How Do Users Install and Connect to the VPN on Linux?

Audience/Target Users

  • Students

  • Faculty

  • Staff

What You Need Before You Start

  • A Linux distribution with a graphical user interface (GUI).

  • Your user account must have sudo access.

  • Your NinerNET credentials and your Duo Multi-factor authentication device.

Steps to Complete the Task

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Go to vpn.charlotte.edu to download the VPN software.

  2. Select Linux 64bit and download the shell script: cisco-secure-client-linux64-5.0.03072-core-vpn-webdeploy-k9.sh.

  3. Open your terminal and copy the script to the /tmp directory by running: cp ~/Downloads/cisco-secure-client-linux64-5.0.03072-core-vpn-webdeploy-k9.sh /tmp

  4. Gain superuser permissions by running: sudo -i

  5. Set the umask by running: umask 022

  6. Run the VPN installation script with the following command: sh /tmp/cisco-secure-client-linux64-5.0.03072-core-vpn-webdeploy-k9.sh

  7. Once the installation is complete, exit the root session by running: exit

  8. Verify the installation by checking that the anyconnect/ and vpn/ directories exist in /opt/cisco.

  9. Launch the graphical interface (the command-line version will not work due to Duo authentication) by running this command or searching your GUI application menu: /opt/cisco/Secure Client/bin/vpnui

  10. In the Connect to field, type vpn.charlotte.edu and click Connect.

  11. Enter your NinerNET credentials and complete the Duo authentication prompt.

  12. To disconnect, open the application and click the Disconnect button.

Important Notes or Exceptions

  • Certificate Error: You may receive an error stating "Secure Client cannot confirm it is connected to your secure gateway" during step 10. This happens because the client uses its own certificate database located in /opt/.cisco/certificates/ca.

  • Resolution: To fix this, copy your system's USERTrust certificates into the Cisco database by running: sudo cp /etc/ssl/certs/USERTrust_* /opt/.cisco/certificates/ca/ Once copied, retry step 10.

  • Distribution Variance: Installation experiences may vary slightly depending on your specific Linux distribution.

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