headscale/README.md

# headscale

![ci](https://github.com/juanfont/headscale/actions/workflows/test.yml/badge.svg)

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

Join our [Discord](https://discord.gg/XcQxk2VHjx) 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.

## 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 relayed to the nodes
- [x] Namespaces support (~tailnets in Tailscale.com naming)
- [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
- [x] Taildrop (File Sharing)
- [x] Support for alternative IP ranges in the tailnets (default Tailscale's 100.64.0.0/10)
- [x] DNS (passing DNS servers to nodes)
- [x] Share nodes between namespaces
- [x] MagicDNS (see `docs/`)

## Client OS support

| OS      | Supports headscale                                                                                                |
| ------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Linux   | Yes                                                                                                               |
| OpenBSD | Yes                                                                                                               |
| macOS   | Yes (see `/apple` on your headscale for more information)                                                         |
| Windows | Yes                                                                                                               |
| Android | [You need to compile the client yourself](https://github.com/juanfont/headscale/issues/58#issuecomment-885255270) |
| iOS     | Not yet                                                                                                           |

## Roadmap 🤷

Suggestions/PRs welcomed!


## Running headscale

Please have a look at the documentation under [`docs/`](docs/).


## Disclaimer

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

## Contributing

To contribute to Headscale you would need the lastest version of [Go](golang.org) and [Buf](https://buf.build)(Protobuf generator).

### Install development tools

- Go
- Buf
- Protobuf tools:

```shell 
make install-protobuf-plugins
```

### Testing and building

Some parts of the project requires the generation of Go code from Protobuf (if changes is 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
make build
```

## Contributors

<table>
<tr>
    <td align="center" style="word-wrap: break-word; width: 150.0; height: 150.0">
        <a href=https://github.com/juanfont>
            <img src=https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/181059?v=4 width="100;"  style="border-radius:50%;align-items:center;justify-content:center;overflow:hidden;padding-top:10px" alt=Juan Font/>
            <br />
            <sub style="font-size:14px"><b>Juan Font</b></sub>
        </a>
    </td>
    <td align="center" style="word-wrap: break-word; width: 150.0; height: 150.0">
        <a href=https://github.com/kradalby>
            <img src=https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/98431?v=4 width="100;"  style="border-radius:50%;align-items:center;justify-content:center;overflow:hidden;padding-top:10px" alt=Kristoffer Dalby/>
            <br />
            <sub style="font-size:14px"><b>Kristoffer Dalby</b></sub>
        </a>
    </td>
    <td align="center" style="word-wrap: break-word; width: 150.0; height: 150.0">
        <a href=https://github.com/cure>
            <img src=https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/149135?v=4 width="100;"  style="border-radius:50%;align-items:center;justify-content:center;overflow:hidden;padding-top:10px" alt=Ward Vandewege/>
            <br />
            <sub style="font-size:14px"><b>Ward Vandewege</b></sub>
        </a>
    </td>
    <td align="center" style="word-wrap: break-word; width: 150.0; height: 150.0">
        <a href=https://github.com/ohdearaugustin>
            <img src=https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/14001491?v=4 width="100;"  style="border-radius:50%;align-items:center;justify-content:center;overflow:hidden;padding-top:10px" alt=ohdearaugustin/>
            <br />
            <sub style="font-size:14px"><b>ohdearaugustin</b></sub>
        </a>
    </td>
    <td align="center" style="word-wrap: break-word; width: 150.0; height: 150.0">
        <a href=https://github.com/qbit>
            <img src=https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/68368?v=4 width="100;"  style="border-radius:50%;align-items:center;justify-content:center;overflow:hidden;padding-top:10px" alt=Aaron Bieber/>
            <br />
            <sub style="font-size:14px"><b>Aaron Bieber</b></sub>
        </a>
    </td>
    <td align="center" style="word-wrap: break-word; width: 150.0; height: 150.0">
        <a href=https://github.com/ptman>
            <img src=https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/24669?v=4 width="100;"  style="border-radius:50%;align-items:center;justify-content:center;overflow:hidden;padding-top:10px" alt=Paul Tötterman/>
            <br />
            <sub style="font-size:14px"><b>Paul Tötterman</b></sub>
        </a>
    </td>
</tr>
<tr>
    <td align="center" style="word-wrap: break-word; width: 150.0; height: 150.0">
        <a href=https://github.com/cmars>
            <img src=https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/23741?v=4 width="100;"  style="border-radius:50%;align-items:center;justify-content:center;overflow:hidden;padding-top:10px" alt=Casey Marshall/>
            <br />
            <sub style="font-size:14px"><b>Casey Marshall</b></sub>
        </a>
    </td>
    <td align="center" style="word-wrap: break-word; width: 150.0; height: 150.0">
        <a href=https://github.com/SilverBut>
            <img src=https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/6560655?v=4 width="100;"  style="border-radius:50%;align-items:center;justify-content:center;overflow:hidden;padding-top:10px" alt=Silver Bullet/>
            <br />
            <sub style="font-size:14px"><b>Silver Bullet</b></sub>
        </a>
    </td>
    <td align="center" style="word-wrap: break-word; width: 150.0; height: 150.0">
        <a href=https://github.com/t56k>
            <img src=https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/12165422?v=4 width="100;"  style="border-radius:50%;align-items:center;justify-content:center;overflow:hidden;padding-top:10px" alt=thomas/>
            <br />
            <sub style="font-size:14px"><b>thomas</b></sub>
        </a>
    </td>
    <td align="center" style="word-wrap: break-word; width: 150.0; height: 150.0">
        <a href=https://github.com/awoimbee>
            <img src=https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/22431493?v=4 width="100;"  style="border-radius:50%;align-items:center;justify-content:center;overflow:hidden;padding-top:10px" alt=Arthur Woimbée/>
            <br />
            <sub style="font-size:14px"><b>Arthur Woimbée</b></sub>
        </a>
    </td>
    <td align="center" style="word-wrap: break-word; width: 150.0; height: 150.0">
        <a href=https://github.com/fkr>
            <img src=https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/51063?v=4 width="100;"  style="border-radius:50%;align-items:center;justify-content:center;overflow:hidden;padding-top:10px" alt=Felix Kronlage-Dammers/>
            <br />
            <sub style="font-size:14px"><b>Felix Kronlage-Dammers</b></sub>
        </a>
    </td>
    <td align="center" style="word-wrap: break-word; width: 150.0; height: 150.0">
        <a href=https://github.com/felixonmars>
            <img src=https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/1006477?v=4 width="100;"  style="border-radius:50%;align-items:center;justify-content:center;overflow:hidden;padding-top:10px" alt=Felix Yan/>
            <br />
            <sub style="font-size:14px"><b>Felix Yan</b></sub>
        </a>
    </td>
</tr>
<tr>
    <td align="center" style="word-wrap: break-word; width: 150.0; height: 150.0">
        <a href=https://github.com/shaananc>
            <img src=https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/2287839?v=4 width="100;"  style="border-radius:50%;align-items:center;justify-content:center;overflow:hidden;padding-top:10px" alt=Shaanan Cohney/>
            <br />
            <sub style="font-size:14px"><b>Shaanan Cohney</b></sub>
        </a>
    </td>
    <td align="center" style="word-wrap: break-word; width: 150.0; height: 150.0">
        <a href=https://github.com/Teteros>
            <img src=https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/5067989?v=4 width="100;"  style="border-radius:50%;align-items:center;justify-content:center;overflow:hidden;padding-top:10px" alt=Teteros/>
            <br />
            <sub style="font-size:14px"><b>Teteros</b></sub>
        </a>
    </td>
    <td align="center" style="word-wrap: break-word; width: 150.0; height: 150.0">
        <a href=https://github.com/gitter-badger>
            <img src=https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/8518239?v=4 width="100;"  style="border-radius:50%;align-items:center;justify-content:center;overflow:hidden;padding-top:10px" alt=The Gitter Badger/>
            <br />
            <sub style="font-size:14px"><b>The Gitter Badger</b></sub>
        </a>
    </td>
    <td align="center" style="word-wrap: break-word; width: 150.0; height: 150.0">
        <a href=https://github.com/tianon>
            <img src=https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/161631?v=4 width="100;"  style="border-radius:50%;align-items:center;justify-content:center;overflow:hidden;padding-top:10px" alt=Tianon Gravi/>
            <br />
            <sub style="font-size:14px"><b>Tianon Gravi</b></sub>
        </a>
    </td>
    <td align="center" style="word-wrap: break-word; width: 150.0; height: 150.0">
        <a href=https://github.com/woudsma>
            <img src=https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/6162978?v=4 width="100;"  style="border-radius:50%;align-items:center;justify-content:center;overflow:hidden;padding-top:10px" alt=Tjerk Woudsma/>
            <br />
            <sub style="font-size:14px"><b>Tjerk Woudsma</b></sub>
        </a>
    </td>
    <td align="center" style="word-wrap: break-word; width: 150.0; height: 150.0">
        <a href=https://github.com/zekker6>
            <img src=https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/1367798?v=4 width="100;"  style="border-radius:50%;align-items:center;justify-content:center;overflow:hidden;padding-top:10px" alt=Zakhar Bessarab/>
            <br />
            <sub style="font-size:14px"><b>Zakhar Bessarab</b></sub>
        </a>
    </td>
</tr>
<tr>
    <td align="center" style="word-wrap: break-word; width: 150.0; height: 150.0">
        <a href=https://github.com/derelm>
            <img src=https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/465155?v=4 width="100;"  style="border-radius:50%;align-items:center;justify-content:center;overflow:hidden;padding-top:10px" alt=derelm/>
            <br />
            <sub style="font-size:14px"><b>derelm</b></sub>
        </a>
    </td>
    <td align="center" style="word-wrap: break-word; width: 150.0; height: 150.0">
        <a href=https://github.com/ignoramous>
            <img src=https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/852289?v=4 width="100;"  style="border-radius:50%;align-items:center;justify-content:center;overflow:hidden;padding-top:10px" alt=ignoramous/>
            <br />
            <sub style="font-size:14px"><b>ignoramous</b></sub>
        </a>
    </td>
    <td align="center" style="word-wrap: break-word; width: 150.0; height: 150.0">
        <a href=https://github.com/xpzouying>
            <img src=https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/3946563?v=4 width="100;"  style="border-radius:50%;align-items:center;justify-content:center;overflow:hidden;padding-top:10px" alt=zy/>
            <br />
            <sub style="font-size:14px"><b>zy</b></sub>
        </a>
    </td>
</tr>
</table>