Install Tailscale

Install the official Tailscale client on your computer or server so it can join a nixscale network.

For:MemberAdminOwnerUpdated September 15, 2026

nixscale doesn't ship its own VPN app. Your devices connect with the official, open-source Tailscale client; nixscale provides the control server that client talks to and the access rules it enforces. On this page you install the client — connecting the device to your network is the next step.

Before you start

You have administrator rights on the device (sudo on Linux). The installer needs them.
You can sign in to the nixscale panel and see the network you're joining.

You don't need a Tailscale account. The device joins your network with a command you'll get from the nixscale panel.

Install the client

Tailscale offers two macOS apps. These steps use the Standalone variant; if you use the App Store version, the install step differs but the connection commands are the same.

Download and install the package
Download the Tailscale Standalone package and double-click it to install. macOS asks for your administrator password during installation.
Approve the permissions
The first time you open the app, macOS asks you to allow Tailscale's system extension and VPN configuration. Approve both — the connection can't be set up without them.
Enable the command-line tool
You connect from Terminal. Open Settings from the Tailscale icon in the menu bar, and under CLI integration choose Show me how, then Install Now, and enter your administrator password. This adds the tailscale command to /usr/local/bin.
Check the installation
Open Terminal (⌘ + Space, then "Terminal") and run:
Terminal
```
tailscale version
```
If you see a version number, the installation is complete.

If you installed the App Store version

In the App Store version, the command-line tool lives inside the app. Define this alias in Terminal:

Terminal

alias tailscale="/Applications/Tailscale.app/Contents/MacOS/Tailscale"

The alias only lasts for the open Terminal window. To keep it, add the line to your ~/.zshrc file.

Check your Windows version
You need Windows 10 or later, or Windows Server 2016 or later.
Download and run the installer
Download the installer for your system from Tailscale's Windows download page and run it. When it finishes, the Tailscale icon appears in the notification area of the taskbar — if you don't see it, check the hidden icons arrow.
Check the installation
Open PowerShell from the Start menu and run:
PowerShell
```
tailscale version
```
If tailscale isn't recognized, close any PowerShell window that was open before the installation and open a new one.

Tailscale's official install script detects your distribution and adds the right package repository. It works on Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, RHEL, CentOS, Amazon Linux, openSUSE, Raspberry Pi OS and their derivatives. On Arch Linux and NixOS, use your distribution's own Tailscale package.

Run the install script

Terminal

curl -fsSL https://tailscale.com/install.sh | sh

Check the installation
Terminal
```
tailscale version
tailscale status
```
If tailscale status prints "Logged out.", the service is running and the device is ready to connect. If you see "failed to connect to local tailscaled", start the service:
Terminal
```
sudo systemctl enable --now tailscaled
```

Next step

If tailscale version prints a version number, the client is ready. Now connect your device to the network.