Installing Pulse Secure client on Linux

Owned by Bill DelGrego
Last updated: Dec 06, 2022 by Ashley Mattingly
2 min read

This article covers how students, faculty, and staff can install the Pulse Secure VPN client on various versions of Linux.

There have been reports of recent issues with the VPN client on Linux. Check the file /etc/hotsts and remove any reference to the names vpn.uconn.edu or sslvpn.uconn.edu. Contact the Technology Support Center if you still experience issues after correcting those entries.

  1. Download the package installer to the Linux client. Visit the Pulse Secure Client page in the UConn Software Catalog to choose your download. 

  2. Run the installer using the commands below. For example, if the Pulse Linux client is saved in /$HOME/downloads on Ubuntu, then the command would be: Sudo dpkg -i /$HOME/downloads/Pulse-linux-9.1r2.0-x64.deb. 

    1. For Debian-based Linux installation (such as Ubuntu): sudo dpkg -i <package name>

    2. For RPM-based Linux installation (such as CentOS): sudo rpm -ivh <package name>

  3. The script will prompt the user to install any missing dependent packages if they are not already installed.

    1. libnss3-tools is a pre-requisite and will need to be installed before you can install the Pulse Secure Client. You will be prompted to install it if it is missing.

Launching the Pulse Secure Client 

Launching Pulse Secure Client from Installed Applications List

  1. Locate Pulse Secure in the list of installed applications.

  2. Create a new connection to vpn.uconn.edu.

  3. Click Connect next to New Entry.

  4. Enter your UConn NetID and password to authenticate. 

Launching Pulse Secure Client via CLI

  1. Open a new terminal window.

  2. Enter the root shell:
    ~$ sudo –i
    [sudo] password for username: password

  3. Use the command below to launch the VPN client, substituting NetID with your UConn NetID in lowercase: 
    root@:~#/opt/pulsesecure/bin/pulselauncher -U vpn.uconn.edu -u NetID –r UConn -l UConn-Users

  4. You will be prompted for a VPN Password. Enter your NetID password. It will not be displayed or saved.

  5. After the VPN tunnel is created successfully, the terminal window will remain blank and must remain open. If the terminal window is closed, this will close the VPN connection.

  6. You can check the status of the connection by opening a new terminal window and using the following method:
    :~$ ifconfig
    tun0 Link encap:UNSPEC  HWaddr 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00
    inet addr:67.221.68.214  P-t-P:67.221.67.78  Mask:255.255.255.555
    UP POINTOPOINT RUNNING NOARP MULTICAST MTU:1400  Metric:1
    RX packets:5 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
    TX packets:5 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
    collisions:0 txqueuelen:500
    RX bytes:560 (560.0 B)  TX bytes:299 (299.0 B)

  7. End your VPN session by closing the original terminal window or using crtl+c to end the process.

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