OpenVPN server for beginners

[dolphin194]

I have a Dell PowerEdge 2650 with Ubuntu 10.04.4, and I would like to put a VPN server on it (preferably OpenVPN). I am currently using the free version of LogMeIn Hamachi, which is slow and the number of computers that can be connected to it is limited.

I would like to set up a VPN server with as little text editing as possible, because every time I try to do it my connections get messed up and my networking stops working (probably because I am doing it wrong).

Is there any way I can set up an OpenVPN server as an absolute beginner? For example, this tutorial is way too complicated for me.

[ahallubuntu]

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[dolphin194]

Here's the problem: the server must remain online, if I muck something up and don't know how to fix it, I cannot afford to shut it down and reinstall the OS.

[lvlint67]

Here's the problem: the server must remain online, if I muck something up and don't know how to fix it, I cannot afford to shut it down and reinstall the OS.

The concerns of network / system admins everywhere.
See: Redundancy and if you want to get complicated...: Failover