homelab/headscale-with-admin-UI

Headscale with Headscale Admin UI

What is it?

Headscale is an admin management server for tailscale services. Headscale-Admin is the UI interface for Headscale.

This Docker compose sets up the above two things for you.

Pre-requisites

Create a DNS entry on your cloudflare (or whatever DNS you use). For example https://tailscale.YOURDOMAIN.com

Setup

• Copy the compose.yml into portainer or dockge or whatever compose manager you use, and run.
• Enter the following command to make an API key within headscale: docker exec headscale headscale apikeys create --expiration 90d You can change the expiration limit if you want. Copy the resulting API key.
• Now go to https://tailscale.YOURDOMAIN.com/admin This will open the UI page of Headscale Admin.
• Leave the API URL blank, and fill in the API KEY you copied earlier and proceed.
• Refresh the page or go to https://tailscale.YOURDOMAIN.com/admin again to see all the settings now.
• Create your first user in the Users page.
• You can now add nodes and stuff.

Node Setup

• Go to https://tailscale.com and download and install the client for your device.
• Then follow the instructions provided in this link to connect the client node to your custom headscale server: https://tailscale.com/kb/1507/custom-control-server
• You can use the UI at https://tailscale.YOURDOMAIN.com/admin to create a node, in the Nodes page where you can add the device key directly, to authorize your client device.
• If you want to be able to use the network of a certain node like a VPN, make sure you setup that client as an exit node. Then any other nodes can connect to the network of this node. More info here: https://tailscale.com/kb/1103/exit-nodes