Cisco Anyconnect Logs: Troubleshooting Guide for Ubuntu 18.04

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Introduction

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The Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client is a popular choice among IT professionals seeking secure, reliable connectivity across various operating systems, including Linux distributions like Ubuntu. However, as with any complex software application, issues may arise that require troubleshooting and resolving in a timely manner.

In this article, we will focus on obtaining diagnostic logs for the Cisco AnyConnect client running under an unattended terminal-only installation of Ubuntu 18.04. These logs can prove invaluable when attempting to identify and resolve connectivity problems or other functional issues associated with your setup.

Prerequisites

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Before proceeding with these instructions:

1. Ensure that you have root privileges on your system, as some commands may require elevated access.

2. Verify that the `anyconnect` package is installed by running `apt-get update && apt-get install anyconnect`.

Obtaining Diagnostic Logs for AnyConnect Client

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### Step 1: Launch a Terminal Session

Open a terminal window or use an SSH client to connect to your Ubuntu server if you're not already logged in.

### Step 2: Navigate to the .vpn directory of the Current User

Switch to the `.vpn` directory under the current user's home directory using the following command:

```bash

cd ~/.vpn/anyconnect/

```

### Step 3: Start AnyConnect Client with Debugging Enabled

Run `sudo anyconnect --debug &` from within this directory. The ampersand (&) at the end of the command will start a background process, allowing you to continue working in your terminal without interrupting it.

Wait for approximately two minutes or until the client has fully connected and then disconnected automatically (this may take longer depending on network conditions). Once complete:

### Step 4: Stop AnyConnect Client

Press `Ctrl + C` twice consecutively within the same terminal window to terminate the running process(es) associated with anyconnect.

### Step 5: Retrieve Diagnostic Logs

Change into the `.vpn/anyconnect/logs` directory and use tar command to compress all logs:

```bash

tar -czf /tmp/diagnostics.tar.gz *

```

This will create a compressed tarball named `diagnostics.tar.gz` containing all relevant diagnostic information for further analysis.

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By following these steps, you should now possess the necessary tools and knowledge required to effectively troubleshoot connectivity issues related to Cisco AnyConnect on your Ubuntu 18.04 system. Remember that sharing detailed logs with support personnel or forums can significantly expedite resolution times when seeking assistance online.

Cisco anyconnect logs