Install SoftEther VPN Server on Ubuntu 24.04

About SoftEther VPN Server

In this post you will learn how to install SoftEther VPN Server on Ubuntu 22.04 Server. SoftEther VPN (Software Ethernet) is an open-source, cross-platform, multi-protocol VPN solution developed at the University of Tsukuba in Japan. It supports a wide range of VPN protocols including:

SSL-VPN (SoftEther protocol)
L2TP/IPsec
OpenVPN
Microsoft SSTP
EtherIP / L2TPv3

What makes SoftEther stand out is its flexibility and performance. It can be used as:

A VPN server for remote access
A VPN bridge for site-to-site connections
A VPN client for secure tunneling

SoftEther is also known for its strong encryption, NAT traversal capabilities, and ease of management using the SoftEther VPN Command Line (vpncmd) or GUI-based administration tools.

Prerequisites

Before you install SoftEther VPN Server on Ubuntu 24.04, make sure the following requirements are met:

A server running Ubuntu 24.04 (64-bit)
Access to the system as a sudo or root user
Essential development packages:
- build-essential (for compiling the source code)
A working internet connection to download source files
Firewall rules and open ports if you’re planning to accept VPN connections (e.g., TCP 443, UDP 500/4500 for IPsec)

You can install the necessary build tools with:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y build-essential

SoftEther Installation Process

Step 1: Install Required Packages

Update your system and install required build tools:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y build-essential

Step 2: Download SoftEther VPN Server

Download the latest stable release of SoftEther VPN:

wget https://github.com/SoftEtherVPN/SoftEtherVPN_Stable/releases/download/v4.44-9807-rtm/softether-vpnserver-v4.44-9807-rtm-2025.04.16-linux-x64-64bit.tar.gz

Check the latest version on the SoftEther Official Page and replace it in the command.

Step 3: Extract the Archive

To extract downloaded file use the following command:

tar xzvf softether-vpnserver-v4.44-9807-rtm-2025.04.16-linux-x64-64bit.tar.gz

Step 4: Compile SoftEther

Navigate into the extracted directory and compile the source:

cd vpnserver/
make

Accept the license agreement (if asked) during the compilation process.

Step 5: Move and Set Permissions

cd ..
sudo mv vpnserver /usr/local/
cd /usr/local/vpnserver
sudo chmod 600 *
sudo chmod 700 vpnserver vpncmd

Step 6: Test the Installation

Run the command-line utility to verify everything is working:

cd /usr/local/vpnserver
./vpncmd

check

Select option 3 (Use of VPN Tools) to confirm installation success.

Step 7: Create an Init Script

Create a startup script at /etc/init.d/vpnserver:

sudo nano /etc/init.d/vpnserver

Paste the following content:

#!/bin/sh
### BEGIN INIT INFO
# Provides:          vpnserver
# Required-Start:    $network $local_fs $remote_fs
# Required-Stop:     $network $local_fs $remote_fs
# Default-Start:     2 3 4 5
# Default-Stop:      0 1 6
# Short-Description: SoftEther VPN Server
### END INIT INFO

DAEMON=/usr/local/vpnserver/vpnserver
LOCK=/var/lock/subsys/vpnserver

test -x $DAEMON || exit 0

case "$1" in
  start)
    $DAEMON start
    touch $LOCK
    ;;
  stop)
    $DAEMON stop
    rm $LOCK
    ;;
  restart)
    $DAEMON stop
    sleep 3
    $DAEMON start
    ;;
esac

exit 0

Step 8: Make the Script Executable and Enable It

sudo chmod +x /etc/init.d/vpnserver
sudo update-rc.d vpnserver defaults

Step 9: Enable the Service with `systemctl`

This ensures the service starts on boot execute the following command:

sudo systemctl enable vpnserver

Step 10: Start the VPN Server and Verify the Process

sudo /etc/init.d/vpnserver start

Use ps to check if the VPN server is running:

ps aux | grep vpnserver

Step 11: Check Service Status

Make sure the status is active (running).

sudo systemctl status vpnserver

Step 12: Install and Configure SoftEther VPN Server with SoftEther VPN Server Manager

One of the easiest ways to configure SoftEther VPN Server is by using the SoftEther VPN Server Manager, a graphical interface available for Windows. It allows you to remotely manage your VPN server through a user-friendly GUI instead of using the command line.