![headscale logo](./docs/logo/headscale3_header_stacked_left.png) ![ci](https://github.com/juanfont/headscale/actions/workflows/test.yml/badge.svg) An open source, self-hosted implementation of the Tailscale control server. Join our [Discord](https://discord.gg/c84AZQhmpx) server for a chat. **Note:** Always select the same GitHub tag as the released version you use to ensure you have the correct example configuration and documentation. The `main` branch might contain unreleased changes. ## What is Tailscale Tailscale is [a modern VPN](https://tailscale.com/) built on top of [Wireguard](https://www.wireguard.com/). It [works like an overlay network](https://tailscale.com/blog/how-tailscale-works/) between the computers of your networks - using [NAT traversal](https://tailscale.com/blog/how-nat-traversal-works/). Everything in Tailscale is Open Source, except the GUI clients for proprietary OS (Windows and macOS/iOS), and the control server. The control server works as an exchange point of Wireguard public keys for the nodes in the Tailscale network. It assigns the IP addresses of the clients, creates the boundaries between each user, enables sharing machines between users, and exposes the advertised routes of your nodes. A [Tailscale network (tailnet)](https://tailscale.com/kb/1136/tailnet/) is private network which Tailscale assigns to a user in terms of private users or an organisation. ## Design goal Headscale aims to implement a self-hosted, open source alternative to the Tailscale control server. Headscale's goal is to provide self-hosters and hobbyists with an open-source server they can use for their projects and labs. It implements a narrow scope, a single Tailnet, suitable for a personal use, or a small open-source organisation. ## Supporting Headscale If you like `headscale` and find it useful, there is a sponsorship and donation buttons available in the repo. ## Features - Full "base" support of Tailscale's features - Configurable DNS - [Split DNS](https://tailscale.com/kb/1054/dns/#using-dns-settings-in-the-admin-console) - Node registration - Single-Sign-On (via Open ID Connect) - Pre authenticated key - Taildrop (File Sharing) - [Access control lists](https://tailscale.com/kb/1018/acls/) - [MagicDNS](https://tailscale.com/kb/1081/magicdns) - Support for multiple IP ranges in the tailnet - Dual stack (IPv4 and IPv6) - Routing advertising (including exit nodes) - Ephemeral nodes - Embedded [DERP server](https://tailscale.com/blog/how-tailscale-works/#encrypted-tcp-relays-derp) ## Client OS support | OS | Supports headscale | | ------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | | Linux | Yes | | OpenBSD | Yes | | FreeBSD | Yes | | macOS | Yes (see `/apple` on your headscale for more information) | | Windows | Yes [docs](./docs/windows-client.md) | | Android | Yes [docs](./docs/android-client.md) | | iOS | Yes [docs](./docs/iOS-client.md) | ## Running headscale **Please note that we do not support nor encourage the use of reverse proxies and container to run Headscale.** Please have a look at the [`documentation`](https://headscale.net/). ## Graphical Control Panels Headscale provides an API for complete management of your Tailnet. These are community projects not directly affiliated with the Headscale project. | Name | Repository Link | Description | Status | | --------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | ------ | | headscale-webui | [Github](https://github.com/ifargle/headscale-webui) | A simple Headscale web UI for small-scale deployments. | Alpha | ## Talks - Fosdem 2023 (video): [Headscale: How we are using integration testing to reimplement Tailscale](https://fosdem.org/2023/schedule/event/goheadscale/) - presented by Juan Font Alonso and Kristoffer Dalby ## Disclaimer 1. This project is not associated with Tailscale Inc. 2. The purpose of Headscale is maintaining a working, self-hosted Tailscale control panel. ## Contributing Headscale is "Open Source, acknowledged contribution", this means that any contribution will have to be discussed with the Maintainers before being submitted. This model has been chosen to reduce the risk of burnout by limiting the maintenance overhead of reviewing and validating third-party code. Headscale is open to code contributions for bug fixes without discussion. If you find mistakes in the documentation, please submit a fix to the documentation. ### Requirements To contribute to headscale you would need the lastest version of [Go](https://golang.org) and [Buf](https://buf.build)(Protobuf generator). We recommend using [Nix](https://nixos.org/) to setup a development environment. This can be done with `nix develop`, which will install the tools and give you a shell. This guarantees that you will have the same dev env as `headscale` maintainers. ### Code style To ensure we have some consistency with a growing number of contributions, this project has adopted linting and style/formatting rules: The **Go** code is linted with [`golangci-lint`](https://golangci-lint.run) and formatted with [`golines`](https://github.com/segmentio/golines) (width 88) and [`gofumpt`](https://github.com/mvdan/gofumpt). Please configure your editor to run the tools while developing and make sure to run `make lint` and `make fmt` before committing any code. The **Proto** code is linted with [`buf`](https://docs.buf.build/lint/overview) and formatted with [`clang-format`](https://clang.llvm.org/docs/ClangFormat.html). The **rest** (Markdown, YAML, etc) is formatted with [`prettier`](https://prettier.io). Check out the `.golangci.yaml` and `Makefile` to see the specific configuration. ### Install development tools - Go - Buf - Protobuf tools Install and activate: ```shell nix develop ``` ### Testing and building Some parts of the project require the generation of Go code from Protobuf (if changes are made in `proto/`) and it must be (re-)generated with: ```shell make generate ``` **Note**: Please check in changes from `gen/` in a separate commit to make it easier to review. To run the tests: ```shell make test ``` To build the program: ```shell nix build ``` or ```shell make build ``` ## Contributors