headscale/README.md

# Headscale

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An open source, self-hosted implementation of the Tailscale coordination server.

## Overview

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 all kinds of [NAT traversal sorcery](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 'coordination/control server'.

The control server works as an exchange point of Wireguard public keys for the nodes in the Tailscale network. It also 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.

Headscale implements this coordination server.

## Status

- [x] Base functionality (nodes can communicate with each other)
- [x] Node registration through the web flow
- [x] Network changes are relied to the nodes
- [x] Namespace support (~equivalent to multi-user in Tailscale.com)
- [x] Routing (advertise & accept, including exit nodes)
- [x] Node registration via pre-auth keys (including reusable keys, and ephemeral node support)
- [X] JSON-formatted output
- [X] ACLs
- [ ] Share nodes between ~~users~~ namespaces 
- [ ] DNS


## Roadmap 🤷

We are now focusing on adding integration tests with the official clients. 

Suggestions/PRs welcomed!



## Running it

1. Download the Headscale binary https://github.com/juanfont/headscale/releases, and place it somewhere in your PATH
 

2. (Optional, you can also use SQLite) Get yourself a PostgreSQL DB running

  ```shell
  docker run --name headscale -e POSTGRES_DB=headscale -e \
    POSTGRES_USER=foo -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=bar -p 5432:5432 -d postgres
  ```

3. Set some stuff up (headscale Wireguard keys & the config.json file)
  ```shell
  wg genkey > private.key
  wg pubkey < private.key > public.key  # not needed

  # Postgres
  cp config.json.postgres.example config.json
  # or
  # SQLite
  cp config.json.sqlite.example config.json
  ```

4. Create a namespace (a namespace is a 'tailnet', a group of Tailscale nodes that can talk to each other)
  ```shell
  headscale namespaces create myfirstnamespace
  ```

5. Run the server
  ```shell
  headscale serve
  ```

6. If you used tailscale.com before in your nodes, make sure you clear the tailscaled data folder
 ```shell
 systemctl stop tailscaled
 rm -fr /var/lib/tailscale
 systemctl start tailscaled 
 ```

7. Add your first machine
  ```shell
  tailscale up -login-server YOUR_HEADSCALE_URL
  ```

8. Navigate to the URL you will get with `tailscale up`, where you'll find your machine key.

9. In the server, register your machine to a namespace with the CLI
  ```shell
  headscale -n myfirstnamespace node register YOURMACHINEKEY
  ```

Alternatively, you can use Auth Keys to register your machines:

1. Create an authkey
    ```shell
    headscale -n myfirstnamespace preauthkey create --reusable --expiration 24h
    ```

2. Use the authkey from your machine to register it
   ```shell
   tailscale up -login-server YOUR_HEADSCALE_URL --authkey YOURAUTHKEY
   ```

If you create an authkey with the `--ephemeral` flag, that key will create ephemeral nodes. This implies that `--reusable` is true.

Please bear in mind that all the commands from headscale support adding `-o json` or `-o json-line`  to get a nicely JSON-formatted output.


## Configuration reference

Headscale's configuration file is named `config.json` or `config.yaml`. Headscale will look for it in `/etc/headscale`, `~/.headscale` and finally the directory from where the Headscale binary is executed.

```
    "server_url": "http://192.168.1.12:8000",
    "listen_addr": "0.0.0.0:8000",
```

`server_url` is the external URL via which Headscale is reachable. `listen_addr` is the IP address and port the Headscale program should listen on.

```
    "private_key_path": "private.key",
```

`private_key_path` is the path to the Wireguard private key. If the path is relative, it will be interpreted as relative to the directory the configuration file was read from.

```
    "derp_map_path": "derp.yaml",
```

`derp_map_path` is the path to the [DERP](https://pkg.go.dev/tailscale.com/derp) map file. If the path is relative, it will be interpreted as relative to the directory the configuration file was read from.

```
    "ephemeral_node_inactivity_timeout": "30m",
```

`ephemeral_node_inactivity_timeout` is the timeout after which inactive ephemeral node records will be deleted from the database. The default is 30 minutes. This value must be higher than 65 seconds (the keepalive timeout for the HTTP long poll is 60 seconds, plus a few seconds to avoid race conditions).

```
    "db_host": "localhost",
    "db_port": 5432,
    "db_name": "headscale",
    "db_user": "foo",
    "db_pass": "bar",
```

The fields starting with `db_` are used for the PostgreSQL connection information.


### Running the service via TLS (optional)

```
    "tls_cert_path": ""
    "tls_key_path": ""
```

Headscale can be configured to expose its web service via TLS. To configure the certificate and key file manually, set the `tls_cert_path` and `tls_cert_path` configuration parameters. If the path is relative, it will be interpreted as relative to the directory the configuration file was read from.

```
    "tls_letsencrypt_hostname": "",
    "tls_letsencrypt_listen": ":http",
    "tls_letsencrypt_cache_dir": ".cache",
    "tls_letsencrypt_challenge_type": "HTTP-01",
```

To get a certificate automatically via [Let's Encrypt](https://letsencrypt.org/), set `tls_letsencrypt_hostname` to the desired certificate hostname. This name must resolve to the IP address(es) Headscale is reachable on (i.e., it must correspond to the `server_url` configuration parameter). The certificate and Let's Encrypt account credentials will be stored in the directory configured in `tls_letsencrypt_cache_dir`. If the path is relative, it will be interpreted as relative to the directory the configuration file was read from. The certificate will automatically be renewed as needed. The default challenge type HTTP-01 requires that Headscale listens on port 80 for the Let's Encrypt automated validation, in addition to whatever port is configured in `listen_addr`. Alternatively, `tls_letsencrypt_challenge_type` can be set to `TLS-ALPN-01`. In this configuration, Headscale must be reachable via port 443, but port 80 is not required.

If you need to change the ip/port used for the Let's Encrypt process, set `tls_letsencrypt_listen` to the appropriate value. This can be handy if you are running `headscale` as non-root (or can't run `setcap`). Keep in mind, however, Let's Encrypt will _only_ connect to port 80, so if you change `tls_letsencrypt_listen` you will also need to configure something else to send the traffic to the port you specify!

### Policy ACLs

Headscale implements the same policy ACLs as Tailscale.com, adapted to the self-hosted environment. 

For instance, instead of referring to users when defining groups you must
 use namespaces (which are the equivalent to user/logins in Tailscale.com).

Please check https://tailscale.com/kb/1018/acls/, and `./tests/acls/` in this repo for working examples.


## Disclaimer

1. We have nothing to do with Tailscale, or Tailscale Inc.
2. The purpose of writing this was to learn how Tailscale works.



## More on Tailscale

- https://tailscale.com/blog/how-tailscale-works/
- https://tailscale.com/blog/tailscale-key-management/
- https://tailscale.com/blog/an-unlikely-database-migration/