How to Install OpenVPN Access Server on AlmaLinux 9 (Free for 2 Connections)

OpenVPN Access Server (AS) is the commercial, GUI-managed distribution of OpenVPN. It bundles a web-based Admin UI, a Client UI for users to download pre-configured connection profiles, and a licence-based concurrent connection model. The free tier allows two simultaneous VPN connections — enough for personal use, a home lab, or a small team.

This guide covers installation on AlmaLinux 9.x, which is RHEL-compatible but not officially supported by OpenVPN Inc. In practice, the RHEL 9 packages install and run without issues — with a few AlmaLinux-specific gotchas around SELinux and firewalld that will catch you out if you skip them.

How to Install Python for a Specific User on Linux (Without Root)

There are scenarios where you need a specific version of Python available for a particular user — without modifying the system-wide Python installation or requiring root access after the initial build. Installing Python under a user’s home directory is the cleanest way to achieve this.

This guide walks through downloading, compiling, and installing Python from source into a user-specific prefix.

Prerequisites

The build process requires a few development libraries. Install them as root before switching to the target user:

Why Your Nginx SSL Certificate Shows as Self-Signed (When OpenVPN Is Installed)

Symptom: You have a valid Let’s Encrypt certificate installed on your Nginx/Virtualmin server, but browsers show a self-signed certificate warning instead. The Nginx configuration looks correct, and openssl s_client from the server itself returns the right certificate — but external connections return the wrong one.

If OpenVPN Access Server was installed on your server before Nginx/Virtualmin, this article is for you.