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DESCRIPTION
AlmostVPN is an ssh tunnel manager for Mac OS X with a twist. This is what makes AlmostVPN different:
- It's packaged as Preference Pane, so you do not have to use yet another application to configure your tunnels
- It uses creative network configuration techniques to provide almost VPN-like access to remote services, so you can keep using real IP addresses and port numbers while accessing service on the other side of your tunnels.
- It provides a simple way to:
- Mount remote volumes
- Use your remote printers and faxes
- Access your iTunes, iPhoto and almost any other Bonjour-based application
- Upload/download/execute files (with support for console and X11 based applications)
- Use your favorite remote access application (VNC, ARD, RDC or just good old shell)
- It is scriptable, so you can start/stop your profiles exactly when you need it
- It can import tunnel definitions from SSH Tunnel Manager, SSHKeychain, SSH Agent and JellyfiSSH
REQUIREMENTS
Mac OS X 10.4 or later.
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| AlmostVPN User Reviews (26 posts) | Write A Review |
 | Aug 4 2007 |
PIRX www.leapingbytes.com seems to be down. August 4, 2007, 1:26 a.m. Eastern
(Version 1.5.1) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
 | May 25 2007 |
K0T1K www.leapingbytes.com is back in business. thank you for your patience. Leaping Bytes, LLC
(Version 1.4) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| May 23 2007 |
K0T1K My trusty G4 which was used as a web/mail server by Leaping Bytes, just went down hard. I am trying to figure out what to do about it. Leaping Bytes, LLC
(Version 1.4) | |
| [ 1 Reply - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| May 24 2007 |
K0T1K UPDATE: e-mail is working again. Site should be up and running in next 24 hours. Leaping Bytes, LLC
(Version 1.4) | |
 | May 17 2007 |
IMPERIALFLOW There are a lot of comments about how easy this software is to use, and I can only believe that that must be for an older version. I recently tried v1.4 to simply give me a nice interface for starting and stopping some SSH tunnels to a few servers I need to access. The setup for this is so complicated I can't begin to understand the rhyme or reason. After an hour of just trying to get one tunnel working following the documentation at the developer's website I gave up. The interface is crowded, the "Profile" and "Service" mechanism couldn't be more counter-intuitive, and once you get it all setup you can't even change the hostname of the "source" location to anything that makes sense... you know... like "localhost" Anyway. I gave up. It was MUCH easier to download the old source code of "SSH Tunnel Manager" and build myself a Universal Binary than it was to get AlmostVPN to do a basic SSH tunnel. AlmostVPN needs an AlmostVPN Lite for those people who are just looking for a tunnel manager. I'm giving it 2 stars because, while it didn't crash on me, it couldn't achieve what I wanted in any kind of intuitive manner.
(Version 1.4) | |
| [ 1 Reply - Reply ] | |
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| May 20 2007 |
K0T1K Just wondering ... I assume that you were using command line SSH before trying AlmostVPN. If this is the case, why command line import "Configure/Quick Config/Command Line", did not work for you? Leaping Bytes, LLC
(Version 1.4) | |
| Aug 23 2006 |
CHIGH This is for the demo of the PRO version. The functionality of this software looks very promising. The menubar feature is definitely what I'm wanting. I've been using SSH Tunnel Manager and it has done the trick quite well, but it has lacked a few things AlmostVPN seems to promise. My only beef: Setting up the services is a real PITA. Yes, I've imported my settings from SSHTM. Each of the individual "tunnel" from SSHTM would be equivalent to a Profile in AlmostVPN. Each port redirection in SSHTM is a Service. Each Profile uses one SSH Server, multiple Hosts, and multiple Services. I have two Profiles in which I'm most interested. I have one Profile setup for when I am at home and one Profile for when I am anywhere else. Each Profile is setup identically; 10 Services, a handfull of Hosts, and one SSH Server. The only difference between the two profiles is the SSH server. When I've imported the settings from SSHTM, AlmostVPN creates both SSH servers, but only one Profile; I need two. In that one Profile, only 10 Services are listed; I would expect to see 20. Of the 10 Services which are there, I am unable to distinguish which SSH server each of the Services is using - I could be missing the elephant in the middle of the room. I can't very well use my home setup outside my own network. So, I've embarked on setting them up individually. It isn't difficult to do, but it IS time consuming, and unfortunately, since this is still only an RC release, it likes to crash after I've created about four or five of those Services. When I reopen the System Preferences, I see I've lost at least half of them each time. The only way to avoid losing any changes I've made, is to close System Preferences after creating each service. All in all, I've spent close to an hour trying to set it up and I lost all my settings. So, now that I have gotten the hang of it, it'll probably only take me another 15 minutes to get it back the way I want it. I'll cross my fingers that it sticks. I'd rather it import from SSHTM like I think it should. That would've been a lot easier.
(Version 1.0rc2) | |
| [ 2 Replies - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Aug 24 2006 |
K0T1K Hi there, It looks like you have quite a sophisticated SSHTM configuration. I will be more than happy to work with you to improve import functionality of AlmostVPN. If you interested, please contact me at support@leapingbytes.com Leaping Bytes, LLC
(Version 1.0rc2) | |
| Aug 24 2006 |
CHIGH Thanks! An email is on the way.
(Version 1.0rc2) | |
| Aug 18 2006 |
DETLEVSKI AlmostVPN is a must have for anyone who wants to establish a secure connection. Andrei's (developer) support is great and very helpfull. It is also very handy for setting up a SSH to a MySQL server with limited (only localhost) access.
(Version 1.0rc2) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
 | Aug 15 2006 |
REDAGE Not only was it starting an unauthorized internet-connection before even up to configuring. My claim to the developer was handled immedeatly, "a mistake, next version won't have anymore" so I trashe the app. Next day I wanted to upload as usual, and got posix errors, no uploads whatsoever. Finally I found a system keychain called almostVPN, that wouln't react to any password I'd given, even not to root. So I had to trash it with other means. After that That's true.
(Version 1.0rc1a) | |
| [ 1 Reply - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Aug 16 2006 |
K0T1K 1) "Unauthorized internet connection" - AlmostVPN 1.0 using XML parser to parse preferences file (~/Library/Preferences/com.leapingbytes.AlmostVPNPRO.plist). This file (as many XML files do) contains reference to DTD ( Document Type Definition ) http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd. XML parser default behavior is to try to download DTD file so it can verify that XML file it is about to parse is "good one". This issue tracked as Trouble Ticket #219 (http://www.leapingbytes.com/almostvpn/ticket/219) on AlmostVPN web site. 2) "AlmostVPN keychain" - This keychain gets created(and used) by AlmostVPN 0.9.x (and 1.0 RC1 though it is not using it). It has automatically generated password which is stored in login keychain as almostVPN@almostVPN. I have serious doubts that this keychain had anything to do with "posix errors", but more than happy to work with author of the original post to figure out what exactly going on. Leaping Bytes, LLC
(Version 1.0rc1a) | |
 | Aug 13 2006 |
TODIXY This is more like a question: is it possible to use this software to get ALL software diverted via ssh?I mean, if I want to use a P2P program which dowsn't support socks or anything, is this rerouted via the ssh? In two words? is the ssh system-wide? Thank you.
(Version 1.0rc1) | |
| [ 3 Replies - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Aug 14 2006 |
K0T1K AlmstVPN 1.0 is not "system wide" and unless your P2P software understand SOCKS or can communicate via TCP only, you will not be able to use AlmostVPN to tunnel your P2P traffic. AlmostVPN 1.5 (coming at the end of this year) will provide "system wide" functionality. What P2P software you are using? Some of the P2P clients CAN operate via TCP only (but most probable you vill be a "leech"). Leaping Bytes, LLC
(Version 1.0rc1) | |
| Aug 14 2006 |
TODIXY Thank you for the reply! I am using Transmission, Acquisition, Acqlite, Azureus, etc... Azureus knows socks, but not working properly... I can't wait for the 1.5 version.
(Version 1.0rc1a) | |
| Oct 15 2006 |
XSMURF Might I also suggest having a look at: http://zarb.org/~gc/html/udp-in-ssh-tunneling.html It could prove useful for both of you.
(Version 1.1) | |
| Aug 3 2006 |
NCIANCA This tool rocks! Not only does it work but it's easy to setup and very flexible. If you are stuck at a clients or behind a corporate firewall that blocks your access to the outside world, you can use this to get your email, filesharing, etc.
(Version 0.9.15) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Apr 28 2006 |
DAU as a dummie user i was stupid enough to install this tool without knowing what was coming upon me... network problems were solved by the admin, an now i cant access any site in the wb anymore.. can anyone help me to reset any changes almostvpn made to standard? i already uninstalled it but something remains that keeps me from accessing websites...
(Version 0.9.14) | |
| [ 2 Replies - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Apr 28 2006 |
K0T1K Dau, could you please explain what kind of problem you are having with AlmostVPN? What you describe sounds quite drastic (and very unusual for AlmostVPN user experience). I will be more than happy to help you to fix any problem you may have with AlmostVPN. You can e-mail me directly at Leaping Bytes, LLC
(Version 0.9.14) | |
| May 4 2006 |
DAU as i can say so far, support of the developers is simply great. some other major developers can only look up to this.
(Version 0.9.14) | |
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