How to install Tailscale on Fedora Silverblue and Kinoite immutable

  • In this article we explain the installation process on Fedora immutable distros such as Silverblue and Kinoite
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    Fedora's immutable distributions, such as Silverblue and Kinoite, are great options for those who want better security, privacy, and reliability. However, due to the nature of immutable distributions, installing some apps that aren't in these distros' software stores might not be straightforward. Tailscale is a WireGuard-based VPN software that requires higher privileges to access and manage your network on Linux. In this tutorial, we will explain how to easily install Tailscale on Fedora immutable distributions. I use Silverblue myself, and throughout this article, I will mention Silverblue. Please note that this tutorial can also be applied to other Fedora immutable distributions, such as Kinoite.

    Please follow the below steps to install Tailscale :

    1 1- Add Tailscale repository to the list of your repos

    Open Terminal and run the following command to go to Fedora Silverblue's repositories directory:

    Bash
    cd /etc/yum.repos.d

    Then download and add Tailscale's official repository by running the below command

    Bash
    sudo wget https://pkgs.tailscale.com/stable/fedora/tailscale.repo

    2 2 - Tailscale installation and activation

    Now you can install Tailscale client using the following command

    Bash
    sudo rpm-ostree install tailscale

    Then you need to restart your machine. You can whether do it using it the following command:

    Bash
    reboot

    After the reboot, run the following command to start the Tailscale service:

    Bash
    sudo systemctl enable --now tailscaled

    Now, Tailscale client is installed and running on your machine.

    3 3- Connecting your Tailscale client to your account

    To login into your account and connect your client to your Tailscale network follow the below steps:

    First run the following command:

    Bash
    sudo tailscale up

    Then on the screen you will see a link from Tailscale, something similar to this :

    Code
    https://login.tailscale.com/a/XXXXXXXXXXXXX

    Then copy this link and paste in your browser of choosing. Then login to your Tailscale account using your credentials to connect your client to your Tailscale network.


    That's it! now you can enjoy Tailscale on your Silverblue machine!

    If After running sudo tailscale up nothing happens and it freezes, that means your machine can not access Tailscale network. This can be due to an active VPN service or a firewall.

    Please note that Tailscale is essentially a VPN itself, so you cannot enable it with another VPN at the same time. They partner with Mullvad VPN. If you would like to increase your privacy, you can purchase Mullvad and activate the Mullvad VPN on your devices from your account settings.


    3.1 Tailscale Extension for Gnome

    If you are using Fedora Silverblue, we strongly recommend installing a Gnome extension called Tailscale Status. This extension allows you to see the status of your Tailscale connection and check whether you are connected to your Tail network. It also enables you to view your machine and the other nodes connected to your network. It also includes some other useful tools. You can find this extension here:

    https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/5112/tailscale-status/


    This article is posted on this website are licenses by MySecure Space GmbH under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

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