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VPNC RPM packages

VPNC is an alternative implementation of Cisco's VPN software, licenced under the GPL. It can be downloaded from http://www.unix-ag.uni-kl.de/~massar/vpnc/. For a short time it supports rekeying, which makes it fully usable. Compared with Cisco's VPN software it has some advantages

Open source code - using Cisco's software you have to believe it has no backdoors. If you pick VPNC, you can check it.
Full control. Cisco's VPN client bypasses the kernel routing tables and enforces its own routing rules, which cannot be modified by the user. With VPNC you have full control over your routing tables - you can accept your provider's rules or set your own ones. It is important, if have to use an VPN over an existing VPN.
No need for a kernel module. Cisco software need a kernel module, which has to match the running kernel exactly. Unfortunately Cisco does not care about compatibility to new kernel versions. With VPNC you simply do not need it. It only need the universal TUN/TAP driver, which is provided with every vanilla kernel.

The only disadvantage I could make out: VPNC has a slighly higher CPU load than Ciscos VPN client.

I have packed VPNC into RPM packages for easy installation. You also need sudo to run VPNC as an ordinary user. Otherwise you need to be root to execute VPNC.

Last changes: Sonntag, 5. Oktober 2008, 22:48:51