I recently upgraded to Unraid & and have been trying to get the "Use Tailscale" option to work with containers.

For every one that I've tried, the log reports

 

Download from Tailscale version 1.78.1 successful!
Installation Done!
ERROR: Couldn't detect persistent Docker directory for .tailscale_state!
       Please enable Tailscale Advanced Settings in the Docker template and set the Tailscale State Directory manually!

 

Any ideas? Thanks.

7 minutes ago, ronschaeffer said:

For every one that I've tried, the log reports

What containers are you using/trying?

 

You can always specify the state directory manually here by opening the Advanced Settings in the Tailscale settings:

 

This state directory should always reflect the persistent directory inside the container like here "/data":

 

So to speak in this example the state directory should be "/data/.tailscale_state":

10 minutes ago, ich777 said:

What containers are you using?

I've just tired another which worked. This is the docker run command as generated by Unraid:

 

docker run
  -d
  --name='FileBrowser'
  --entrypoint='/opt/unraid/tailscale'
  --net='bridge'
  --pids-limit 2048
  -e TZ="Europe/London"
  -e HOST_OS="Unraid"
  -e HOST_HOSTNAME="SERVER"
  -e HOST_CONTAINERNAME="FileBrowser"
  -e 'PUID'='99'
  -e 'PGID'='100'
  -e 'UMASK'='022'
  -e TAILSCALE_HOSTNAME='fliebrowser'
  -e TAILSCALE_ALLOW_LAN_ACCESS='false'
  -e TAILSCALE_USE_SSH='false'
  -e TAILSCALE_USERSPACE_NETWORKING='false'
  -e TAILSCALE_SERVE_PORT='80'
  -e ORG_ENTRYPOINT="/init"
  -l net.unraid.docker.managed=dockerman
  -l net.unraid.docker.webui='http://[IP]:[PORT:80]/files/'
  -l net.unraid.docker.icon='https://raw.githubusercontent.com/UnRAIDES/templates-UnRAID/main/icons/filebrowser-icon.png'
  -l net.unraid.docker.tailscale.webui='https://[hostname][magicdns]/files/'
  -l net.unraid.docker.tailscale.hostname='fliebrowser'
  -p '30000:80/tcp'
  -v '/mnt/user':'/srv':'rw'
  -v '/mnt/user/appdata/filebrowser/':'/database/':'rw'
  -v '/usr/local/share/docker/tailscale_container_hook':'/opt/unraid/tailscale'
  --cap-add=NET_ADMIN
  --device='/dev/net/tun' 'unraides/filebrowser'

 

This is one of several that failed with that same error:
 

docker run
  -d
  --name='flame_cloudflare'
  --entrypoint='/opt/unraid/tailscale'
  --net='bridge'
  --pids-limit 2048
  -e TZ="Europe/London"
  -e HOST_OS="Unraid"
  -e HOST_HOSTNAME="SERVER"
  -e HOST_CONTAINERNAME="flame_cloudflare"
  -e 'PASSWORD'='011020Flame'
  -e TAILSCALE_HOSTNAME='flame'
  -e TAILSCALE_ALLOW_LAN_ACCESS='false'
  -e TAILSCALE_USE_SSH='false'
  -e TAILSCALE_USERSPACE_NETWORKING='false'
  -e TAILSCALE_SERVE_PORT='5005'
  -e ORG_ENTRYPOINT="docker-entrypoint.sh"
  -e ORG_CMD="sh
  -c chown
  -R node /app/data && node server.js"
  -l net.unraid.docker.managed=dockerman
  -l net.unraid.docker.webui='http://[IP]:[PORT:5005]'
  -l net.unraid.docker.icon='https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pawelmalak/unraid-templates/master/templates/icons/flame.png'
  -l net.unraid.docker.tailscale.webui='https://[hostname][magicdns]'
  -l net.unraid.docker.tailscale.hostname='flame'
  -p '5031:5005/tcp'
  -v '/mnt/user/appdata/flame_cloudflare':'/app/data':'rw'
  -v '/usr/local/share/docker/tailscale_container_hook':'/opt/unraid/tailscale'
  --cap-add=NET_ADMIN
  --device='/dev/net/tun'
  --init 'pawelmalak/flame'

 

I tried Flame again after FileBrowser succeeded. Same error.

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

 

5 minutes ago, ronschaeffer said:

I tried Flame again after FileBrowser succeeded. Same error.

I updated my post above, however for FileBrowser the state directory should be:

/database/.tailscale_state

and for flame_cloudfare the state directory should be:

/app/data/.tailscale_state

 

Sadly enough it is not always possible to auto detect the state directory that's why you have to specify it manually.

Linuxserver.io, Binhex and of course my containers should be fully compatible and detect the path always automatically.

 

Hope that helps.

Yes, thanks very much. So if not automatically detected, the appropriate directory is (or is likely to be?) whatever the root directory for the container is?

23 minutes ago, ronschaeffer said:

Yes, thanks very much. So if not automatically detected, the appropriate directory is (or is likely to be?) whatever the root directory for the container is?

Exactly, as pointed out above, if the directory in the container is "/data" as in this example:

 

Then the Tailscale state directory should be "/data/.tailscale_state":

Thanks! Apologies, I somehow missed your first reply with the screenshots!

 

Much appreciated.

 

I couldnt figure out this solution at all, probably because I am 74 and past my prime! I was setting up Agent DVR to be accessable via Tailscale and I got the same error in my logs. I looked everywhere and I could not find the elusive "Tailscaled.state". Turns out I have Tailscale installed as a Plugin as recommended for Unraid 7.0. And apparently Tailscale is installed on the boot device and that where I found it Boot/config/plugins/Tailscale/state/Tailscaled.state

Now everything is working!

On 10/7/2025 at 9:19 AM, Panapat said:

I couldnt figure out this solution at all, probably because I am 74 and past my prime! I was setting up Agent DVR to be accessable via Tailscale and I got the same error in my logs. I looked everywhere and I could not find the elusive "Tailscaled.state". Turns out I have Tailscale installed as a Plugin as recommended for Unraid 7.0. And apparently Tailscale is installed on the boot device and that where I found it Boot/config/plugins/Tailscale/state/Tailscaled.state

Now everything is working!

Hey @Panapat! 74 is not past any sort of prime!

Having just run into this issue myself (paperless-ngx), I saw the thread and @ich777 's answer worked beautifully.

From your answer, I wanted to ensure that you mapped this file correctly, as it implies you mounted to /boot/config/plugins/Tailscale/state/Tailscaled.state

If that's the case, you're telling the docker container to mount its `.tailscaled.state` file to your unRAID's boot drive - this is bad.

You need to mount this state file inside the container it's running in. IE: unlike a traditional volume mount where you point the location back at the host, you need to set the Tailscale State Directory for a location in your container.

See this for further clarification, and no more (self-imposed!?) ageism!

On 1/14/2025 at 3:07 AM, ich777 said:

Exactly, as pointed out above, if the directory in the container is "/data" as in this example:

 

Then the Tailscale state directory should be "/data/.tailscale_state":

On 10/26/2025 at 1:59 AM, omninewb said:

you need to set the Tailscale State Directory for a location in your container.

I installed this docker (docker-obsidian-livesync-couchdb)

ERROR: Couldn't detect persistent Docker directory for .tailscale_state!

Please enable Tailscale Advanced Settings in the Docker template and set the Tailscale State Directory manually!

Not sure how to figure out my Livesync-CouchDB docker container's Tailscale State directory

Docker container data:

/opt/unraid/tailscale/ <-> /usr/local/share/docker/tailscale_container_hook

the default appdata storage location for my dockers is: /mnt/user/appdata/

but I dont see a obsidian-livesync-couchdb in there

I see: obsidian/ qbittorrent/ syncthing/ youtube-audio/ youtube-subscriptions/ youtube-video/ youtubedl-material/

I can't seem to find where my couchDB is.

I found the docker containers: /var/lib/docker/containers

I found the appropriate location via this:

I think the answer is easier:

in your list of docker containers:

http://192.168.1.xx/Docker

use the volume mapping I have circled in red.

Note: that was show in my first image in the post.

Edited January 16Jan 16 by digitaldoctor

On 1/13/2025 at 9:57 AM, ich777 said:

What containers are you using/trying?

 

You can always specify the state directory manually here by opening the Advanced Settings in the Tailscale settings:

 

This state directory should always reflect the persistent directory inside the container like here "/data":

 

So to speak in this example the state directory should be "/data/.tailscale_state":

dropping in here to say THANK YOU. My tailscale hook was hanging....came looking to find if I can manually make directory. Thank you!