPSec ID Bowdoin  
IPSec secret Hawthorne  
Xauth username [your-bowdoin-username]  
Xauth password [your-bowdoin-password]  
Enable Single DES

If you feel uncomfortable leaving your password in clear text (which you probably should), just leave it out. vpnc will prompt you for it.

-Octavian

6. Start the VPN service.
   sudo vpnc bowdoin

7. Close the service when you are done.
   vpnc-disconnect