vpnc on Debian 4.0 or 'Etch' - the latest stable release

If you need a vpn client installed on your machine, here's a tutorial for vpnc (which is the best alternative for the cisco client for windows machines).

Open a terminal and go root by typing:
su

Open 'etc/apt/sources.list' with the nano-editor, which is very intuitiv and comes with every Debian installation, by typing:
nano /etc/apt/sources.list

Once opened, check if your repositories-list looks similar to this one:

deb http://ftp.ch.debian.org/debian etch main contrib non-free

Because the package is in the main-repository 'main' is the key word that must not be missing in your '/etc/apt/sources.list'. If it should not be there, just add the line above. To save in the nano editor, you press 'ctrl-o' and quit it by pressing 'ctrl-x'.

If you had to modify the file update the repository list by typing:
apt-get update

Install the vpnc by typing:
apt-get install vpnc


Create a configuration file in order to have access to Zurich University by typing:
nano /etc/vpnc/uzh.conf


The following text should be inside:
IPSec gateway vpnserver.uzh.ch
IPSec ID 'groupUsername'
IPSec secret 'groupPassword'
Xauth username 'sYourImmatriculationNumber'
Xauth password 'yourPassword'


save the file by pressing 'ctrl-o' and quit the editor by pressing 'ctrl-x'.

note:
a) don't write the quotation marks ' '.
b) 'groupName', 'groupPassword' can be found on the website of the Zurich University.
go here
c) Xauth password can be set or not, it's up to you!


Customise the File Rights
Type in the terminal:
chmod 644 /etc/vpnc/uzh.conf
chown root.root /etc/vpnc/uzh.conf


Start / end the program
1. In order to start the program, type in the terminal as superuser:
vpnc uzh

2. In order to end the program, type in the terminal as superuser:
vpnc-disconnect


More information on how to enter the internal section of the University of Zurich can be found
here