How to remove lingering /etc/openvpn/ directory after removing OpenVPN package?

Question

I want to completely remove openvpn from my pc (Linux Ubuntu 12.04) but when I type

sudo apt-get remove  openvpn

the /etc/openvpn/ folder remains... How can I delete this too?

I want to delete openvpn so I can install it again because I think I did something stupid the first time :/

Do you know how to complete remove it?
Can you recommend me a good detailed tutorial about installing openvpn in ubuntu 12.10 and how to make certificates?

score 4 · Answer 1 · answered Aug 08 '14 at 21:59

You can't purge it after you remove it that's why it didn't work

sudo apt-get install openvpn && sudo apt-get purge openvpn

and yes you can remove it manually (as you seem to have already figured out), see these files as well

/usr/lib/openvpn

/usr/include/openvpn

/usr/share/openvpn

/usr/share/man/man8/openvpn.8.gz

To see what files get installed with a package, you can usually run the whereis command to see what goes along with it.

example:

whereis openvpn

example output:

openvpn: /usr/sbin/openvpn /etc/openvpn /usr/lib/openvpn /usr/include/openvpn     
/usr/share/openvpn /usr/share/man/man8/openvpn.8.gz

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 30 '12 at 13:52

2

Config is not deleted by a simple apt-get remove.

You want apt-get purge <package>.

answered Oct 30 '12 at 13:52

Oli

i try sudo apt-get purge openvpn still nothing. – Systeem Faillure Oct 30 '12 at 13:57
You may have to just delete that folder manually as well. Some packages to do not have the purge argument correctly configured, or will still save their configs for certain reasons. – reverendj1 Oct 30 '12 at 15:27
i cant delete it manually :/ – Systeem Faillure Oct 30 '12 at 16:25
Don't forget sudo... – davidbaumann Jan 29 '14 at 01:31

score 2 · Answer 3 · answered Nov 01 '12 at 01:18

2

ok problem solved just type

cd /etc/
sudo rm -rf openvpn

answered Nov 01 '12 at 01:18

Systeem Faillure

score -1 · Answer 4 · answered Jan 16 '15 at 01:46

-1

The recommended way is

sudo dpkg -r openvpn-as

answered Jan 16 '15 at 01:46

Tuan Anh Tran

That would simply uninstall the package, which the OP has done. You are perhaps thinking of -P ? The man page lists that as Purge, which DOES remove the lot. – Mark Williams Jan 16 '15 at 07:50
i installed openvpn, used it for awhile and uninstall that way. all the folders mentioned by OP is removed. – Tuan Anh Tran Jan 16 '15 at 08:31
This does not provide an answer to the question. To critique or request clarification from an author, leave a comment below their post - you can always comment on your own posts, and once you have sufficient reputation you will be able to comment on any post. – Fabby Jan 16 '15 at 09:12
@Fabby Actually, this is an answer - the question is "How to remove lingering /etc/openvpn/ directory - this attempts to provide an answer and is valid. – Thomas Ward Jan 16 '15 at 17:34
@ThomasW. IMHO not really. The OP should have done a purge, but alas doing a purge after the fact is impossible so a sudo rm -rf /etc/openvpn/ is the correct answer, but he already figured that out him/her/itself before this answer. ;-) – Fabby Jan 16 '15 at 17:40
@Fabby It's still an answer attempt albeit not a good one. It therefore does not fall under the 'Not an Answer' classification. – Thomas Ward Jan 16 '15 at 22:40
@ThomasW. OK. I bow to your wisdom... (All flags already removed, and I'll really try to remember, as contrarily to you, I am having something nice... A bit too much nice I'm afraid) ;-) – Fabby Jan 16 '15 at 22:51

4 Answers4