wg

The wg command is a tool provided by WireGuard for managing WireGuard interfaces and peers. It allows you to configure, view, and manage WireGuard settings directly from the command line.

Purpose

The wg command provides various subcommands and options to create, configure, and monitor WireGuard VPN interfaces and their peers. It allows administrators to perform tasks such as generating keys, setting configuration parameters, and displaying interface status.

Common wg Commands and Options

1. Key Management

  • Generate a private key:

    wg genkey

    Example:

    sudo wg genkey | tee privatekey

  • Generate a public key from a private key:

    wg pubkey < privatekey

    Example:

    sudo wg pubkey < privatekey > publickey

2. Interface Management

  • Bring up a WireGuard interface:

    sudo ip link add dev wg0 type wireguard

  • Assign an IP address to the interface:

    sudo ip address add dev wg0 10.0.0.1/24

  • Set the private key for the interface:

    sudo wg set wg0 private-key /path/to/privatekey

  • Set the listen port for the interface:

    sudo wg set wg0 listen-port 51820

  • Bring up the interface:

    sudo ip link set up dev wg0

3. Peer Management

  • Add a peer to the interface:

    sudo wg set wg0 peer <base64-encoded-peer-public-key> allowed-ips 10.0.0.2/32 endpoint peer.example.com:51820

  • Set persistent keepalive interval:

    sudo wg set wg0 peer <base64-encoded-peer-public-key> persistent-keepalive 25

4. Viewing Configuration and Status

  • View the current configuration of an interface:

    sudo wg show wg0

  • View the full configuration in configuration file format:

    sudo wg showconf wg0

  • View all WireGuard interfaces and their status:

    sudo wg

Example Commands

Generating Key Pairs

Generate a private key and derive the public key:

sudo wg genkey | tee /etc/wireguard/privatekey | wg pubkey > /etc/wireguard/publickey

Setting Up an Interface and Adding a Peer

  1. Create the interface:

    sudo ip link add dev wg0 type wireguard

  2. Assign an IP address:

    sudo ip address add dev wg0 10.0.0.1/24

  3. Set the private key:

    sudo wg set wg0 private-key /etc/wireguard/privatekey

  4. Set the listen port:

    sudo wg set wg0 listen-port 51820

  5. Add a peer:

    sudo wg set wg0 peer <peer-public-key> allowed-ips 10.0.0.2/32 endpoint peer.example.com:51820 persistent-keepalive 25

  6. Bring up the interface:

    sudo ip link set up dev wg0

Viewing the Status of the Interface

To see the current status and configuration of the interface:

sudo wg show wg0

Configuration File Example

Here is an example configuration file /etc/wireguard/wg0.conf:

[Interface]
PrivateKey = <your-private-key>
Address = 10.0.0.1/24
ListenPort = 51820

[Peer]
PublicKey = <peer-public-key>
AllowedIPs = 10.0.0.2/32
Endpoint = peer.example.com:51820
PersistentKeepalive = 25

To bring up the interface using the configuration file:

sudo wg-quick up wg0

To bring it down:

sudo wg-quick down wg0

Conclusion

The wg command is a central tool for managing WireGuard VPN interfaces and peers. By leveraging its capabilities, administrators can efficiently set up, configure, and monitor secure VPN connections. The simplicity and performance of WireGuard, combined with the flexibility of the wg command, make it an excellent choice for modern VPN setups.

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