chore: updated windows client docs #1995
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worked well for me... current instructions did not |
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| You can set these using the Windows Registry Editor: | ||
| When the installation has finished, close the tailscale application in the windows tray. (Richt click > Exit) |
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there is a small typo "richt", probably use: … the windows tray: right click → Exit)
| 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 | ||
| tailscale up --accept-routes --login-server https://<your-headscale-server> |
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The other examples do not contain, --accept-routes. It should be removed for consistency reasons.
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@kradalby suggested in #2096 (comment) to keep the registry instructions but probably degrade their need from "required" to "optional" and move into their own section.
If you remove them, you should also delete the screenshot: ./docs/images/windows-registry.png
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Yes, based on the PR, it is implied that they dont work anymore, I dont think they have been removed, so not sure why that is.
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I quickly looked into this and it seems that Tailscale changed the location of registries from HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Tailscale IPN to HKLM\Software\Policies around 2022, so the paths and the generated reg file are wrong. See tailscale/tailscale#3584 (comment) and Tailscale's Deploy Tailscale on Windows using MDM documentation.
Since our minimal client versions have fast user switching, we should follow Tailscale's recommendation to login: tailscale login --login-server=<url>.
The remaining issue is "unattended mode". It seemed to be a mess in the past, but now:
- the user can enable unattended mode in the GUI ("Preferences" → "Run unattended") as hinted by: https://tailscale.com/kb/1088/run-unattended
- since end of 2022, this preference seems to be synced to the Windows service - see: ipn/ipnlocal: ensure Persist information is saved to server mode star… tailscale/tailscale#6255
The simplest way to solve this seems to be:
- Rewrite
/windowsto basically:- include a link to the Tailscale Windows download page
- Print the login command
- Minimal setup instructions
- Cleanup the windows documentation accordingly and add a section about "unattended mode" which should advise the user to enable it via GUI. Probably also add the link to Deploy Tailscale on Windows using MDM as it contains the details about the registry keys.
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Alternatively, it might be a good time to remove /apple and /windows altogether? They provide little value with the newer Tailcale clients and there is also headscale's documentation at https://headscale.net which can be updated faster.
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I'm hesitant at removing them, they feel useful, but can be as simple as possible. I find that it is slightly neater than the docs because the command can be generated with the correct url and copied as if.
Otherwise I agree with your other suggestions.
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Hi all, I was on vacation the last couple weeks. I will have a look into your feedback in the next days. |
* Simplify /windows to the bare minimum. Also remove the /windows/tailscale.reg endpoint as its generated file is no longer valid for current Tailscale versions. * Update and simplify the windows documentation accordingly. * Add a "Unattended mode" section to the troubleshooting section explaining how to enable "Unattended mode" in the via the Tailscale tray icon. Tested on Windows 10, 22H2 with Tailscale 1.72.0 Replaces: juanfont#1995 See: juanfont#2096
* Simplify /windows to the bare minimum. Also remove the /windows/tailscale.reg endpoint as its generated file is no longer valid for current Tailscale versions. * Update and simplify the windows documentation accordingly. * Add a "Unattended mode" section to the troubleshooting section explaining how to enable "Unattended mode" in the via the Tailscale tray icon. * Add infobox about /windows to the docs Tested on Windows 10, 22H2 with Tailscale 1.72.0 Replaces: juanfont#1995 See: juanfont#2096
* Simplify /windows to the bare minimum. Also remove the /windows/tailscale.reg endpoint as its generated file is no longer valid for current Tailscale versions. * Update and simplify the windows documentation accordingly. * Add a "Unattended mode" section to the troubleshooting section explaining how to enable "Unattended mode" in the via the Tailscale tray icon. * Add infobox about /windows to the docs Tested on Windows 10, 22H2 with Tailscale 1.72.0 Replaces: juanfont#1995 See: juanfont#2096
* Simplify /windows to the bare minimum. Also remove the /windows/tailscale.reg endpoint as its generated file is no longer valid for current Tailscale versions. * Update and simplify the windows documentation accordingly. * Add a "Unattended mode" section to the troubleshooting section explaining how to enable "Unattended mode" in the via the Tailscale tray icon. * Add infobox about /windows to the docs Tested on Windows 10, 22H2 with Tailscale 1.72.0 Replaces: #1995 See: #2096
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Thanks @deto1986, sorry for the abrupt close, very much appreciated the contribution and it helped mapping out what needed to be done! |
I have updated the windows client documentation, the current docs don't working anymore with the latest tailscale client. The new description is working fine and is less complex.