61 lines
2.6 KiB
Markdown
61 lines
2.6 KiB
Markdown
# Connecting a Windows client
|
|
|
|
## Goal
|
|
|
|
This documentation has the goal of showing how a user can use the official Windows [Tailscale](https://tailscale.com) client with `headscale`.
|
|
|
|
## Add registry keys
|
|
|
|
To make the Windows client behave as expected and to run well with `headscale`, two registry keys **must** be set:
|
|
|
|
- `HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Tailscale IPN\UnattendedMode` must be set to `always` as a `string` type, to allow Tailscale to run properly in the background
|
|
- `HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Tailscale IPN\LoginURL` must be set to `<YOUR HEADSCALE URL>` as a `string` type, to ensure Tailscale contacts the correct control server.
|
|
|
|
You can set these using the Windows Registry Editor:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Or via the following Powershell commands (right click Powershell icon and select "Run as administrator"):
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
New-Item -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Tailscale IPN"
|
|
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Tailscale IPN' -Name UnattendedMode -PropertyType String -Value always
|
|
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Tailscale IPN' -Name LoginURL -PropertyType String -Value https://YOUR-HEADSCALE-URL
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
The Tailscale Windows client has been observed to reset its configuration on logout/reboot and these two keys [resolves that issue](https://github.com/tailscale/tailscale/issues/2798).
|
|
|
|
For a guide on how to edit registry keys, [check out Computer Hope](https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001348.htm).
|
|
|
|
## Installation
|
|
|
|
Download the [Official Windows Client](https://tailscale.com/download/windows) and install it.
|
|
|
|
When the installation has finished, start Tailscale and log in (you might have to click the icon in the system tray).
|
|
|
|
The log in should open a browser Window and direct you to your `headscale` instance.
|
|
|
|
## Troubleshooting
|
|
|
|
If you are seeing repeated messages like:
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
[GIN] 2022/02/10 - 16:39:34 | 200 | 1.105306ms | 127.0.0.1 | POST "/machine/redacted"
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
in your `headscale` output, turn on `DEBUG` logging and look for:
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
2022-02-11T00:59:29Z DBG Machine registration has expired. Sending a authurl to register machine=redacted
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
This typically means that the registry keys above was not set appropriately.
|
|
|
|
To reset and try again, it is important to do the following:
|
|
|
|
1. Ensure the registry keys from the previous guide is correctly set.
|
|
2. Shut down the Tailscale service (or the client running in the tray)
|
|
3. Delete Tailscale Application data folder, located at `C:\Users\<USERNAME>\AppData\Local\Tailscale` and try to connect again.
|
|
4. Ensure the Windows node is deleted from headscale (to ensure fresh setup)
|
|
5. Start Tailscale on the windows machine and retry the login.
|