Some explanation for the SSH server

[birdie-github]

Other Network Manager VPN plugins work out of the box, without extra configuration on the remote side.

NetworkManager-SSH on the other hand requires certain changes to the SSH server.

These three options must be explicitly enabled:

AllowTcpForwarding yes
PermitTunnel yes
GatewayPorts yes

I don't know how you can create an ℹ️ button in GTK but it would be nice to have it in the plugin, so that it spewed relevant information.

[danfruehauf]

Other Network Manager VPN plugins work out of the box, without extra configuration on the remote side.
NetworkManager-SSH on the other hand requires certain changes to the SSH server.

Would you please be able to elaborate on that? Because I don't think this is a true statement. For instance, if I install any Linux distribution, it will not come out of the box, ready, with an openvpn server.

These three options must be explicitly enabled:

That is, as the README.md suggests, incorrect, and depends on your configuration. Each of the options you've mentioned is required for a different setup. Suggesting the user enables all of them, while not using them, is somewhat negligent in terms of security.

I believe that the user needs to understand what they are enabling, and why, on the server side.

I don't know how you can create an ℹ️ button in GTK but it would be nice to have it in the plugin, so that it spewed relevant information.

I'm not opposed to that option, as it does increase usability overall. But I'm also not sure where exactly it should sit, and what information it should provide. As said, it very much depends on the desired configuration.

[birdie-github]

Once you set up an OpenVPN server, it works. It's more "manual"/"labored" but it does.

OpenSSHD daemon on the other hand is installed and ready to use by default, albeit it doesn't have these options enabled and trying to establish a VPN connection via the SSH server results in a failure and multiple debugging attempts that led to these three options. Maybe some are redundant but I needed to have something working yesterday fast, and that's what I got in the end.

I'm totally fine if you never implement this and just leave this as a closed ticket for others to stumble upon and find out what's needed for an SSH VPN connection to work.

Thank you for your attention.

[danfruehauf]

Once you set up an OpenVPN server, it works. It's more "manual"/"labored" but it does.

This was never my experience with OpenVPN, and any other VPN server I ever had to establish, however I'm happy you've had a different experience.

I'm not opposed to the idea of having an information button that'll pop the user even to the base of that repository, for further instructions. If you can sketch something up that seems reasonable, we can make it happen.

As an aside, I'll add that this plugin provides a very hacky/ad-hoc VPN type, and users that will be using it, are also aware of that. And aware of the necessary obscure/non-standard configuration this will require on a remote server.