Install Tailscale

Set up and use your own VPN server.

1. Install dependencies

Dependencies for installation.

# Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Kali Linux, Pop!_OS (APT)
sudo apt install -y curl

# RHEL, Fedora, CentOS, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux (DNF)
sudo dnf install -y curl

# Arch Linux, Manjaro, CachyOS, EndeavourOS, Artix Linux (Pacman)
sudo pacman -S --noconfirm curl

# openSUSE Tumbleweed, openSUSE Leap, SUSE Linux Enterprise, GeckoLinux, Regata OS (Zypper)
sudo zypper -n install curl

2. Install Tailscale

You can install it as follows.

# Pull and run the specified shell script
curl -fsSL https://tailscale.com/install.sh | sh

# Enable and start Tailscale
sudo systemctl enable tailscale
sudo systemctl start tailscale

3. Login to the Tailscale

You must be connected to the Tailscale network on both your server and your clients.

# Login to the Tailscale
sudo tailscale login

4. Advertise exit node

Select a host machine as the exit node. This represents the device you will use as the VPN.

# Enable IP forwarding
echo "net.ipv4.ip_forward = 1" | sudo tee -a /etc/sysctl.d/99-tailscale.conf
echo "net.ipv6.conf.all.forwarding = 1" | sudo tee -a /etc/sysctl.d/99-tailscale.conf
sudo sysctl -p /etc/sysctl.d/99-tailscale.conf

# Increase UDP compatibility
NETDEV=$(ip -o route get 8.8.8.8 | cut -f 5 -d " ")
sudo ethtool -K $NETDEV rx-udp-gro-forwarding on rx-gro-list off
printf "#!/bin/sh\n\nethtool -K %s rx-udp-gro-forwarding on rx-gro-list off \n" "$(ip -o route get 8.8.8.8 | cut -f 5 -d " ")" | sudo tee /etc/networkd-dispatcher/routable.d/50-tailscale
sudo chmod 755 /etc/networkd-dispatcher/routable.d/50-tailscale

# Advertise as an exit node
sudo tailscale set --advertise-exit-node=true
sudo tailscale up

Finally, open the menu of the machine labeled "Exit Node" from Tailscale dashboard and select the "Use as exit node" option in "Edit route settings...".

5. Connect to the exit node

You can successfully use your VPN service by connecting to the exit node from different devices.

# Choose exit node
sudo tailscale set --exit-node=100.100.10.10
sudo tailscale up

You can find the exit node address from the Tailscale dashboard or on the server with the following command.

# See Tailscale address
sudo tailscale ip

TIP: Stop being an exit node

You can stop being an exit node as follows.

# Stop being an exit node
sudo tailscale set --advertise-exit-node=false
sudo tailscale up

TIP: Stop using exit node

You can stop using the exit node as follows.

# Stop using the exit node
sudo tailscale set --exit-node=
sudo tailscale up

TIP: Uninstall Tailscale

You can uninstall it as follows.

# Uninstall Tailscale
sudo apt purge -y tailscale
sudo dnf remove -y tailscale
sudo pacman -Rns --noconfirm tailscale
sudo zypper -n remove -u tailscale

# Remove configs
sudo rm -rf /etc/sysctl.d/99-tailscale.conf
sudo sysctl --system
NETDEV=$(ip -o route get 8.8.8.8 | cut -f 5 -d " ")
sudo ethtool -K $NETDEV rx-udp-gro-forwarding off rx-gro-list on
sudo rm -rf /etc/networkd-dispatcher/routable.d/50-tailscale