Installing Vaultwarden and Tailscale: A Comprehensive Guide

Vaultwarden and Tailscale are popular tools for enhancing security and networking capabilities. Vaultwarden, a Bitwarden-compatible password manager, securely stores and manages passwords, while Tailscale, a mesh VPN, simplifies the process of connecting devices on a private network. In this article, we will walk you through the steps to install and set up both Vaultwarden and Tailscale.

1. Installing Vaultwarden

To install Vaultwarden, follow these steps:

Step 1: Install Docker and Docker Compose

Vaultwarden can be easily deployed using Docker. First, install Docker and Docker Compose on your system by following the official installation guides:

• Docker: https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/

• Docker Compose: https://docs.docker.com/compose/install/

Step 2: Create a Docker Compose file

Create a new directory for Vaultwarden, and in that directory, create a 'docker-compose.yml' file with the following content:

version: "3"
services:
  vaultwarden:
    image: vaultwarden/server:latest
    restart: always
    environment:
      - SIGNUPS_ALLOWED=false
    volumes:
      - ./data:/data
    ports:
      - "80:80"
      - "443:443"

Step 3: Launch Vaultwarden

In the terminal, navigate to the directory containing the 'docker-compose.yml' file and run the following command:

docker-compose up -d

Vaultwarden should now be accessible via your browser at http://localhost.

1. Installing Tailscale

To install Tailscale, follow these steps:

Step 1: Install Tailscale on your device

Visit the Tailscale download page (https://tailscale.com/download) and select the appropriate package for your operating system. Follow the installation instructions provided for your platform.

Step 2: Sign in to Tailscale

After installing Tailscale, open the application or run the 'tailscale' command in your terminal. Sign in using your preferred authentication method, such as Google, Microsoft, or a single sign-on (SSO) provider.

Step 3: Connect your devices

Install and sign in to Tailscale on all devices you want to connect. Once signed in, your devices will automatically form a private network.

Step 4: Access Vaultwarden via Tailscale

To access Vaultwarden securely through Tailscale, you will need to configure its listening address to bind to the Tailscale network interface. Edit the 'docker-compose.yml' file, and add the following line under the 'environment' section:

- WEBSOCKET_ENABLED=true

Restart the Vaultwarden container by running:

docker-compose down && docker-compose up -d

Now, you can access Vaultwarden securely on your Tailscale network using its Tailscale IP address.

By following these steps, you can successfully install and configure both Vaultwarden and Tailscale to enhance your security and networking capabilities.