chore(deps): update renovate/renovate docker tag to v43.205.2

.woodpecker/pr-build.yaml

@@ -9,28 +9,14 @@
 # Reports pass/fail status back to Gitea, so it shows up as a required check on
 # the PR.
 
-# Changes that can't affect the image don't trigger the build: docs and the
-# RouterOS-side script (routeros/**: lives on the router, not in the image).
-# NOTE: if Gitea is ever configured to REQUIRE this check for merging, a
-# PR touching only excluded files will have no check at all — exempt such PRs
-# or merge manually. Renovate PRs always touch the Dockerfile or pipeline
-# files, so the automerge gate is unaffected by these exclusions.
 when:
   - event: pull_request
-    path:
-      exclude: &non_image_paths
-        - '**/*.md'
-        - 'docs/**'
-        - 'routeros/**'
-        - 'renovate.json'
   - event: push
     branch: main
-    path:
-      exclude: *non_image_paths
 
 steps:
   - name: Build all arches (no push)
-    image: woodpeckerci/plugin-docker-buildx:6.1.0
+    image: woodpeckerci/plugin-docker-buildx:5.2.2
     privileged: true
     settings:
       repo: mikrotik-tailscale

.woodpecker/release-tag.yaml

@@ -13,19 +13,9 @@
 # unchanged, so no tag is created and nothing is released — they ride along
 # with the next Tailscale bump or manual tag.
 
-# Skipped for pushes that can't introduce a new Tailscale version:
-# TAILSCALE_VERSION lives in the Dockerfile, so a push touching only docs or
-# the RouterOS-side script can never produce a new version to tag (the job
-# would just no-op after spinning up OpenBao + git containers).
 when:
   - event: push
     branch: main
-    path:
-      exclude:
-        - '**/*.md'
-        - 'docs/**'
-        - 'routeros/**'
-        - 'renovate.json'
 
 steps:
   - name: Get git token from OpenBao
@@ -44,7 +34,7 @@ steps:
       - bao kv get -mount secret -field RENOVATE_TOKEN renovate > /woodpecker/git_token
 
   - name: Auto-tag mt.1 on Tailscale bump
-    image: alpine/git:v2.52.0
+    image: alpine/git:2.49.1
     environment:
       CI_REPO_URL: https://gitea.lumpiasty.xyz/lumpiasty/mikrotik-tailscale.git
     commands:

.woodpecker/release.yaml

@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ steps:
       - 'printf "PLUGIN_PASSWORD=%s\n" "$(bao kv get -mount secret -field REGISTRY_PASSWORD container-registry)" >> /woodpecker/registry.env'
 
   - name: Build and push multi-arch image
-    image: woodpeckerci/plugin-docker-buildx:6.1.0
+    image: woodpeckerci/plugin-docker-buildx:5.2.2
     privileged: true
     settings:
       registry: gitea.lumpiasty.xyz

.woodpecker/renovate.yaml

@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ steps:
       - bao kv get -mount secret -field GITHUB_COM_TOKEN renovate > /woodpecker/github_com_token
   - name: renovate
     # Renovate's built-in "woodpecker" manager tracks this image automatically.
-    image: renovate/renovate:43.220.0
+    image: renovate/renovate:43.205.2
     environment:
       # --- platform / target ---
       RENOVATE_PLATFORM: gitea
@@ -58,12 +58,8 @@ steps:
       # Use the committed renovate.json; don't open an onboarding PR.
       RENOVATE_ONBOARDING: "false"
       RENOVATE_REQUIRE_CONFIG: "optional"
-      # Git identity for the branches/commits Renovate creates. MUST match the
-      # bot's Gitea account email: platform actions (automerge merge commits,
-      # "update branch") are attributed to the account email, and Renovate
-      # flags branches containing commits from unrecognized emails as
-      # "edited by someone else" and stops rebasing them.
-      RENOVATE_GIT_AUTHOR: "Renovate Bot <renovate@lumpiasty.xyz>"
+      # Git identity for the branches/commits Renovate creates.
+      RENOVATE_GIT_AUTHOR: "Renovate Bot <renovate@localhost>"
       # GitHub token (read-only, no repo access) lets Renovate fetch release
       # notes / changelogs and avoids GitHub API rate limits for the
       # github-releases datasource (tailscale). Optional but recommended.

Dockerfile

@@ -19,10 +19,10 @@
 # =============================================================================
 # Stage 1: Build Tailscale combined binary (cross-compiled, runs natively)
 # =============================================================================
-FROM --platform=$BUILDPLATFORM golang:1.26.4-alpine@sha256:7a3e50096189ad57c9f9f865e7e4aa8585ed1585248513dc5cda498e2f41812c AS builder
+FROM --platform=$BUILDPLATFORM golang:1.26.3-alpine@sha256:91eda9776261207ea25fd06b5b7fed8d397dd2c0a283e77f2ab6e91bfa71079d AS builder
 
-# renovate: datasource=github-releases depName=tailscale packageName=tailscale/tailscale versioning=semver
-ARG TAILSCALE_VERSION=v1.98.5
+# renovate: datasource=github-releases depName=tailscale packageName=tailscale/tailscale
+ARG TAILSCALE_VERSION=v1.98.3
 
 # Provided automatically by buildx for the target platform.
 ARG TARGETOS
@@ -40,23 +40,6 @@ RUN git clone --depth 1 --branch ${TAILSCALE_VERSION} \
 
 WORKDIR /src/tailscale
 
-# Inject a stderr verbosity filter into the tailscaled package.
-#
-# With logtail compiled out (ts_omit_logtail), tailscaled never installs
-# logpolicy (see `if buildfeatures.HasLogTail` in cmd/tailscaled/tailscaled.go),
-# so log output goes raw to stderr: the [v1]/[v2] verbosity tags embedded in
-# messages are neither parsed nor filtered, and --verbose has NO effect. The
-# result is constant log spam in the RouterOS container log (filter
-# "Accept: TCP" verdicts, "netcheck: [v1] report", "wg: [v2]" handshakes and
-# keepalives) — see tailscale/tailscale#12158 and #1548.
-#
-# The injected file (build-tagged ts_omit_logtail, so it's a no-op if logtail
-# is ever re-enabled) registers a log writer in init() that drops lines
-# carrying a [v1]+ tag, restoring the equivalent of logtail's StderrLevel=0
-# default. Setting TS_LOG_VERBOSITY=1 (or higher) in the container environment
-# disables the filter at runtime for debugging — no rebuild needed.
-COPY patches/stderr_verbosity_filter.go cmd/tailscaled/
-
 # Build a minimal combined binary (tailscale CLI + tailscaled daemon in one file).
 #
 # Tag strategy — ALLOWLIST, not blocklist:
@@ -86,12 +69,6 @@ COPY patches/stderr_verbosity_filter.go cmd/tailscaled/
 #                         trusted unix socket, so PermitRead/PermitWrite are
 #                         always false and EVERY CLI call (status, up, set, ...)
 #                         returns "access denied" (tailscale/tailscale#17873).
-#   ipnbus              — IPN bus watch. Without it, 'tailscale up' cannot wait
-#                         for completion: it fires config at the daemon and
-#                         returns immediately ("built with ts_omit_ipnbus; not
-#                         waiting for completion") WITHOUT printing the auth URL
-#                         or confirming success. Including it makes interactive
-#                         'up' behave normally (blocks, prints login URL).
 #
 # Everything else remains omitted, including (rationale):
 #   clientupdate  — DELIBERATELY removed. The built-in updater would download
@@ -134,7 +111,6 @@ RUN mkdir -p /out && \
           -e 's/ts_omit_health,\{0,1\}//g' \
           -e 's/ts_omit_iptables,\{0,1\}//g' \
           -e 's/ts_omit_unixsocketidentity,\{0,1\}//g' \
-          -e 's/ts_omit_ipnbus,\{0,1\}//g' \
           -e 's/,$//' \
     ) && \
     echo "Build tags: ${TAGS}" && \
@@ -174,24 +150,6 @@ RUN mkdir -p /out/usrlocalbin && \
     ln -s /usr/local/bin/tailscale.combined /out/usrlocalbin/tailscale && \
     ln -s /usr/local/bin/tailscale.combined /out/usrlocalbin/tailscaled
 
-# Entrypoint wrapper: enable IP forwarding inside the container's network
-# namespace, then exec tailscaled. tailscaled does NOT reliably enable IPv6
-# forwarding itself in a container netns ("IPv6 forwarding is disabled" warning),
-# which silently breaks advertised IPv6 subnet routes. The sysctls ARE writable
-# from inside a RouterOS container, so we set both here. Written in the builder
-# stage so it ships in the same single /usr/local/bin COPY layer (preserves the
-# overlayfs single-copy property). `exec` keeps tailscaled as PID 1.
-RUN printf '%s\n' \
-      '#!/bin/sh' \
-      '# Enable IPv4/IPv6 forwarding. Required for advertised subnet routes and' \
-      '# exit-node functionality.' \
-      'for f in /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward /proc/sys/net/ipv6/conf/all/forwarding; do' \
-      '  if [ -w "$f" ]; then echo 1 > "$f" 2>/dev/null || echo "warn: could not write $f"; fi' \
-      'done' \
-      'exec /usr/local/bin/tailscaled "$@"' \
-      > /out/usrlocalbin/entrypoint.sh && \
-    chmod +x /out/usrlocalbin/entrypoint.sh
-
 # =============================================================================
 # Stage 2: Custom minimal busybox
 # =============================================================================
@@ -213,10 +171,10 @@ RUN printf '%s\n' \
 # This stage runs on the TARGET platform (no --platform override): gcc then
 # produces native target-arch binaries directly. Under buildx this is
 # transparently emulated via binfmt/QEMU for non-native targets.
-FROM alpine:3.24.0@sha256:a2d49ea686c2adfe3c992e47dc3b5e7fa6e6b5055609400dc2acaeb241c829f4 AS busybox
+FROM alpine:3.21.7@sha256:48b0309ca019d89d40f670aa1bc06e426dc0931948452e8491e3d65087abc07d AS busybox
 
 # renovate: datasource=docker depName=busybox versioning=docker
-ARG BUSYBOX_VERSION=1.38.0
+ARG BUSYBOX_VERSION=1.37.0
 
 RUN apk add --no-cache build-base linux-headers wget bzip2 perl upx
 
@@ -309,9 +267,7 @@ ENV PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 VOLUME ["/var/lib/tailscale"]
 
-# entrypoint.sh enables IP forwarding (incl. IPv6) in the container netns, then
-# exec's tailscaled with the CMD flags below as its arguments.
-ENTRYPOINT ["/usr/local/bin/entrypoint.sh"]
+ENTRYPOINT ["/usr/local/bin/tailscaled"]
 
 # Default flags:
 #   --no-logs-no-support  disables logtail uploads (logtail binary code is

README.md

@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@ A minimal Tailscale Docker image built for MikroTik routers running
 16 MB internal flash. Built from source with only router-relevant features
 included.
 
-> Disclaimer: This project has been largely vibe-coded, but I stand behind design and implementation choices made.
-
 - **~4 MB** extracted rootfs (`FROM scratch` + UPX'd Tailscale binary + a custom
   static busybox debug shell).
 - **Multi-arch**: amd64, arm64, arm/v7 — one tag, RouterOS pulls the right one.
@@ -18,23 +16,6 @@ included.
 - **Flash-wear conscious**: minimal persistent state, no netmap disk-caching,
   tmpfs for scratch and runtime.
 
-## Motivation
-
-There is no built-in Tailscale integration in MikroTik, and other solutions
-feel underwhelming. I've used Fluent-networks' tailscale-mikrotik until now,
-but that basically forced me to connect external storage to my router
-just to use Tailscale. This approach, while works, is fragile, wasteful
-and overcomplicated, so I decided to do better one myself.
-
-| | **This project** | Fluent-networks/tailscale-mikrotik |
-|---|---|---|
-| Size | **~4 MB** | ~106 MB |
-| Size reduction technique | **Minimal container with custom Tailscale and Busybox builds, compressed by UPX** | Alpine Linux base, Tailscale binary compressed by UPX on build, but auto-update completely nullifies that on first launch |
-| Update mechanism | **Automatically released optimized container images with new Tailscale versions, scheduled script updating deployment on new version** | None, opt-in Tailscale built-in auto-update downloading official binaries |
-| Flash wear | **Write-heavy functionality compiled out, suitable for low-endurance flash chips** | High, constant netmap cache updates |
-| Stability | **Immutable container** | Tailscale app can update on its own |
-| Features | **Only router-useful Tailscale features compiled, Busybox providing shell and utils** | Full tailscale, OpenSSH server, Bash, IPTables |
-
 ## Documentation
 
 - **[Usage](docs/USAGE.md)** — deploy the published image on a MikroTik router
@@ -70,7 +51,6 @@ ARMv5 (hEX Refresh / hAP ax S) is **not** supported — see
 |---|---|
 | `Dockerfile` | Multi-stage, multi-arch build (cross-compiled Go + custom busybox) |
 | `busybox-applets.config` | Curated busybox applet set |
-| `patches/` | Source files injected into the Tailscale tree at build time (stderr verbosity filter) |
 | `build.sh` | Build all/one arch, optionally export per-arch tarballs |
 | `routeros/update-tailscale.rsc` | RouterOS auto-update script (digest compare + recreate) |
 | `.woodpecker/` | CI: Renovate cron, release tagging, multi-arch publish |

docs/DESIGN.md

@@ -70,21 +70,8 @@ in a future release stays omitted until deliberately added to the Dockerfile.
   saves a real ~195 kB of flash (424 kB → 229 kB), not just transfer size.
 
 The final image is built `FROM scratch` — there is no base distro layer.
-It contains only the busybox binary + applet symlinks, the CA bundle, the
-Tailscale binary, and a tiny `entrypoint.sh`.
-
-### Entrypoint: IP forwarding
-
-`ENTRYPOINT` is a small `entrypoint.sh` that enables IPv4 and IPv6 forwarding
-(`net.ipv4.ip_forward`, `net.ipv6.conf.all.forwarding`) in the container's
-network namespace, then `exec`s `tailscaled` (so the daemon stays PID 1). This
-is necessary because `tailscaled` does **not** reliably enable IPv6 forwarding
-itself inside a container netns — it logs "IPv6 forwarding is disabled" and
-advertised IPv6 subnet routes silently fail. The sysctls are writable from
-inside a RouterOS container, so the entrypoint sets them directly; no
-host-side or `/container` configuration is required. The script is created in
-the builder stage so it ships in the same single `/usr/local/bin` `COPY` layer
-(preserving the [single-copy property](#avoiding-overlayfs-layer-duplication)).
+It contains only the busybox binary + applet symlinks, the CA bundle, and
+the Tailscale binary.
 
 ### Avoiding overlayfs layer duplication
 
@@ -156,7 +143,6 @@ that's a separate build, not just a `--platform` change.
 | iptables | Linux iptables support for routing rules |
 | osrouter | Configure kernel network stack and routing tables |
 | unixsocketidentity | **Required** — without it the localapi denies every CLI call with "access denied" ([tailscale#17873](https://github.com/tailscale/tailscale/issues/17873)) |
-| ipnbus | Lets `tailscale up` wait for completion and print the login URL; without it `up` returns immediately without confirming success |
 
 ## Features intentionally omitted
 
@@ -164,7 +150,7 @@ that's a separate build, not just a `--platform` change.
 |---|---|
 | `clientupdate` | **Deliberately removed** — see [Why the built-in updater is removed](#why-the-built-in-updater-is-removed) |
 | `cachenetmap` | **Deliberately removed** — see [Why netmap disk-caching is removed](#why-netmap-disk-caching-is-removed) |
-| `logtail` | Would attempt persistent log writes; wear flash. Removing it also removes stderr verbosity filtering — restored by an injected filter, see [Log verbosity filtering](#log-verbosity-filtering) |
+| `logtail` | Would attempt persistent log writes; wear flash |
 | `netlog` | Network flow logging; separate concern |
 | `netstack` + `gro` | Userspace/gVisor networking; router uses kernel TUN |
 | `ssh` | Access via MikroTik SSH + `tailscale` CLI instead |
@@ -226,54 +212,6 @@ the in-memory resilience (the common case) while eliminating per-netmap flash
 writes. Only `tailscaled.state` (written on auth / key rotation) ever touches
 flash.
 
-### Log verbosity filtering
-
-Upstream `tailscaled` embeds verbosity tags (`[v1]`, `[v2]`, …) inside its log
-messages and relies on the **logtail** subsystem to act on them: in a stock
-build, logtail's log policy intercepts everything written via the standard
-`log` package, parses the tag, and only writes a line to stderr when its level
-is within `--verbose` (default 0 — non-verbose messages only). The `--verbose`
-flag is literally wired into logtail (`pol.SetVerbosityLevel(args.verbose)` in
-`cmd/tailscaled/tailscaled.go`).
-
-This build omits logtail (`ts_omit_logtail`) to avoid log-upload code and
-flash writes — but that removed the stderr filtering along with it, as
-collateral damage. The result: every verbose line went **unfiltered** to
-stderr and into the RouterOS container log, with the literal `[v1]` tag still
-in the text. On an active node that means constant spam, several lines per
-minute:
-
-```
-tailscale: ... [v1] Accept: TCP{...:53256 > ...:50000} 391 tcp non-syn
-tailscale: ... netcheck: [v1] report: udp=true v6=true ... derp=22 ...
-tailscale: ... wg: [v2] [0GwzF] - Receiving keepalive packet
-```
-
-This is a [known](https://github.com/tailscale/tailscale/issues/12158)
-[long-standing](https://github.com/tailscale/tailscale/issues/1548) complaint
-even in full builds, and RouterOS logging offers no way to discard matching
-messages (no drop action, rules are all-match — a regex rule duplicates rather
-than diverts).
-
-The fix here: the build injects a ~20-line Go file
-(`patches/stderr_verbosity_filter.go`, copied into `cmd/tailscaled/` before
-`go build`) whose `init()` wraps the standard log output and silently drops
-any line carrying a `[v1]`/`[v2]`/`[v3]` tag. This restores the exact
-equivalent of logtail's default `StderrLevel=0` behavior without pulling in
-the upload machinery. Properties:
-
-- **No upstream sources modified** — it's a new file in the package, so it
-  survives Tailscale version bumps without rebasing (only relies on the
-  daemon using the stdlib `log` package, which is core behavior).
-- **Build-tagged `//go:build ts_omit_logtail`** — if logtail is ever
-  re-enabled, the file compiles out automatically and logtail's own filtering
-  takes over; the two can never conflict.
-- **Runtime escape hatch** — setting the `TS_LOG_VERBOSITY=1` environment
-  variable disables the filter (and, conveniently, the same knob is read by
-  upstream as the default `--verbose` level). Verbose logs are one
-  `/container/envs/add` away; no rebuild needed. See
-  [USAGE.md → Logging](USAGE.md#logging).
-
 ## Volume layout
 
 Two mount points, with different persistence requirements:
@@ -294,22 +232,6 @@ Only the small, rarely-written state file touches flash; the socket dir is
 tmpfs. The netmap is held in memory only — see
 [Why netmap disk-caching is removed](#why-netmap-disk-caching-is-removed).
 
-### What lives in the state dir
-
-| File | Purpose | Write frequency |
-|---|---|---|
-| `tailscaled.state` | Node identity, auth keys, prefs | On auth / key rotation / prefs change |
-| `derpmap.cached.json` | Cached DERP relay server list for **bootstrap DNS**: at cold start with broken/unavailable DNS, tailscaled asks DERP servers to resolve the control plane. The binary ships a static DERP list, but it goes stale; this cache keeps the current one. | Once at first auth, then **only when Tailscale's relay infrastructure changes** (a few times a year). `dnsfallback.UpdateCache` has a deep-equal guard and skips the write when the DERP map is unchanged — netmap churn never touches it. |
-
-`derpmap.cached.json` is intentionally **kept** despite the flash-wear policy:
-the policy targets *frequent* writes (netmap deltas, logs), not one-shot
-caches. On a router this cache is genuinely useful — after a power outage the
-device may boot with WAN up but upstream DNS broken, exactly the case where a
-fresh DERP list lets the node reach the control plane anyway. With
-`cachenetmap` omitted, this file and `tailscaled.state` are the only cold-start
-resilience the node has. (There is no `ts_omit_*` tag for it; it is written
-only because `--statedir` is set.)
-
 ## Flash wear protection
 
 Several measures are in place to avoid wearing out internal flash:

docs/USAGE.md

@@ -9,61 +9,65 @@ reasoning behind these choices, see [DESIGN.md](DESIGN.md).
 
 ## Deploy on MikroTik (RouterOS)
 
-Verified on RouterOS 7.23 (arm64, CRS418). Commands are grouped into
-copy-paste blocks, defaults should fit most configurations.
+Verified on RouterOS 7.21.2 (arm64, CRS418). Commands are grouped into
+copy-paste blocks; **only the values marked `CHANGE ME` need editing**.
 
 > Because the image has no built-in updater (the `clientupdate` feature is
 > [intentionally compiled out](DESIGN.md#why-the-built-in-updater-is-removed)),
-> updates are handled by a small script that recreates container when
-> the update is published — see [step 7](#7-enable-automatic-updates).
+> updates are handled by a small script that only re-pulls when the published
+> image actually changed — see [step 7](#7-enable-automatic-updates).
 
 ### 0. Prerequisites
 
-- RouterOS >= 7.23 with the **container** package installed
-  (7.23 is needed for container `restart-policy`; the deploy itself works on
-  >= 7.13 if you drop the restart options).
-- Container mode enabled ([documentation](https://manual.mikrotik.com/docs/System%20Information%20and%20Utilities/device-mode/#changing-mode-of-device-mode)):
+- RouterOS 7.x with the **container** package installed.
+- Container mode enabled (needs physical access — press reset / cold-boot when
+  prompted):
 
   ```
   /system/device-mode/update container=yes
   ```
 
-### 1. Networking (veth + routing)
+- A Tailscale **auth key** from the admin console
+  (**Settings → Keys**, reusable, optionally tagged). You'll use it in step 6.
 
-Gives the container an internal IP and configures routing to the tailnet.
-Pick a subnet that doesn't clash with your LAN.
+### 1. Networking (veth + bridge + NAT)
+
+Gives the container an internal IP and outbound internet via NAT. Pick a subnet
+that doesn't clash with your LAN.
 
 ```
 /interface/veth/add name=veth-tailscale address=172.20.0.2/24 gateway=172.20.0.1
 /interface/bridge/add name=containers
 /ip/address/add address=172.20.0.1/24 interface=containers
 /interface/bridge/port/add bridge=containers interface=veth-tailscale
-/ip/route/add dst-address=100.64.0.0/10 gateway=172.20.0.2 comment=Tailnet
+/ip/firewall/nat/add chain=srcnat action=masquerade src-address=172.20.0.0/24
 ```
 
-If you want the router to have access to subnets shared by other tailscale nodes,
-add route for each one.
-
-```
-/ip/route/add dst-address=[subnet CIDR] gateway=172.20.0.2 comment="Another network via tailscale"
-```
-
-If you want to share your LAN via tailscale, add it as an advertised route in
-[step 5](#5-authenticate). You may also need additional firewall configuration
-to accept connections to or from tailnet if you have one configured.
-You should not need any additional NAT rules.
-
 ### 2. Extraction scratch dir (tmpfs)
 
 Put the image extraction scratch dir on **tmpfs** (RAM) so the pull/extract
-happen in RAM and doesn't fill up or wear out flash:
+never writes to flash:
 
 ```
 /disk/add type=tmpfs tmpfs-max-size=256M slot=tmp
 /container/config/set tmpdir=tmp
 ```
 
-### 3. Persistent state mount (the only thing on flash)
+> **No `registry-url` change needed.** This guide puts the full registry host in
+> `remote-image` (step 5), and RouterOS pulls directly from that host — the
+> global `registry-url` is ignored when the image reference includes a host.
+> This is intentional: it leaves your existing `registry-url` untouched, so
+> other containers (e.g. ones pulling from Docker Hub or ghcr.io) keep working,
+> and multiple registries can be used side by side.
+
+### 3. Authentication note (no env needed)
+
+This image runs `tailscaled` directly and does **not** bundle Tailscale's
+`containerboot` wrapper, so the `TS_AUTHKEY` environment variable is **not**
+read automatically. You authenticate with `tailscale up --authkey=...` after the
+container starts (step 6) — this keeps the image minimal and needs no env list.
+
+### 4. Persistent state mount (the only thing on flash)
 
 Only the tiny `tailscaled.state` (node identity / key) needs to persist. Mount
 just that directory:
@@ -72,7 +76,14 @@ just that directory:
 /container/mounts/add list=tailscale_state src=tailscale/state dst=/var/lib/tailscale
 ```
 
-### 4. Add and start the container
+`src=tailscale/state` is on internal storage. This holds `tailscaled.state`
+(and `derpmap.cached.json`), written only on auth / key rotation / prefs
+change — **not** on every netmap update, because netmap disk-caching is omitted
+([why](DESIGN.md#why-netmap-disk-caching-is-removed)). Flash wear is therefore
+minimal. If you want *zero* persistent writes, point `src` at a tmpfs disk slot
+instead and accept re-authentication after a reboot.
+
+### 5. Add and start the container
 
 ```
 /container/add \
@@ -82,8 +93,6 @@ just that directory:
     mountlists=tailscale_state \
     logging=yes \
     start-on-boot=yes \
-    restart-policy=on-failure \
-    restart-interval=10s \
     name=tailscale
 ```
 
@@ -97,25 +106,16 @@ Wait for the pull/extract to finish (`status=stopped`), then start it:
 
 The daemon is now running but **not yet authenticated**.
 
-### 5. Authenticate
+### 6. Authenticate
 
-> This image runs `tailscaled` via a tiny entrypoint (which enables IP
-forwarding, then `exec`s the daemon) and does **not** bundle Tailscale's
-`containerboot` wrapper, so the `TS_AUTHKEY` environment variable is **not**
-read automatically. You authenticate with `tailscale up --authkey=...` after the
-container starts.
-
-Enter the container shell and bring Tailscale up with your auth key.
-Use `tailscale up --help` to see list of commands, customize it to your needs,
-add subnets (eg. your LAN) or exit-node advertisements in command below.
+Enter the container shell and bring Tailscale up with your auth key. You can set
+subnet routes / exit-node advertisement in the same command:
 
 ```
 /container/shell [find where name=tailscale]
 # inside the container — CHANGE ME: your key (and adjust routes/subnet):
 tailscale up --authkey=tskey-auth-CHANGEME \
-  --accept-routes \
-  --snat-subnet-routes=false \
-  --advertise-routes=172.20.0.0/24 \
+  --advertise-routes=192.168.88.0/24 \
   --advertise-exit-node
 exit
 ```
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ The node now appears in your Tailscale admin console. Approve the advertised
 routes / exit node there. Because the auth state is written to the persisted
 `tailscaled.state`, you only do this once — it survives reboots and updates.
 
-### 6. Enable automatic updates
+### 7. Enable automatic updates
 
 First, edit the `CONFIG` block at the top of `routeros/update-tailscale.rsc` if
 you changed any names in the steps above. The defaults match this guide
@@ -136,6 +136,8 @@ create a **named script** from it and schedule it:
 
 ```
 # Create the named script from the uploaded file's contents.
+# (Do NOT use `/import` — that just runs the file once and does not create a
+#  reusable script for the scheduler to call.)
 /system/script/add name=update-tailscale source=[/file/get update-tailscale.rsc contents]
 
 # Run it daily.
@@ -177,48 +179,14 @@ queries to Tailscale's magic DNS resolver:
 add name="ts.net" type=FWD forward-to=100.100.100.100 match-subdomain=yes
 ```
 
-When this is configured, you can connect to other tailscale machines using
-`[device name].[tailnet name].ts.net`. You can see and change assigned
-Tailnet DNS name in Tailscale admin panel under DNS tab.
-
-## Logging
-
-The container logs to the RouterOS log (topic `container`) via `logging=yes`.
-
-Upstream `tailscaled` is notoriously chatty: by default it would emit a line
-for every accepted connection (`Accept: TCP{...}`), every netcheck report, and
-every WireGuard handshake/keepalive — several lines per minute on an active
-node ([tailscale#12158](https://github.com/tailscale/tailscale/issues/12158)).
-This image filters those verbose (`[v1]`/`[v2]`-tagged) messages out at the
-source, so only meaningful messages (startup, auth, route changes, warnings,
-errors) reach the RouterOS log. See
-[DESIGN.md → Log verbosity filtering](DESIGN.md#log-verbosity-filtering) for
-how and why.
-
-To temporarily get the verbose logs back for debugging (e.g. NAT-traversal
-issues), set the `TS_LOG_VERBOSITY` environment variable and recreate the
-container with the envlist attached:
-
-```
-/container/envs/add list=tailscale_envs name=TS_LOG_VERBOSITY value=1
-/container/set [find where name=tailscale] envlist=tailscale_envs
-/container/stop [find where name=tailscale]
-/container/start [find where name=tailscale]
-```
-
-Any value ≥ 1 disables the filter (and raises the daemon's own verbosity by
-the same amount). Remove the variable and restart to silence it again:
-
-```
-/container/envs/remove [find where name=TS_LOG_VERBOSITY]
-/container/stop [find where name=tailscale]
-/container/start [find where name=tailscale]
-```
+This avoids writing to `/etc/resolv.conf` inside the container (which would
+happen if `--accept-dns` is passed to `tailscale up`). The container resolves
+Tailscale node names; the rest of the router uses its own DNS.
 
 ## Updating
 
 You don't normally do anything: when a new release is published, the
-auto-update script ([step 6](#6-enable-automatic-updates)) detects the changed
+auto-update script ([step 7](#7-enable-automatic-updates)) detects the changed
 `:stable` image on its next scheduled run and recreates the container. Your
 node identity and settings persist across the update via the state mount.
 

patches/stderr_verbosity_filter.go

@@ -1,45 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright (c) mikrotik-tailscale build. Injected at image build time.
-// SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
-
-//go:build ts_omit_logtail
-
-package main
-
-// When logtail is compiled out (ts_omit_logtail), logpolicy is never
-// installed (see run() in tailscaled.go: `if buildfeatures.HasLogTail`),
-// so log.Printf output goes raw to stderr. Nothing parses the [v1]/[v2]
-// verbosity tags Tailscale embeds in log messages, which means every
-// verbose line (filter "Accept: TCP", "netcheck: [v1] report",
-// "wg: [v2]" handshakes/keepalives) is printed regardless of --verbose.
-//
-// This restores the equivalent of logtail's StderrLevel=0 behavior:
-// drop lines carrying a [v1]+ tag, unless TS_LOG_VERBOSITY is set to
-// 1 or higher (runtime escape hatch for debugging — no rebuild needed).
-
-import (
-	"bytes"
-	"log"
-	"os"
-)
-
-var verboseLogTags = [][]byte{[]byte("[v1] "), []byte("[v2] "), []byte("[v3] ")}
-
-type stderrVerbosityFilter struct{ w *os.File }
-
-func (f stderrVerbosityFilter) Write(p []byte) (int, error) {
-	for _, tag := range verboseLogTags {
-		if bytes.Contains(p, tag) {
-			// Claim success so the log package doesn't complain;
-			// the line is intentionally discarded.
-			return len(p), nil
-		}
-	}
-	return f.w.Write(p)
-}
-
-func init() {
-	if v := os.Getenv("TS_LOG_VERBOSITY"); v != "" && v != "0" {
-		return
-	}
-	log.SetOutput(stderrVerbosityFilter{os.Stderr})
-}

renovate.json

@@ -7,17 +7,6 @@
   ],
   "labels": ["dependencies"],
   "rebaseWhen": "behind-base-branch",
-  "customManagers": [
-    {
-      "customType": "regex",
-      "description": "Update version ARGs annotated with a `# renovate:` comment (the dockerfile manager only handles FROM/image lines, not ARG values).",
-      "managerFilePatterns": ["/(^|/)Dockerfile$/"],
-      "matchStrings": [
-        "#\\s*renovate:\\s*datasource=(?<datasource>\\S+)\\s+depName=(?<depName>\\S+)(?:\\s+packageName=(?<packageName>\\S+))?(?:\\s+versioning=(?<versioning>\\S+))?\\s+ARG \\w+=(?<currentValue>\\S+)"
-      ],
-      "matchStringsStrategy": "any"
-    }
-  ],
   "packageRules": [
     {
       "matchManagers": ["dockerfile"],
@@ -27,8 +16,9 @@
     {
       "matchDatasources": ["github-releases"],
       "matchPackageNames": ["tailscale/tailscale"],
-      "description": "TAILSCALE_VERSION ARG: only stable releases. Tailscale uses EVEN minor versions for stable (v1.98.x); ODD minors (v1.99.x) are unstable, so filter to even minors and ignore pre-releases. The `v` prefix is kept (no extractVersion) so the ARG value stays v-prefixed to match the git tags cloned in the Dockerfile.",
-      "allowedVersions": "/^v\\d+\\.\\d*[02468]\\.\\d+$/",
+      "description": "TAILSCALE_VERSION ARG: only stable releases. Tailscale uses EVEN minor versions for stable (v1.98.x); ODD minors (v1.99.x) are unstable, so filter to even minors and ignore pre-releases.",
+      "extractVersion": "^v(?<version>\\d+\\.\\d+\\.\\d+)$",
+      "allowedVersions": "/^\\d+\\.\\d*[02468]\\.\\d+$/",
       "ignoreUnstable": true
     },
     {
@@ -40,15 +30,8 @@
     },
     {
       "matchManagers": ["dockerfile"],
-      "matchPackageNames": ["golang", "alpine"],
-      "description": "Automerge PATCH-only bumps of build components (Go/Alpine) once the PR build passes; review minor/major manually.",
-      "matchUpdateTypes": ["patch"],
-      "automerge": true
-    },
-    {
-      "matchDatasources": ["docker"],
-      "matchPackageNames": ["busybox"],
-      "description": "busybox ARG (custom manager): automerge PATCH bumps once the PR build passes; review minor/major manually.",
+      "matchPackageNames": ["golang", "alpine", "busybox"],
+      "description": "Automerge PATCH-only bumps of build components (Go/Alpine/busybox) once the PR build passes; review minor/major manually.",
       "matchUpdateTypes": ["patch"],
       "automerge": true
     },

routeros/update-tailscale.rsc

@@ -3,9 +3,8 @@
 # =============================================================================
 # Checks the Gitea registry for a new :stable image and, only if the published
 # image actually changed, recreates the container. Designed for RouterOS 7.x
-# (tested target: 7.23, arm64). Requires RouterOS >= 7.23 for the container
-# restart-policy properties (and >= 7.13 for the :deserialize command used to
-# parse the registry token JSON).
+# (tested target: 7.21.2, arm64). Requires RouterOS >= 7.13 for the :deserialize
+# command used to parse the registry token JSON.
 #
 # HOW IT DECIDES "something changed":
 #   It fetches the manifest digest of the :stable tag from the registry and
@@ -60,12 +59,6 @@
 :local cInterface "veth-tailscale"
 :local cLogging   yes
 :local cStartOnBoot yes
-# Restart the container automatically if tailscaled crashes (tailscaled is
-# PID 1; if it dies the container stops). on-failure restarts only on abnormal
-# exit (a manual /container/stop stays stopped); 10s is a gentle backoff.
-# Requires RouterOS >= 7.23.
-:local cRestartPolicy "on-failure"
-:local cRestartInterval "10s"
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 :log info "$scriptName: checking for image updates"
@@ -181,8 +174,6 @@
     mountlists=$cMountList \
     logging=$cLogging \
     start-on-boot=$cStartOnBoot \
-    restart-policy=$cRestartPolicy \
-    restart-interval=$cRestartInterval \
     name=$cName
 } do={
   :log error "$scriptName: container add failed: $e"