Simplify windows setup instructions (#2114)

* 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 Also remove the /windows/tailscale.reg endpoint as its generated file is no longer valid for current Tailscale versions.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
juanfont · Sep 9, 2024 · bac7ea6 · bac7ea6
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diff --git a/docs/images/windows-registry.png b/docs/images/windows-registry.png
diff --git a/docs/windows-client.md b/docs/windows-client.md
@@ -4,38 +4,40 @@
 
 This documentation has the goal of showing how a user can use the official Windows [Tailscale](https://tailscale.com) client with `headscale`.
 
-## Add registry keys
+## Installation
 
-To make the Windows client behave as expected and to run well with `headscale`, two registry keys **must** be set:
+Download the [Official Windows Client](https://tailscale.com/download/windows) and install it.
 
-- `HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Tailscale IPN\UnattendedMode` must be set to `always` as a `string` type, to allow Tailscale to run properly in the background
-- `HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Tailscale IPN\LoginURL` must be set to `<YOUR HEADSCALE URL>` as a `string` type, to ensure Tailscale contacts the correct control server.
+## Configuring the headscale URL
 
-You can set these using the Windows Registry Editor:
+!!! info "Instructions on your headscale instance"
 
-![windows-registry](./images/windows-registry.png)
+    An endpoint with information on how to connect your Windows device
+    is also available at `/windows` on your running instance.
 
-Or via the following Powershell commands (right click Powershell icon and select "Run as administrator"):
+Open a Command Prompt or Powershell and use Tailscale's login command to connect with your headscale instance (e.g
+`https://headscale.example.com`):
 
 ```
-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 login --login-server <YOUR_HEADSCALE_URL>
 ```
 
-The Tailscale Windows client has been observed to reset its configuration on logout/reboot and these two keys [resolves that issue](https://github.com/tailscale/tailscale/issues/2798).
+Follow the instructions in the opened browser window to finish the configuration.
 
-For a guide on how to edit registry keys, [check out Computer Hope](https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001348.htm).
+## Troubleshooting
 
-## Installation
+### Unattended mode
 
-Download the [Official Windows Client](https://tailscale.com/download/windows) and install it.
+By default, Tailscale's Windows client is only running when the user is logged in. If you want to keep Tailscale running
+all the time, please enable "Unattended mode":
 
-When the installation has finished, start Tailscale and log in (you might have to click the icon in the system tray).
+- Click on the Tailscale tray icon and select `Preferences`
+- Enable `Run unattended`
+- Confirm the "Unattended mode" message
 
-The log in should open a browser Window and direct you to your `headscale` instance.
+See also [Keep Tailscale running when I'm not logged in to my computer](https://tailscale.com/kb/1088/run-unattended)
 
-## Troubleshooting
+### Failing node registration
 
 If you are seeing repeated messages like:
 
@@ -53,8 +55,7 @@ This typically means that the registry keys above was not set appropriately.
 
 To reset and try again, it is important to do the following:
 
-1. Ensure the registry keys from the previous guide is correctly set.
-2. Shut down the Tailscale service (or the client running in the tray)
-3. Delete Tailscale Application data folder, located at `C:\Users\<USERNAME>\AppData\Local\Tailscale` and try to connect again.
-4. Ensure the Windows node is deleted from headscale (to ensure fresh setup)
-5. Start Tailscale on the windows machine and retry the login.
+1. Shut down the Tailscale service (or the client running in the tray)
+2. Delete Tailscale Application data folder, located at `C:\Users\<USERNAME>\AppData\Local\Tailscale` and try to connect again.
+3. Ensure the Windows node is deleted from headscale (to ensure fresh setup)
+4. Start Tailscale on the Windows machine and retry the login.
diff --git a/hscontrol/app.go b/hscontrol/app.go
@@ -437,8 +437,6 @@ func (h *Headscale) createRouter(grpcMux *grpcRuntime.ServeMux) *mux.Router {
 	router.HandleFunc("/apple/{platform}", h.ApplePlatformConfig).
 		Methods(http.MethodGet)
 	router.HandleFunc("/windows", h.WindowsConfigMessage).Methods(http.MethodGet)
-	router.HandleFunc("/windows/tailscale.reg", h.WindowsRegConfig).
-		Methods(http.MethodGet)
 
 	// TODO(kristoffer): move swagger into a package
 	router.HandleFunc("/swagger", headscale.SwaggerUI).Methods(http.MethodGet)

diff --git a/hscontrol/platform_config.go b/hscontrol/platform_config.go
@@ -59,46 +59,6 @@ func (h *Headscale) WindowsConfigMessage(
 	}
 }
 
-// WindowsRegConfig generates and serves a .reg file configured with the Headscale server address.
-func (h *Headscale) WindowsRegConfig(
-	writer http.ResponseWriter,
-	req *http.Request,
-) {
-	config := WindowsRegistryConfig{
-		URL: h.cfg.ServerURL,
-	}
-
-	var content bytes.Buffer
-	if err := windowsRegTemplate.Execute(&content, config); err != nil {
-		log.Error().
-			Str("handler", "WindowsRegConfig").
-			Err(err).
-			Msg("Could not render Apple macOS template")
-
-		writer.Header().Set("Content-Type", "text/plain; charset=utf-8")
-		writer.WriteHeader(http.StatusInternalServerError)
-		_, err := writer.Write([]byte("Could not render Windows registry template"))
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Error().
-				Caller().
-				Err(err).
-				Msg("Failed to write response")
-		}
-
-		return
-	}
-
-	writer.Header().Set("Content-Type", "text/x-ms-regedit; charset=utf-8")
-	writer.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
-	_, err := writer.Write(content.Bytes())
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Error().
-			Caller().
-			Err(err).
-			Msg("Failed to write response")
-	}
-}
-
 // AppleConfigMessage shows a simple message in the browser to point the user to the iOS/MacOS profile and instructions for how to install it.
 func (h *Headscale) AppleConfigMessage(
 	writer http.ResponseWriter,
@@ -305,10 +265,6 @@ func (h *Headscale) ApplePlatformConfig(
 	}
 }
 
-type WindowsRegistryConfig struct {
-	URL string
-}
-
 type AppleMobileConfig struct {
 	UUID    uuid.UUID
 	URL     string
@@ -320,14 +276,6 @@ type AppleMobilePlatformConfig struct {
 	URL  string
 }
 
-var windowsRegTemplate = textTemplate.Must(
-	textTemplate.New("windowsconfig").Parse(`Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
-
-[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Tailscale IPN]
-"UnattendedMode"="always"
-"LoginURL"="{{.URL}}"
-`))
-
 var commonTemplate = textTemplate.Must(
 	textTemplate.New("mobileconfig").Parse(`<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">

diff --git a/hscontrol/templates/windows.html b/hscontrol/templates/windows.html
@@ -25,75 +25,21 @@
 
   <body>
     <h1>headscale: Windows configuration</h1>
-    <h2>Recent Tailscale versions (1.34.0 and higher)</h2>
     <p>
-      Tailscale added Fast User Switching in version 1.34 and you can now use
-      the new login command to connect to one or more headscale (and Tailscale)
-      servers. The previously used profiles does not have an effect anymore.
-    </p>
-    <p>Use Tailscale's login command to add your profile:</p>
-    <pre><code>tailscale login --login-server {{.URL}}</code></pre>
-
-    <h2>Windows registry configuration (1.32.0 and lower)</h2>
-    <p>
-      This page provides Windows registry information for the official Windows
-      Tailscale client.
-    </p>
-
-    <p></p>
-    <p>
-      The registry file will configure Tailscale to use <code>{{.URL}}</code> as
-      its control server.
-    </p>
-
-    <p></p>
-    <h3>Caution</h3>
-    <p>
-      You should always download and inspect the registry file before installing
-      it:
-    </p>
-    <pre><code>curl {{.URL}}/windows/tailscale.reg</code></pre>
-
-    <h2>Installation</h2>
-    <p>
-      Headscale can be set to the default server by running the registry file:
-    </p>
-
-    <p>
-      <a href="/windows/tailscale.reg" download="tailscale.reg"
-        >Windows registry file</a
+      Download
+      <a
+        href="https://tailscale.com/download/windows"
+        rel="noreferrer noopener"
+        target="_blank"
+        >Tailscale for Windows</a
       >
+      and install it.
     </p>
 
-    <ol>
-      <li>Download the registry file, then run it</li>
-      <li>Follow the prompts</li>
-      <li>Install and run the official windows Tailscale client</li>
-      <li>
-        When the installation has finished, start Tailscale, and log in by
-        clicking the icon in the system tray
-      </li>
-    </ol>
-    <p>Or using REG:</p>
-    <p>
-      Open command prompt with Administrator rights. Issue the following
-      commands to add the required registry entries:
-    </p>
-    <pre>
-    <code>REG ADD "HKLM\Software\Tailscale IPN" /v UnattendedMode /t REG_SZ /d always
-      REG ADD "HKLM\Software\Tailscale IPN" /v LoginURL /t REG_SZ /d "{{.URL}}"</code>
-  </pre>
-    <p>Or using Powershell</p>
     <p>
-      Open Powershell with Administrator rights. Issue the following commands to
-      add the required registry entries:
+      Open a Command Prompt or Powershell and use Tailscale's login command to
+      connect with headscale:
     </p>
-    <pre>
-    <code>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 "{{.URL}}"</code>
-  </pre>
-    <p>Finally, restart Tailscale and log in.</p>
-
-    <p></p>
+    <pre><code>tailscale login --login-server {{.URL}}</code></pre>
   </body>
 </html>
diff --git a/mkdocs.yml b/mkdocs.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ repo_name: juanfont/headscale
 repo_url: https://github.com/juanfont/headscale
 
 # Copyright
-copyright: Copyright &copy; 2023 Headscale authors
+copyright: Copyright &copy; 2024 Headscale authors
 
 # Configuration
 theme: