Choosing a VPN application for Linux

Linux users have a choice between OpenConnnect and Ivanti-Secure.

OpenConnect

This is an open-source application that is available in the repositories of most popular Linux distributions.

Drawbacks of OpenConnect

  • It requires adding an alternate verification-method to Office 365 security-settings.

  • It may no longer work (see below).

Ivanti Breaking Changes for OpenConnect

As a result of a recent update to the VPN servers, OpenConnect has stopped working in some/most situations.

If you wish to try to continue using OpenConnect, your best bet is to follow the GNOME Instructions. This method works with one member of the TRIUMF IS&T staff, though not all. YMMV.

If you can't get OpenConnect working, your only remaining option is to use the Ivanti Secure-Access Client.

Ivanti Secure-Access Client

This is the official VPN client for the Ivanti VPN-servers that provide the TRIUMF-VPN service. It is a closed-source commercial-application from the producer of VPN-server appliance used by TRIUMF. It is provided as an unsigned rpm or deb package which TRIUMF makes available for manual download.

Drawbacks of Ivanti Client

  • No automatic security updates.

  • The packages are not compatible with some Linux distributions, including more recent versions of distributions that it technically supports; eg. Debian 13 and Ubuntu 25.x.

HELP! None of These Options Work For Me!

If you're a Linux user whose OpenConnect client has stopped working, and the Ivanti client isn't available for your distribution, please send a ticket in to the Research Computing Services queue and we can help get you sorted out.

Using OpenConnect on Linux

Installing Ivanti Secure-Access Client on Linux

Using Ivanti Secure-Access Client on Linux

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