> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://zeferby.gitbook.io/transparent-openvpn-for-fantasy-grounds/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://zeferby.gitbook.io/transparent-openvpn-for-fantasy-grounds/proposed-solution/tools.md).
# Tools
We'll use several free tools during the setup process; OpenVPN + Easy-RSA are mandatory and the rest is very helpful.
## Open VPN Community (free)
**OpenVPN is an "SSL/TLS VPN" that is very mature and very widely used.**
It can operate on any unused TCP or UDP port and can **easily cross all kinds of firewalls and NAT-PAT routers**, even in generally adverse situations like mobile devices.
[OpenVPN](https://openvpn.net/) now has commercial offers but we'll use the **free** [**Community**](https://openvpn.net/community/) **edition** for our "do it yourself" installation.
You can select and download the latest version (v2.4.7 as of this writing), corresponding to your own OS, here :
## Easy-RSA (free)
Easy-RSA is also managed by the OpenVPN team; it is the tool we'll use to create our **PKI** (**Public Key Infrastructure**) with its **CA** (**Certificate Autority**), to create and manage our **Digital Certificates.**
{% hint style="info" %}
**Easy-RSA 2 should already be included in OpenVPN Windows installers**
{% endhint %}
If needed, here is the GitHub download location :
*For Linux-like environments, you can also choose Easy-RSA 3; download from :* [*https://github.com/OpenVPN/easy-rsa/releases*](https://github.com/OpenVPN/easy-rsa/releases)
{% hint style="danger" %}
If you use Easy-RSA 3, check the docs as the commands have changed from Easy-RSA 2
{% endhint %}
## Optional tools
### CloudBerry Explorer for Amazon S3 (free version)
CBE for S3 is a very useful tool to **transfer files between your own machine and your Amazon S3 buckets**, with a familiar Windows Explorer -like GUI :
{% hint style="info" %}
This tool has a free version and a commercial version; however, **only the commercial version supports encrypted S3 buckets**, so **we'll do without encrypted buckets** (at least at first).
{% endhint %}
You can grab the software here :
### PuTTY (free)
This tool should not be generally required, but **if you want to open a command line terminal to your Linux VPN server**, then PuTTY is the way to go for the Windows platform.
PuTTY is available from :
### Your text editor of choice
***Avoid the very basic Windows Notepad*** for its lack of customization options, **no support for Unix-style "End-Of-Lines"**, etc. If you paste in Windows Notepad some file contents from these web pages, they will look like garbage...
**ABSOLUTELY DON'T USE ANY MICROSOFT-WORD-LIKE "WORD PROCESSING" SOFTWARE !!!**
Here are 3 very common good quality free text editors (initially created for developers, they support much more than simple text editing, but this is out of our scope) :
* A good **lightweight but feature-rich free editor** is **Notepad++** that you can find at : [https://notepad-plus-plus.org](https://notepad-plus-plus.org/)
**More powerful** (but also more complex) environments are **available for free** like :
* [Microsoft Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/)
* [GitHub Atom](https://atom.io/)
