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Outline

In this article

Information

Outline - open-source software for creating and managing your own VPN servers. This solution is based on the Shadowsocks protocol and provides a high level of security when bypassing network restrictions. Outline offers an easy-to-use interface for administrators and end users, eliminating technical complexities associated with setting up a VPN. Unlike many commercial VPN services, Outline gives full control over infrastructure and data since the server is managed by the administrator, not a third party.

Deployment Features

ID Compatible OS VM BM VGPU GPU Min CPU (Cores) Min RAM (Gb) Min HDD/SDD (Gb) Active
288 Ubuntu 22.04 + + + + 1 1 - Yes

Getting started after deploying Outline

After payment of the order, a notification of the server's readiness for operation will be sent to the e-mail address specified during registration. It will contain the IP address of the VPS, as well as the login and password for connection. Clients of our company manage the equipment in the server control panel and API - Invapi.

Here you can also find the credentials, which can be found either in the Info >> Tags tab of the server control panel or in the email sent to you:

  • Login and Password for server management: sent to your email address upon server readiness after software deployment.

Using the Outline Server

Information

Outline consists of two main components: Outline Manager for administrators and Outline Client for end users. The Outline Manager allows you to quickly deploy a server on a cloud platform or your own hardware, manage user access, and monitor resource usage. The client application is available for various platforms, including Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux, ensuring broad cross-platform compatibility.

Connecting to the Server and Gaining Management Access

  1. Connect to the server via SSH (if not already connected): bash ssh root@<server_IP>

  2. View information about your Outline server's API key: 

    cat outline_api_key.txt

  3. In the command output, find a string in JSON format: 

    {"apiUrl":"https://<IP_сервера>:40601/o8qJcLs8YfAKo-Aqaiu5Yg","certSha256":"088E7E4A50C84EE4D7DBBB1A3B3488D21FD345629F58B1A22CA4B456FA78547A"}

  4. Copy this string entirely (including curly braces) - it is your key for managing the server.

Setting Up Outline Manager and Managing the Server

  1. Go to the official site Outline Manager;
  2. Download and install the version for your operating system;
  3. Run Outline Manager on your computer;

  4. Select the option Set up Outline anywhere;

  5. In the second step, paste the copied API key string: 

    {"apiUrl":"https://<IP_сервера>:40601/o8qJcLs8YfAKo-Aqaiu5Yg","certSha256":"088E7E4A50C84EE4D7DBBB1A3B3488D21FD345629F58B1A22CA4B456FA78547A"}

  6. Click Done button;

  7. Upon successful connection, you will see the management panel with an already created access key.

Managing Access Keys

  1. Creating New Keys:

    • Press the Add access key button;
    • Each new key will receive a unique identifier.

  2. Renaming Keys:

    • Click on the key's name (or the icon );
    • Enter a new name;
    • Press Enter to save.

  3. Granting User Access:

    • Click on the Share icon next to the desired key;
    • Copy the key or invitation:

  4. Setting Data Limits (optional):

    • Click on the icon next to the key;
    • Set a monthly data limit in GB;
    • Press Save:

  5. Deleting Keys:

    • Click on the icon next to the key;
    • Confirm deletion.

Configuring the Server via Outline Manager

  1. Open server settings by clicking on the Settings tab:

  2. Here you can:

    • Change the server name;
    • Configure access port (default 54899);
    • Enable/disable automatic updates;
    • Set global data limits;
    • Remove the server from your Outline Manager (this will not physically delete the server).

Setting Up User Access

  1. Go to the Outline Client download page
  2. Choose and install the version for the required platform;

User VPN Connection Options:

  1. Automatic connection via link:

    • Send an access link to the user;
    • When the user opens the link, it will automatically launch Outline Client and add the server.

  2. Manual addition of the server:

    • Launch Outline Client and press the button :

    • In the opened menu, add the access link:

    • Press the Confirm button.

Using the VPN Connection

  1. To connect, the user must press the Connect button:

  2. To disconnect, press Disconnect;

  3. To check the connection, visit whoer.net or whatismyip.com:

Note

Detailed information about Outline settings can be found in the developer documentation.

Ordering a server with Outline using the API

To install this software using the API, follow these instructions

Some of the content on this page was created or translated using AI.