# Tailscale on the Steam Deck

This process is derived from the [official guide](https://tailscale.com/blog/steam-deck), but has been
tweaked to make the process smoother and produce an installation that comes up
automatically on boot (no need to enter desktop mode).

## Installing Tailscale

1. Clone this repo to your Deck.
2. Run `sudo bash tailscale.sh` to install Tailscale (or update the existing
   installation).
3. Run `source /etc/profile.d/tailscale.sh` to put the binaries in your path
4. Run `sudo tailscale up --qr --operator=deck --ssh` to have Tailscale generate
   a login QR code. Scan the code with your phone and authenticate with
   Tailscale to bring your Deck onto your network.

## Updating Tailscale

Tailscale should be able to update itself now! Try running
`sudo tailscale update`, and if that works, `sudo tailscale set --auto-update`.
If it doesn't, keep reading.

> ⚠️ This process will most likely fail if you are accessing the terminal over
> Tailscale SSH, as it seems to be locked in a chroot jail. You should start and
> connect through the standard SSH server instead, but remember to stop it when
> you're done.
> [Suggestions for how to fix this are welcomed.](https://github.com/legowerewolf/deck-tailscale/issues/2)

1. Git fetch and pull to make sure you're up to date.
2. Run `sudo bash tailscale.sh` again.

This process overwrites the existing binaries and service file, so it's not
recommended to tweak those files directly. The configuration file at
`/etc/default/tailscaled` is left alone. The configuration file at
`/etc/systemd/system/tailscaled.service.d/override.conf` is reset every time this script is run to ensure the path to the binary is correct, but the preexisting file will be backed up in that directory as `override.conf.bak`. If something goes wrong, copy those files somewhere else and re-run the install script to get back to a working state.

## Common issues

### Broken config file

Symptom: `invalid value "" for flag -port: can't be the empty string`

Resolution: Delete `/etc/default/tailscaled` and re-run installer script.

## How it works

The Tailscale binaries `tailscale` and `tailscaled` are installed in `/opt/tailscale/`. The Tailscale systemd unit file is installed at `/etc/systemd/system/tailscale.service`. The override file to reconfigure the services `Exec` commands is installed at `/etc/systemd/system/tailscaled.service.d/override.conf`. The defaults file for the variables `PORT` and `FLAGS` is installed at `/etc/default/tailscaled`

The service is then started and enabled via `systemctl`.