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VPN plugin for Apple TV

April 13, 2009  |  appletv, software  |  not published
BoxeeVPN 2.0 has been released. Below I show how to install this on an Apple TV using the VPN service of Witopia. When this service was installed on a Mac, the TunnelBlick application (including personal Witopia configuration files/certificates) was installed, too. We will use this when configuring VPN on the Apple TV.

Copy the TunnelBlick application from the Mac to the Apple TV (including configuration files, see this posting). On the Mac do this:

  chmod ugo+r /Applications/Tunnelblick.app/Contents/Resources/openvpnstart
  scp -r /Applications/Tunnelblick.app frontrow@appletv.local:/Users/frontrow/Applications/
  scp -r /Users/user-name/Library/openvpn frontrow@appletv.local:/Users/frontrow/Library/

Above, replace user-name with the user name of the user that installed Witopia on your Mac. To be able to load the kernel extension (tun.kext) we need the turbo_kext_enabler.bin (see this posting). Download it to your Mac from http://0xfeedbeef.com/appletv/turbo_kext_enabler.bin, and on the Mac do this:

  scp ~/Downloads/turbo_kext_enabler.bin frontrow@appletv.local:/Users/frontrow/Applications/

Then, on the Apple TV, do the following (log in to the Apple TV with ssh using the frontrow account):

  cd /Users/frontrow/Applications/
  chmod +x turbo_kext_enabler.bin
  sudo ./turbo_kext_enabler.bin
  cd /Users/frontrow/Applications/TunnelBlick.app/Contents/Resources
  sudo chown -R root:wheel tun.kext
  sudo kextload tun.kext

Download and unzip the distribution from http://code.google.com/p/boxeevpn/downloads/list (boxeevpn-2.0.zip). Copy it to your Boxee-enabled Apple TV. On the Mac do this (password for the frontrow account on your Apple TV is "frontrow"):

  scp -r ~/Downloads/boxee-vpn frontrow@appletv.local:"/Users/frontrow/Library/Application\ Support/BOXEE/UserData/apps/"

On the Apple TV update the sources.xml file with the nano editor (replace boxee-user with your Boxee user name):

  nano /Users/frontrow/Library/Application Support/BOXEE/UserData/profiles/boxee-user/sources.xml

Insert this text in the video part of the file:

  
    Boxee VPN
    app://boxee-vpn/
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Crystal_Clear_action_encrypted.png
    true

Start Boxee on your Apple TV, and select the Video→Internet→VPN. CProvide the following information:

  1. A name for this VPN connection:
    Witopia

  2. The location of the openvpn program:
    /Users/frontrow/Applications/Tunnelblick.app/Contents/Resources/openvpn

  3. The location of the openvpn configuration file:
    /Users/frontrow/Library/openvpn/personalVPN.conf

  4. The root password (for the sudo command):
    frontrow


Then select the locked lock to connect to the VPN service, and the unlocked lock to disconnect.
Page status: draft  |   Last updated: April 13, 2009
Number of visits: 1  |  2024-11-07: 1/1  |  2024-05-22: 1/1

Comments:

Great item, everything worked perfectly, but where an i find the part of \"Start Boxee on your Apple TV, and select the Video→Internet→VPN. CProvide the following information:\"I am not able to find it. If you can point me in the right direction, that would be great!

Sorry, found it.. now to get the vpn working

so how well does this work? is it still functioning with current versions of boxee on ATV? i will give it a shot later today.

I have the .app, but no config files for the library location since I don't have a MAC. Can someone post the config files pls?

1. All instructions I've read say to install the VPN 2.0 plug in by going to Settings->media and applications but Boxee on my ATV just has Settings->Media. Ruud: how did you get the plugin to install 2. Sean R: Did you manage to get any config files? I'm one of the lepers that use Windows as well.3. Looking on Boxee forums there now seems to be some doubt as to whether plugins can even be installed. Don't know why. Fomr the discussion here it seems they used to work. I might have just wasted my money buying an ATV for Boxee since all I want it for is BBC iplayer using VPN!