How to install SoftEther VPN on Ubuntu 25.04

SoftEther VPN is a powerful, multi-protocol VPN software that supports SSL-VPN, L2TP, OpenVPN, and more. On Ubuntu 25.04, you can install it directly from the source for maximum compatibility and control.

Step 1: Update Packages

Make sure your system is up to date before installing new software:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install Required Build Tools

SoftEther needs a compiler and some libraries to build from source:

sudo apt install build-essential wget tar -y

Step 3: Download SoftEther VPN Server

Grab the latest release from the official GitHub repository:

wget https://github.com/SoftEtherVPN/SoftEtherVPN_Stable/releases/download/v4.43-9799-beta/softether-vpnserver-v4.43-9799-beta-2023.04.08-linux-x64-64bit.tar.gz

Step 4: Extract the Archive

Unpack the downloaded tarball so we can compile the source:

tar xzf softether-vpnserver-*.tar.gz
cd vpnserver

Step 5: Compile SoftEther VPN

Run the make command to compile the VPN server:

make

When asked, type 1 to accept the license terms.

Step 6: Move Files to System Location

Place the compiled files in /usr/local for system-wide access:

cd ..
sudo mv vpnserver /usr/local

Step 7: Set Permissions

Adjust file permissions for security and execution rights:

sudo chmod 600 /usr/local/vpnserver/*
sudo chmod 700 /usr/local/vpnserver/vpnserver
sudo chmod 700 /usr/local/vpnserver/vpncmd

Now SoftEther VPN is installed on Ubuntu 25.04 and ready for you to configure when needed.