Dynamic IP - get server IP from file/other places?

[quack3d]

I have a dynamic IP and want to avoid using DDNS. When my IP changes I've set up a notification from Home Assistant with the new IP. I can always make that new IP available in a file or something. But is there a way I can have OpenVPN for Android use that new IP so I don't have to reimport or change server info manually?

I was thinking of a workaround where I'd set the server IP to foo.bar.com and automate updating the etc/hosts file redirecting foo.bar.com to the new IP but I don't want to root the phone.

[schwabe]

There is no easy way to do this. Also in most cases it is better to use DNS as things like NAT64 requires the use of DNS instead of literal IP addresses.

Having to change the IP/remote address is not a use case that people really have, so the app does not support it. You might be able to add something like config /path/to/your/config/fragment/withip but I haven't tested that. And you still need to somehow write that file.

[quack3d]

I could always fetch the IP with Tasker and create the file with that. I'm not sure if that's what you meant but I added config /storage/emulated/0/ip.txt in SERVER LIST where I usually type the IP. The ip.txt is a file with just the IP on the first line.

This is the error I got: Options error: Unrecognized option or missing or extra parameter(s) in stdin:22: 50000 (2.7 _master).

[schwabe]

you need that to be a proper openvpn config fragment with something like remote yourip and son on. and you need to add that in the advanced/custom config section.

And I am not even sure if the app is allowed to read the sd card.

[quack3d]

I tried config /storage/emulated/0/Download/client.ovpn which is the original ovpn file I imported. Error message: Options error: In stdin:22: Error opening configuration file: /storage/emulated/0/Download/client.ovpn.

It's a Pixel 8 so there is no SD card but I suppose the app doesn't have access to files in other folders at all?

Edit: On second thought... it must have access since we can import those .ovpn files within the app. :)

[quack3d]

It looks like within the app it accesses files with content://com.android.externalstorage.documents/document/primary%3client.ovpn . I tried a long shot with config content://.... but same "error opening configuration file".

[schwabe]

Yeah the app does not request wide ranging read permissions on the file system as this is not needed in the normal usage of the app. So reading files outside its own storage is not allowed by default.

The urls you see inside the app are often temporary and might not last very long. Also the OpenVPN binary has no idea how to access those.

[quack3d]

Ok. Thanks for confirming.