Is Headscale in the official Ubuntu repositories?

No — Headscale is not packaged in the official Ubuntu archives. This repository is currently the only apt source, serving Headscale 0.29.3.

How do I install the latest Headscale on Ubuntu?

Add the deb.griffo.io repository once using the instructions above, then run: sudo apt install headscale. New releases arrive through the normal sudo apt upgrade.

Are the packages signed and how are they built?

Every package is signed with the repository's GPG key (EA0F721D231FDD3A0A17B9AC7808B4DD62C41256) and built from upstream releases in public GitHub packaging repositories that anyone can inspect.

Which Ubuntu releases are supported?

Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy, 24.04 Noble, 25.10 Questing and 26.04 Resolute.

Install Latest Headscale on Ubuntu via apt

Source	Version
deb.griffo.io	0.29.3 ✅
Official Ubuntu	🚫 not packaged

← Back to home

What is Headscale?

Headscale is an open-source, self-hosted implementation of the Tailscale control server. It lets you run your own coordination server for a private WireGuard-based mesh network, so your devices can connect securely to each other without depending on Tailscale’s hosted control plane — while still using the standard Tailscale clients.

            🚀 Why Latest Versions Matter: Headscale evolves alongside the Tailscale protocol, adding support for new client features, ACL improvements and stability fixes. Running the latest version keeps you compatible with current Tailscale clients.
        

⚡ Key Features of Headscale

🔐 Self-hosted Control Plane

Run your own coordination server — no reliance on a third-party hosted service.

🌐 WireGuard Mesh

Fast, encrypted peer-to-peer connectivity between all your devices.

📱 Standard Clients

Works with the official Tailscale clients on desktop, mobile and servers.

📜 ACL Policies

Fine-grained access control rules to segment and secure your network.

🎯 Why Headscale?

Full control: Own the coordination server and your network data
No vendor lock-in: Open source alternative to the hosted control plane
Uses official clients: Keep the polished Tailscale app experience
Lightweight: A single Go binary that is easy to deploy

🆕 Highlights

Coordination Server: Self-hosted Tailscale control plane
WireGuard: Modern, encrypted mesh networking
ACLs: Policy-driven access control
Multi-user: Namespaces for separating devices and users

📦 Installation from deb.griffo.io

Run the commands

Step 1: Add Repository

sudo install -d -m 0755 /etc/apt/keyrings
curl -fsSL https://deb.griffo.io/EA0F721D231FDD3A0A17B9AC7808B4DD62C41256.asc | sudo gpg --dearmor --yes -o /etc/apt/keyrings/deb.griffo.io.gpg
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/deb.griffo.io.gpg] https://deb.griffo.io/apt $(lsb_release -sc 2>/dev/null) main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/deb.griffo.io.list > /dev/null
sudo apt update

install -d -m 0755 /etc/apt/keyrings
curl -fsSL https://deb.griffo.io/EA0F721D231FDD3A0A17B9AC7808B4DD62C41256.asc | gpg --dearmor --yes -o /etc/apt/keyrings/deb.griffo.io.gpg
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/deb.griffo.io.gpg] https://deb.griffo.io/apt $(lsb_release -sc 2>/dev/null) main" | tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/deb.griffo.io.list > /dev/null
apt update

🆓 There is an always-free mirror. deb-free.griffo.io serves packages free forever — no account, no subscription, at most 2 months behind upstream, security fixes immediately. It currently carries Ghostty, Oh My Posh and Zed; Headscale is not one of them, so the repository above is the only way to get it today — ask and it can be enrolled.

How the free mirror works →

Step 2: Install headscale

# Install latest headscale
sudo apt install headscale

# Verify installation
headscale version

# Install latest headscale
apt install headscale

# Verify installation
headscale version

🎯 Basic Usage Examples

# Show version
headscale version

# Create a user
headscale users create alice

# Generate a pre-auth key for a user
headscale preauthkeys create --user alice --reusable

# List connected nodes
headscale nodes list

# Serve the control server
headscale serve

🚀 Why Choose deb.griffo.io?

📊 Repository Comparison:

Official Ubuntu: Often months behind, missing latest features
deb.griffo.io: Latest version within hours of release
Manual Installation: Manual downloads and PATH setup required
Our Repository: Pre-built, ready-to-use packages

✅ Latest Features: Get newest Headscale features and improvements immediately
✅ No Manual Setup: Pre-built binaries, installed and updated through apt
✅ Automatic Updates: Packages updated within hours of upstream releases
✅ Proper Dependencies: Correctly packaged with all required libraries
✅ Multi-Distribution: Works on Jammy and Noble
✅ Easy Maintenance: Simple apt commands for updates

📦 Package Build Repository

The Ubuntu packages are automatically built and maintained in this GitHub repository:

📁 headscale-debian - Latest release builds

🔗 Related Packages

Also available from deb.griffo.io:

Garage - S3-compatible distributed object storage
Forgejo - Self-hosted lightweight software forge
k9s - Terminal UI for Kubernetes clusters

            🎯 Perfect for: Self-hosters and organizations that want a private, secure mesh VPN using the Tailscale clients but with full control over the coordination server and their data.
        

💝 Support This Project

If this repository saves you time and effort, please consider supporting it!

⭐ Star on GitHub 🐦 Share on Twitter

🕸️ Install Latest Headscale on Ubuntu