I never got this working there was some kind of authentication issue between the client and server but there are almost not diagnostic messages here. Old software doesn't feel good.

Server

Was done on Gentoo.

emerge net-vpn/pptpd

cat << 'EOF' > /etc/pptpd.conf
# /etc/pptpd.conf

option /etc/ppp/options.pptpd
logwtmp

# 10.202.254.128
localip 172.16.45.5
remoteip 172.16.45.100-200
EOF

cat << 'EOF' > /etc/ppp/options.pptpd
name pptpd

refuse-pap
refuse-chap
refuse-mschap

require-mschap-v2
require-mppe-128

ms-dns 1.1.1.1
ms-dns 1.0.0.1

#proxyarp

lock
nobsdcomp
novj
novjccomp
nologfd

# May not be valid / needed
noipx
mtu 1490
mru 1490
EOF

cat << 'EOF' > /etc/ppp/chap-secrets
# /etc/ppp/chap-secrets
# Secrets for authentication using CHAP

# client    server    password          IP addresses
test-user   *         test-password     *
EOF

sysctl -w net.ipv4.ip_forward=1

Client

This was on Fedora 29

dnf install pptp -y

cat << 'EOF' > /etc/ppp/chap-secrets
# /etc/ppp/chap-secrets

# client    server    password          IP addresses
test-user   *         test-password     *
EOF

cat << 'EOF' > /etc/ppp/peers/test-connection
pty "pptp 10.202.254.128 --nolaunchpppd"
name test-user
remotename PPTP
require-mppe-128
file /etc/ppp/options.pptp
ipparam test-connection
EOF

pppd call test-connection
tail -f /var/log/messages