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From [https://tailscale.com Official Website]
== Basic setup ==
To enable Tailscale, add the following to your configuration:
 
{{File|3={
  services.tailscale = {
    enable = true;
    # Enable tailscale at startup
 
    # If you would like to use a preauthorized key
    #authKeyFile = "/run/secrets/tailscale_key";


<blockquote>
  };
Tailscale makes networking easy
}|name=/etc/nixos/configuration.nix|lang=nix}}


Tailscale lets you easily manage access to private resources, quickly SSH into devices on your network, and work securely from anywhere in the world.
After enabling, you can login to your Tailscale account with:<syntaxhighlight lang="console">
</blockquote>
# tailscale login
</syntaxhighlight>If you are using features like subnet routers or exit nodes you will also need to set <code><nowiki>services.tailscale.useRoutingFeatures</nowiki></code> to "server", "client" or "both" depending on the role of your machine.


== Basic setup ==
For more configuration option, refer to <code>[https://search.nixos.org/options?show=services.tailscale services.tailscale]</code> .
You need to
 
== Native nftables Support (Modern Setup) ==
Recent versions of NixOS encourage the use of [[nftables]] over legacy iptables. Tailscale can be configured to use `nftables` natively, which avoids conflicts and kernel module bloat.
 
This configuration forces the `nftables` backend and optimizes the service startup:
 
<syntaxhighlight lang="nixos">
{ config, pkgs, ... }:
 
{
  # 1. Enable the service and the firewall
  services.tailscale.enable = true;
  networking.nftables.enable = true;
  networking.firewall = {
    enable = true;
    # Always allow traffic from your Tailscale network
    trustedInterfaces = [ "tailscale0" ];
    # Allow the Tailscale UDP port through the firewall
    allowedUDPPorts = [ config.services.tailscale.port ];
  };


# make an account and login at https://login.tailscale.com (or self-host a compatible [https://github.com/juanfont/headscale Headscale] service; also available NixOS)
  # 2. Force tailscaled to use nftables (Critical for clean nftables-only systems)
# enable the Tailscale client app on your NixOS machine by adding <code><nowiki>services.tailscale.enable = true;</nowiki></code> and access tokens to your NixOS configuration.
  # This avoids the "iptables-compat" translation layer issues.
  systemd.services.tailscaled.serviceConfig.Environment = [
    "TS_DEBUG_FIREWALL_MODE=nftables"
  ];


If you are using features like subnet routers or exit nodes you will also need to set <code><nowiki>services.tailscale.useRoutingFeatures</nowiki></code> to "server", "client" or "both" depending on the role of your machine.
  # 3. Optimization: Prevent systemd from waiting for network online
  # (Optional but recommended for faster boot with VPNs)
  systemd.network.wait-online.enable = false;
  boot.initrd.systemd.network.wait-online.enable = false;
}
</syntaxhighlight>


== Split DNS: Access self-hosted services at your friends house as if you were there. ==
== Split DNS ==
Tailscale support "Split DNS" where you can access local services (not exposed to the internet) on a different network (e.g. you friend's house) as if you are in that local network.  
Tailscale supports "Split DNS" where you can access local services (not exposed to the internet) on a different network (e.g. your friend's house) as if you are in that local network.  


See KTZ Systems Split DNS overview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzcs97XcxiE
See KTZ Systems Split DNS overview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzcs97XcxiE
Line 25: Line 62:


== Configuring TLS ==
== Configuring TLS ==
{{Expansion|
* Set up Systemd service to run this command at regular intervals to avoid cert expiration.
* Show how to run for multiple services on a single machine.
}}
Per [https://tailscale.com/kb/1153/enabling-https/?q=tls#provision-tls-certificates-for-your-devices Enabling HTTPS in the Tailscale documentation], run the following:
Per [https://tailscale.com/kb/1153/enabling-https/?q=tls#provision-tls-certificates-for-your-devices Enabling HTTPS in the Tailscale documentation], run the following:


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}}
}}


{{Expansion|
As an alternative, you can set up [https://wiki.nixos.org/wiki/Caddy Caddy] to create and manage SSL certs automatically as [https://tailscale.com/kb/1190/caddy-certificates Caddy recognizes Tailscale urls]. After replacing <code><MACHINE_NAME></code>, <code><TAILNET_NAME></code>, <code><port></code> with your tailscale machine name, tailscale tailnet name, and the port of the local service you want to forward, you can add the following to your <code>configuration.nix</code>:<syntaxhighlight lang="nixos">
* Set up Systemd service to run this command at regular intervals to avoid cert expiration.
services.caddy = {
* Show how to run for multiple services on a single machine.
  enable = true;
}}
  virtualHosts."<MACHINE_NAME>.<TAILNET_NAME>".extraConfig = ''
    reverse_proxy 127.0.0.1:<port>
  '';
};
# Allow the Caddy user(and service) to edit certs
services.tailscale.permitCertUid = "caddy";
</syntaxhighlight>


== Known issues ==
== Known issues ==
If you encounter issues with IPv6 not working through your NixOS-based exit node, this might be an issue with the tailscale client's detection of whether IPv6 NAT is supported. This is the "checkSupportsV6NAT" function in the tailscale codebase. Enabling <code><nowiki>networking.nftables.enable = true;</nowiki></code> and then rebooting may fix this issue if you are using iptables.


=== IPv6 ===
If you encounter issues with IPv6 not working through your NixOS-based exit node, this might be an issue with the Tailscale client's detection of whether IPv6 NAT is supported. This is the "checkSupportsV6NAT" function in the Tailscale codebase. Enabling <code><nowiki>networking.nftables.enable = true;</nowiki></code> and then rebooting may fix this issue if you are using iptables.
=== DNS ===
There is also a known issue with DNS when using the default NixOS configuration; see [https://github.com/tailscale/tailscale/issues/4254 GitHub issue 4254]. Enabling [[systemd-resolved]] seems to be some part of the solution to this problem, as well as ensuring that DHCP is not enabled on the "tailscale0" network interface. Please see the GitHub issue for more information.
There is also a known issue with DNS when using the default NixOS configuration; see [https://github.com/tailscale/tailscale/issues/4254 GitHub issue 4254]. Enabling [[systemd-resolved]] seems to be some part of the solution to this problem, as well as ensuring that DHCP is not enabled on the "tailscale0" network interface. Please see the GitHub issue for more information.
=== No internet when using exit node ===
When you turn on exit nodes, NixOS's reverse path filter immediately starts dropping all incoming traffic related to wireguard tunnels, tailscale's control plane connection, etc. etc.
The quick fix for NixOS users is to set the following option in your NixOS config:
<code>networking.firewall.checkReversePath = "loose";</code>
[https://github.com/tailscale/tailscale/issues/4432#issuecomment-1112819111 Issue in Tailscale tracker]
=== Some utils/applets asks root auth every time ===
Some GUI applets/utilities cannot control {{ic|tailscaled}} as a regular user and prompt for a password for every action/not connecting. Assigning the user as an operator fixes this:
{{Commands|1=$ sudo tailscale set --operator=USERNAME}}


== Running multiple Tailnet-accessible services on a single machine ==
== Running multiple Tailnet-accessible services on a single machine ==
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* Set up Systemd services for the additional host names
* Set up Systemd services for the additional host names
}}
}}
== Optimize the performance of subnet routers and exit nodes ==
Tailscale gives [https://tailscale.com/kb/1320/performance-best-practices#enable-on-each-boot recommendations] on how to optimize UDP throughput. For high-throughput nodes (like subnet routers), disabling UDP Generic Receive Offload (GRO) on the physical interface is recommended to prevent packet drops.
In NixOS, this can be automated using `networkd-dispatcher` to ensure the setting persists across reboots and network changes.
<syntaxhighlight lang="nixos">
# In environment.systemPackages, ensure you have pkgs.ethtool
services.networkd-dispatcher = {
  enable = true;
  rules."50-tailscale-optimizations" = {
    onState = [ "routable" ];
    script = ''
      ${pkgs.ethtool}/bin/ethtool -K eth0 rx-udp-gro-forwarding on rx-gro-list off
    '';
  };
};
</syntaxhighlight>
''Note: Replace `eth0` with your actual WAN interface name (e.g. `ens192`).''
Retrieved from "https://wiki.nixos.org/wiki/Tailscale"