# Docker + OpenVPN systemd Service The systemd service aims to make the update and invocation of the `docker-openvpn` container seamless. It automatically downloads the latest `docker-openvpn` image and instantiates a Docker container with that image. At shutdown it cleans-up the old container. In the event the service dies (crashes, or is killed) systemd will attempt to restart the service every 10 seconds until the service is stopped with `systemctl stop [email protected]`. A number of IPv6 hacks are incorporated to workaround Docker shortcomings and are harmless for those not using IPv6. To use and enable automatic start by systemd: 1. Create a Docker volume container named `ovpn-data-NAME` where `NAME` is the user's choice to describe the use of the container. In this example configuration, `NAME=example`. OVPN_DATA="ovpn-data-example" docker volume create --name $OVPN_DATA 2. Initialize the data container, but don't start the container : docker run -v $OVPN_DATA:/etc/openvpn --rm kylemanna/openvpn ovpn_genconfig -u udp://VPN.SERVERNAME.COM docker run -v $OVPN_DATA:/etc/openvpn --rm -it kylemanna/openvpn ovpn_initpki 3. Download the [[email protected]](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kylemanna/docker-openvpn/master/init/docker-openvpn%40.service) file to `/etc/systemd/system`: curl -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kylemanna/docker-openvpn/master/init/docker-openvpn%40.service | sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/[email protected] 4. Enable and start the service with: systemctl enable --now [email protected] 5. Verify service start-up with: systemctl status [email protected] journalctl --unit [email protected] For more information, see the [systemd manual pages](https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/index.html).