*Lightweight swiss-knife-like VPN client to tunnel to Private Internet Access or Mullvad VPN servers, using Go, OpenVPN, iptables, DNS over TLS, ShadowSocks and Tinyproxy*
[](https://github.com/qdm12/private-internet-access-docker/issues)
<details><summary>Click to show base components</summary><p>
- [Alpine 3.11](https://alpinelinux.org) for a tiny image (37MB of packages, 6.7MB of Go binary and 5.6MB for Alpine)
- [OpenVPN 2.4.8](https://pkgs.alpinelinux.org/package/v3.11/main/x86_64/openvpn) to tunnel to PIA servers
- [IPtables 1.8.3](https://pkgs.alpinelinux.org/package/v3.11/main/x86_64/iptables) enforces the container to communicate only through the VPN or with other containers in its virtual network (acts as a killswitch)
- [Unbound 1.9.6](https://pkgs.alpinelinux.org/package/v3.11/main/x86_64/unbound) configured with Cloudflare's [1.1.1.1](https://1.1.1.1) DNS over TLS (configurable with 5 different providers)
- [Files and blocking lists built periodically](https://github.com/qdm12/updated/tree/master/files) used with Unbound (see `BLOCK_MALICIOUS`, `BLOCK_SURVEILLANCE` and `BLOCK_ADS` environment variables)
- Docker 1.13, in order to have Docker API 1.25 which supports `init` (and, if you use docker-compose, docker-compose version 1.22.0)
- A Private Internet Access **username** and **password** ([sign up](https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/buy-vpn/)) or Mullvad user ID ([sign up](https://mullvad.net/en/account/))
- If `DOT=on`, allow outbound TCP 853 to allow Unbound to resolve github.com and the PIA subdomain name if you use PIA.
- If `DOT=off` and `VPNSP=pia`, allow outbound UDP 53 to your DNS provider to resolve the PIA subdomain name.
- If `VPNSP=pia`, `ENCRYPTION=strong` and `PROTOCOL=udp`: allow outbound UDP 1197 to the corresponding VPN server IPs
- If `VPNSP=pia`, `ENCRYPTION=normal` and `PROTOCOL=udp`: allow outbound UDP 1198 to the corresponding VPN server IPs
- If `VPNSP=pia`, `ENCRYPTION=strong` and `PROTOCOL=tcp`: allow outbound TCP 501 to the corresponding VPN server IPs
- If `VPNSP=pia`, `ENCRYPTION=normal` and `PROTOCOL=tcp`: allow outbound TCP 502 to the corresponding VPN server IPs
- If `VPNSP=mullvad` and `PORT=`, please refer to the mapping of Mullvad servers in [these source code lines](https://github.com/qdm12/private-internet-access-docker/blob/master/internal/constants/mullvad.go#L64-L667) to find the corresponding UDP port number and IP address(es) of your choice
- If `VPNSP=mullvad` and `PORT=53`, allow outbound UDP 53 to the corresponding VPN server IPs, which you can fine in [the mapping of Mullvad servers](https://github.com/qdm12/private-internet-access-docker/blob/master/internal/constants/mullvad.go#L64-L667)
- If `VPNSP=mullvad` and `PORT=80`, allow outbound TCP 80 to the corresponding VPN server IPs, which you can fine in [the mapping of Mullvad servers](https://github.com/qdm12/private-internet-access-docker/blob/master/internal/constants/mullvad.go#L64-L667)
- If `VPNSP=mullvad` and `PORT=443`, allow outbound TCP 443 to the corresponding VPN server IPs, which you can fine in [the mapping of Mullvad servers](https://github.com/qdm12/private-internet-access-docker/blob/master/internal/constants/mullvad.go#L64-L667)
-`qmcgaw/private-internet-access:v1` linked to the [v1 release](https://github.com/qdm12/private-internet-access-docker/releases/tag/v1.0) (shell scripting based, no support)
| `DOT` | `on` | `on` or `off`, to activate DNS over TLS to 1.1.1.1 |
| `DOT_PROVIDERS` | `cloudflare` | Comma delimited list of DNS over TLS providers from `cloudflare`, `google`, `quad9`, `quadrant`, `cleanbrowsing`, `securedns`, `libredns` |
| `DOT_PRIVATE_ADDRESS` | All IPv4 and IPv6 CIDRs private ranges | Comma separated list of CIDRs or single IP addresses. Note that the default setting prevents DNS rebinding |
There are various ways to achieve this, depending on your use case.
- <details><summary>Connect containers in the same docker-compose.yml as PIA</summary><p>
Add `network_mode: "service:pia"` to your *docker-compose.yml* (no need for `depends_on`)
</p></details>
- <details><summary>Connect other containers to PIA</summary><p>
Add `--network=container:pia` when launching the container, provided PIA is already running
</p></details>
- <details><summary>Connect containers from another docker-compose.yml</summary><p>
Add `network_mode: "container:pia"` to your *docker-compose.yml*, provided PIA is already running
</p></details>
- <details><summary>Connect LAN devices through the built-in HTTP proxy *Tinyproxy* (i.e. with Chrome, Kodi, etc.)</summary><p>
You might want to use Shadowsocks instead which tunnels UDP as well as TCP, whereas Tinyproxy only tunnels TCP.
1. Setup a HTTP proxy client, such as [SwitchyOmega for Chrome](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/proxy-switchyomega/padekgcemlokbadohgkifijomclgjgif?hl=en)
1. Ensure the PIA container is launched with:
- port `8888` published `-p 8888:8888/tcp`
- your LAN subnet, i.e. `192.168.1.0/24`, set as `-e EXTRA_SUBNETS=192.168.1.0/24`
1. With your HTTP proxy client, connect to the Docker host (i.e. `192.168.1.10`) on port `8888`. You need to enter your credentials if you set them with `TINYPROXY_USER` and `TINYPROXY_PASSWORD`.
1. If you set `TINYPROXY_LOG` to `Info`, more information will be logged in the Docker logs
</p></details>
- <details><summary>Connect LAN devices through the built-in SOCKS5 proxy *Shadowsocks* (per app, system wide, etc.)</summary><p>
1. Setup a SOCKS5 proxy client, there is a list of [ShadowSocks clients for **all platforms**](https://shadowsocks.org/en/download/clients.html)
- **note** some clients do not tunnel UDP so your DNS queries will be done locally and not through PIA and its built in DNS over TLS
- Clients that support such UDP tunneling are, as far as I know:
- iOS: Potatso Lite
- OSX: ShadowsocksX
- Android: Shadowsocks by Max Lv
1. Ensure the PIA container is launched with:
- port `8388` published `-p 8388:8388/tcp -p 8388:8388/udp`
- your LAN subnet, i.e. `192.168.1.0/24`, set as `-e EXTRA_SUBNETS=192.168.1.0/24`
1. With your SOCKS5 proxy client
- Enter the Docker host (i.e. `192.168.1.10`) as the server IP
- Enter port TCP (and UDP, if available) `8388` as the server port
- Use the password you have set with `SHADOWSOCKS_PASSWORD`
- Choose the encryption method/algorithm `chacha20-ietf-poly1305`
1. If you set `SHADOWSOCKS_LOG` to `on`, more information will be logged in the Docker logs
</p></details>
- <details><summary>Access ports of containers connected to PIA</summary><p>
In example, to access port `8000` of container `xyz` and `9000` of container `abc` connected to PIA,
publish ports `8000` and `9000` for the PIA container and access them as you would with any other container
</p></details>
- <details><summary>Access ports of containers connected to PIA, all in the same docker-compose.yml</summary><p>
In example, to access port `8000` of container `xyz` and `9000` of container `abc` connected to PIA, publish port `8000` and `9000` for the PIA container.
The docker-compose.yml file would look like:
```yml
version: '3.7'
services:
pia:
image: qmcgaw/private-internet-access
container_name: pia
init: true
cap_add:
- NET_ADMIN
environment:
- USER=js89ds7
- PASSWORD=8fd9s239G
ports:
- 8000:8000/tcp
- 9000:9000/tcp
abc:
image: abc
container_name: abc
network_mode: "service:pia"
xyz:
image: xyz
container_name: xyz
network_mode: "service:pia"
```
</p></details>
## Port forwarding
By setting `PORT_FORWARDING` environment variable to `on`, the forwarded port will be read and written to the file specified in `PORT_FORWARDING_STATUS_FILE` (by default, this is set to `/forwarded_port`). If the location for this file does not exist, it will be created automatically.
You can mount this file as a volume to read it from other containers.
Note that not all regions support port forwarding.
It is mainly because the option [disable-occ](https://openvpn.net/community-resources/reference-manual-for-openvpn-2-4/) was removed for transparency with you.
Private Internet Access explains [here why](https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/helpdesk/kb/articles/why-do-i-get-cipher-auth-warnings-when-i-connect) the warnings show up.
</p></details>
<details><summary>How to fallback to a previous Docker image</summary><p>
- Find a [commit](https://github.com/qdm12/private-internet-access-docker/commits/master) you want to build for, in example `095623925a9cc0e5cf89d5b9b510714792267d9b`, then:
<details><summary>What's all this Go code?</summary><p>
The Go code is a big rewrite of the previous shell entrypoint, it allows for:
- better testing
- better maintainability
- ease of implementing new features
- faster boot
- asynchronous/parallel operations
It is mostly made of the [internal directory](https://github.com/qdm12/private-internet-access-docker/tree/master/internal) and the entry Go file [cmd/main.go](https://github.com/qdm12/private-internet-access-docker/blob/master/cmd/main.go).
</p></details>
<details><summary>How to test DNS over TLS?</summary><p>
- You can test DNSSEC using [internet.nl/connection](https://www.internet.nl/connection/)
- Check DNS leak tests with [https://www.dnsleaktest.com](https://www.dnsleaktest.com)
- Some other DNS leaks tests might not work because of [this](https://github.com/qdm12/cloudflare-dns-server#verify-dns-connection) (*TLDR*: Unbound DNS server is a local caching intermediary)
</p></details>
<details><summary>How to fix OpenVPN failing to start?</summary><p>
You can try:
- Installing the tun kernel module on your host with `insmod /lib/modules/tun.ko` or `modprobe tun`
- Adding `--device=/dev/net/tun` to your docker run command (equivalent for docker-compose, kubernetes, etc.)
- On Windows, share a drive with Docker Desktop and have the project on that partition
1. With [Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/download), install the [remote containers extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers)
1. In Visual Studio Code, press on `F1` and select `Remote-Containers: Open Folder in Container...`
1. Your dev environment is ready to go!... and it's running in a container :+1:
The Go code is in the Go file [cmd/main.go](https://github.com/qdm12/private-internet-access-docker/blob/master/cmd/main.go) and the [internal directory](https://github.com/qdm12/private-internet-access-docker/tree/master/internal),
