Tailscale (Gateway dashboard)
Edwin can auto-configure Tailscale Serve (tailnet) or Funnel (public) for the Gateway dashboard and WebSocket port. This keeps the Gateway bound to loopback while Tailscale provides HTTPS, routing, and (for Serve) identity headers.
Modes
serve: Tailnet-only Serve viatailscale serve. The gateway stays on127.0.0.1.funnel: Public HTTPS viatailscale funnel. Edwin requires a shared password.off: Default (no Tailscale automation).
Auth
Set gateway.auth.mode to control the handshake:
token(default whenEDWIN_GATEWAY_TOKENis set)password(shared secret viaEDWIN_GATEWAY_PASSWORDor config)
When tailscale.mode = "serve" and gateway.auth.allowTailscale is true, valid Serve proxy requests can authenticate via Tailscale identity headers (tailscale-user-login) without supplying a token/password. Edwin verifies the identity by resolving the x-forwarded-for address via the local Tailscale daemon (tailscale whois) and matching it to the header before accepting it. Edwin only treats a request as Serve when it arrives from loopback with Tailscale’s x-forwarded-for, x-forwarded-proto, and x-forwarded-host headers. To require explicit credentials, set gateway.auth.allowTailscale: false or force gateway.auth.mode: "password".
Config examples
Tailnet-only (Serve)
{
gateway: {
bind: "loopback",
tailscale: { mode: "serve" },
},
}Open: https://<magicdns>/ (or your configured gateway.controlUi.basePath)
Tailnet-only (bind to Tailnet IP)
Use this when you want the Gateway to listen directly on the Tailnet IP (no Serve/Funnel).
{
gateway: {
bind: "tailnet",
auth: { mode: "token", token: "your-token" },
},
}Connect from another Tailnet device:
- Control UI:
http://<tailscale-ip>:18789/ - WebSocket:
ws://<tailscale-ip>:18789
Note: loopback (http://127.0.0.1:18789) will not work in this mode.
Public internet (Funnel + shared password)
{
gateway: {
bind: "loopback",
tailscale: { mode: "funnel" },
auth: { mode: "password", password: "replace-me" },
},
}Prefer EDWIN_GATEWAY_PASSWORD over committing a password to disk.
CLI examples
edwin gateway --tailscale serve
edwin gateway --tailscale funnel --auth passwordNotes
- Tailscale Serve/Funnel requires the
tailscaleCLI to be installed and logged in. tailscale.mode: "funnel"refuses to start unless auth mode ispasswordto avoid public exposure.- Set
gateway.tailscale.resetOnExitif you want Edwin to undotailscale serveortailscale funnelconfiguration on shutdown. gateway.bind: "tailnet"is a direct Tailnet bind (no HTTPS, no Serve/Funnel).gateway.bind: "auto"prefers loopback; usetailnetif you want Tailnet-only.- Serve/Funnel only expose the Gateway control UI + WS. Nodes connect over the same Gateway WS endpoint, so Serve can work for node access.
Browser control (remote Gateway + local browser)
If you run the Gateway on one machine but want to drive a browser on another machine, run a node host on the browser machine and keep both on the same tailnet. The Gateway will proxy browser actions to the node; no separate control server or Serve URL needed.
Avoid Funnel for browser control; treat node pairing like operator access.
Tailscale prerequisites + limits
- Serve requires HTTPS enabled for your tailnet; the CLI prompts if it is missing.
- Serve injects Tailscale identity headers; Funnel does not.
- Funnel requires Tailscale v1.38.3+, MagicDNS, HTTPS enabled, and a funnel node attribute.
- Funnel only supports ports
443,8443, and10000over TLS. - Funnel on macOS requires the open-source Tailscale app variant.
Learn more
- Tailscale Serve overview: https://tailscale.com/kb/1312/serve
tailscale servecommand: https://tailscale.com/kb/1242/tailscale-serve- Tailscale Funnel overview: https://tailscale.com/kb/1223/tailscale-funnel
tailscale funnelcommand: https://tailscale.com/kb/1311/tailscale-funnel
