Openvpn client, force DNS server

Our Linux Ubuntu configuration does have a DNS server (Bind 9).
And resolv.conf has its

  nameserver 127.0.0.1

When using openvpn client on that Linux, the nameserver is not changed (by the VPN server) but I would like to set it - only during the VPN session - to another specific DNS server x.y.z.t, by changing the openvpn client config.

Then, when the openvpn session ends, nameserver should be back to 127.0.0.1.

Is there a "clean" way (ie a line in the openvpn client config file) to do that?

(Note: The VPN server config cannot be changed)

Solution 1:

After more googling, could find the answer - below if it can help someone.

• install resolvconf which can save and restore the resolv.conf config file
• add a script to be run by openvpn, in /usr/share/openvpn, named update-resolv-conf. The script determines what should be the new resolv.conf, and how to restore it (see link below)
• add

these lines

  script-security 2
  up /usr/share/openvpn/update-resolv-conf
  down /usr/share/openvpn/update-resolv-conf

in the openvpn client config file.

Read on this wiki for more information.

Solution 2:

2022 update (Arch Linux)

To set a public dns server and update resolvconf, add the following to your ovpn client profile file:

dhcp-option DNS 1.1.1.1
script-security 2
up /usr/share/openvpn/contrib/pull-resolv-conf/client.up
down /usr/share/openvpn/contrib/pull-resolv-conf/client.down