Set Up a Self Hosted Outline VPN with Amazon LightSail in 5 steps.
Tags: aws, cybersecurity, security, data
Published: 2023-08-24 07:22:43


[Outline](https://getoutline.org/), a free and open-source VPN service developed by Google, is renowned for its user-friendly design. It can be conveniently established on diverse platforms, and this blog will specifically guide you through the process of setting up a self-hosted Outline VPN using Amazon LightSail.
## Prerequisites
Before diving into the procedure, ensure you have the basics:

- An active Amazon LightSail account.
- A computer equipped with a web browser.

## Step 1: Set Up the Outline Manager

Kick-start your setup by downloading and installing the [Outline Manager](https://getoutline.org/get-started/#step-1) desktop application. This is your control centre for establishing and managing your server.

Post-setup, click on the _Add Server_ option to begin the process of creating your server , Then select the option for configuring the application on an AWS Linux server.

## Step 2: Incorporate Outline on Your Amazon LightSail Instance

Once the instance is created, the next step would be integrating the Outline server with your instance.
For this:

1. Head over to the [Amazon Lightsail](https://lightsail.aws.amazon.com/) instances screen.
2. Select the instance you wish to host Outline on and switch to the _Networking_ tab.
3. In the _Firewall_ section, click _Add Rule_ and ;
- Assign `All Protocols` a value of `All TCP+UDP`.
- Save the changes.


![Steps to setup Your Amazon LightSail Instance](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/f6a0hpjea5xco2bzr265.png)


## Step 3: Establish Connection to Your Instance

Choose your preferred method to connect to your instance; it could either be through your browser or an SSH client that aligns with your requirements.

Next, connect to your server and execute the following command that can be traced back to the setup instructions offered in the manager:

```bash
sudo bash -c "$(wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Jigsaw-Code/outline-server/master/src/server_manager/install_scripts/install_server.sh)"
```

Follow the subsequent instructions to successfully install Outline on your instance.

## Step 4: Configuring the Outline Server

With Outline now a part of your instance, it's time to configure it as per your requirements. To accomplish this, paste the installation output from your SSH session onto the manager and click _Done_ to finalize the configurations.

![The code output includes the curly parenthesis {} as well.
](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/wdw8gfnqiz0elu1gesor.png)

## Step 5: Adding and Connecting Keys

With the server now configured, the next move involves adding keys and establishing a connection to the server.

![Add New keys using the Outline Manager](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/57zbpijdmut55e2rdr0o.png)

Open the Outline application on your computer and provide the name and address of your server for this process. After successfully connecting to your server, utilize unhindered access to the internet through it.

## Conclusion

This guide offers a comprehensive panorama of the process to set up a self-hosted Outline VPN with Amazon LightSail. Remember, this is a basic outline, and for more detailed understanding and troubleshooting, always refer to the [Outline documentation](https://getoutline.org/get-started/)