Public bug reported:
Description:
On Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, importing an .ovpn profile into NetworkManager and
connecting via Settings → Network → VPN worked correctly, and a VPN lock icon
was displayed in the top bar when the connection was active.
On Ubuntu 26.04 beta, the same .ovpn profile fails to connect via
NetworkManager with a generic "Connection failed - Failed to activate network
connection" notification, and no VPN icon is shown in the top bar.
Steps to reproduce:
Download an OpenVPN profile (.ovpn file) from a server running OpenVPN Access
Server
Go to Settings → Network → VPN → click "+" → "Import from file"
Select the .ovpn file and fill in username and password
Click "Add" to save the profile
Try to activate the VPN by toggling it on in Settings → Network → VPN
Expected behavior:
VPN connects successfully
A lock/VPN icon appears in the top bar indicating active VPN connection
Actual behavior:
A "Connection failed - Failed to activate network connection" notification
appears immediately
No VPN icon is shown in the top bar
No meaningful error is presented to the user
Workaround: The connection works correctly when using the terminal:
sudo openvpn --config profile-userlocked.ovpn --daemon
Additional information:
The .ovpn profile contains server-pushed options that are Windows-specific
(dhcp-pre-release, dhcp-renew, dhcp-release, register-dns) which OpenVPN 2.7.0
logs as warnings but ignores when run from the terminal. NetworkManager may be
treating these warnings as fatal errors.
The script /usr/libexec/openvpn/dns-updown exits with status 127 (not found),
which may also contribute to the failure.
NetworkManager log excerpt:
(paste output of: sudo journalctl -u NetworkManager | grep -i
"vpn\|openvpn\|error\|fail")
Environment:
OS: Ubuntu 26.04 beta (Resolute Raccoon)
Kernel: 7.0.0-12-generic
NetworkManager version: 1.54.3
OpenVPN version: 2.7.0
network-manager-openvpn version: 1.12.5-1
Desktop: GNOME 50 (Wayland)
** Affects: network-manager-openvpn (Ubuntu)
Importance: Undecided
Status: New
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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2147536
Title:
OpenVPN connection via NetworkManager fails silently on Ubuntu 26.04
(no VPN icon shown in top bar)
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