Where Does Headscale Store Data and Config?
Headscale /var/lib/headscale data with SQLite database plus config.yaml on Linux.
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Headscale keeps nodes, users, routes and pre-auth keys in a SQLite database under /var/lib/headscale, driven by config.yaml. Lose the database and every node must re-register.
Config and database back up separately since only the database changes at runtime. Copy both with the service stopped for a portable control plane.
Where Headscale stores this, by platform
/var/lib/headscale
Holds db.sqlite with nodes, users and routes plus DERP relay state. Config lives at /etc/headscale/config.yaml. Stop headscale before copying the database. Nodes re-authenticate against restored keys without rejoining when DNS stays stable.
Frequently asked questions
How do I back up Headscale?
Copy /var/lib/headscale with the service stopped plus /etc/headscale/config.yaml. Restore the pair together on the same version.
Where is the Headscale config file?
At /etc/headscale/config.yaml with server URL, DERP and policy paths. Validate policy changes before reloading.
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