Installing and using AnyConnect on the Ubuntu desktop

Step1

Cisco AnyConnect VPN software allows remote users and employees to securely connect to a Cisco VPN gateway running in an enterprise environment. 
It shows you how to download and install AnyConnect using Ubuntu 20.04 and 18.04 or 16.04 desktop computers.
Download the Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client on your machine.

NOTE: SaturnVPN Paid customers will receive it on their email after purchasing an account

Some packages will need to be installed prior to installing AnyConnect… Do that, run the commands below:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install lib32z1 lib32ncurses5

Step2

Open the Terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on your keyboard. To navigate to the folder where you have downloaded the AnyConnect Client Package, use the command, ‘cd directory name’.

cd [Directory Name]

In this example, the file is placed on the Desktop.

NOTE:

The directory may be different based on the location of the AnyConnect file download. For long filenames or paths, start typing some characters and press the tab key on your keyboard. The filename will auto-populate. If it doesn’t even after you press the tab twice, it indicates that you need to type more unique characters. Alternately, you can use the ‘ls’ command to list the files in your current directory.

 

Step3

The initial download is a tarball archive (several files packed into one), which must be extracted. The command

‘tar xvf filename’ will extract the contents to the same directory in which the initial file is located.

tar xvf [Filename]

 

Step4

Once the folder is extracted, use the ‘cd directory name’ command again to navigate into the folder.

cd [Directory Name]

 

Step5

After navigating into the main folder, ‘cd’ into the VPN sub-folder.

cd vpn

 

Step6

To run the AnyConnect install script, type ‘sudo ./vpn_install.sh’. This will begin the installation process using superuser permissions.

sudo ./vpn_install.sh

 

Installing DART

To install Dart, follow the steps below:
First, open the dart. folder inside the newly-extract anyconnect folder.
Right-click the dart_install.sh file.
Then select Run.
Use the GUI App to install the Cisco AnyConnect Diagnostic and Reporting Tool.
If the GUI installation doesn’t work, run the commands below to install it.

sudo .⁄dart_install.sh

Step7

Accept the terms in the license agreement to complete the installation by typing ‘y’.

y

 

The AnyConnect installation should be complete, and the Terminal window can be closed.

 

Using AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client

Step 1

To access the Anyconnect app, open the Terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on your keyboard. Use the command, ‘/opt/cisco/anyconnect/bin/vpnui’.

/opt/cisco/anyconnect/bin/vpnui

 

Note:
If you encounter any errors through the Terminal, you can access the app from the applications menu as shown below

To access the applications menu using the User Interface (UI), click on the start icon (appears as nine dots on the lower-left corner). Choose the Anyconnect app.

 

Alternatively, press Super+A (Super key is the windows icon key) on your keyboard to bring up the search bar. Start typing ‘Anyconnect’ and the app will appear.

 

Step 2

Click on the Anyconnect app.

 

Step 3

Enter the Hostname of your desired server.
You can find the Cisco VPN server addresses HERE. (NOTE: Check this page frequently to get the latest added servers)

 

Step 4

Some connections may not be secure using a trusted SSL certificate. By default, AnyConnect Client will block connection attempts to these servers.

Uncheck Block connections to untrusted servers to connect to these servers.

 

Uninstalling AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client

Step 1

Using Terminal, navigate to the folder that contains the uninstall shell script using the ‘cd’ command.

 

NOTE:
In a default installation, these files will be located in /opt/cisco/anyconnect/bin/.

Step 2

To run the Anyconnect uninstall script, enter ‘sudo ./vpn_uninstall.sh’

This will begin the uninstall process using superuser permissions.

 

Step 3

At the prompt, enter the sudo password and the client software will complete uninstallation.

 

Conclusion:

There you have it! You have now successfully learned the steps to install, use, and uninstall the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client on Ubuntu Desktop.

We want the best for our customers, so if you have any comments or suggestions regarding this topic, please send us an email to the SaturnVPN Team.