Headscale is a self-hosted implementation of the Tailscale control plane. It allows you to create your own virtual Tailscale network where you can securely connect different devices over the internet.
In this tutorial, we will guide you through the steps to install Headscale on Elementary OS.
Before we begin, make sure your system is up to date by running the following command in your terminal:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
Headscale requires the following dependencies to be installed:
To install these dependencies, run the following command:
sudo apt install git golang wireguard
To clone the Headscale repository, run the following commands:
git clone https://github.com/juanfont/headscale.git
cd headscale
To build Headscale, run the following command in the repository directory:
make
To configure Headscale, you will need to create a configuration file. Copy the example configuration file by running the following command:
cp config.example.json config.json
Edit the config.json file and enter your desired configuration values. For example, you will need to specify your Tailscale login and password, your listening address, and your node type.
nano config.json
To start Headscale, run the following command:
./headscale serve
You should see the Headscale server starting up and running on the specified address.
Congratulations! You have successfully installed Headscale on Elementary OS. You can now create your own virtual Tailscale network and connect different devices securely over the internet.
If you want to self-host in an easy, hands free way, need an external IP address, or simply want your data in your own hands, give IPv6.rs a try!
Alternatively, for the best virtual desktop, try Shells!
