1. Get the Cisco Systems VPN Client for Linux from Cisco’s website (registration required) or search for vpnclient-linux-x86_64-4.8.00.0490-k9.tar.gz on you know who.

2. Uncompress it and change to the directory it creates

bruno@sushi:~$ tar xvfz vpnclient-linux-x86_64-4.8.00.0490-k9.tar.gz
bruno@sushi:~$ cd vpnclient

3. Get the header files for yout current kernel version, you’ll need them to build the binary

bruno@sushi:~/vpnclient$ sudo apt-get install build-essential
bruno@sushi:~/vpnclient$ sudo apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r`

4. Compile (there will be a few warnings)

bruno@sushi:~/vpnclient$ make

5. Install the VPN client

bruno@sushi:~/vpnclient$ sudo ./vpn_install

6. Create a VPN profile entry file (you can also migrate it from a previous Windows instalation – it’s a .pcf file sitting inside your Installation Path/Profiles directory) on /etc/opt/cisco-vpnclient/Profiles/

bruno@sushi:~/vpnclient$ sudo cp /disks/hda1/Program\ Files/Cisco/VPN\ Client/Profiles/corporate.pcf /etc/opt/cisco-vpnclient/Profiles/

7. You probably had it configured to start at boot time, but start the VPN Service anyway

bruno@sushi:~/vpnclient$ sudo /etc/init.d/vpnclient_init start

8. If your infrastructure uses certificates to authenticate you, you’ll need to import the root and user certificates you’ve previously had exported.

bruno@sushi:~/vpnclient$ sudo cisco_cert_mgr -R -op import -f /disks/hda1/root_certificate_export.cer
bruno@sushi:~/vpnclient$ sudo cisco_cert_mgr -U -op import -f /disks/hda1/user_certificate_export.cer

9. Connect

bruno@sushi:~/vpnclient$ sudo vpnclient connect corporate


Tested on Ubunty Dapper 6.06 with Kernel 2.6.15-27-386