Update Request for Tailscale Version in ROCK (ref#JQXEVU)

[Steven_Wilkes]

What’s happening?

· Other

How can we help?

· None of the above

Other options

· Other

Describe the issue

Could we please have an update to the Tailscale version that's bundled with Rock in an upcoming release? The current version is over a year old and 8 versions behind the current Tailscale Linux release.

Describe your network setup

Unifi UDM Pro, Unifi switches and APs.

[BlackJack]

Please see:

Tailscale on Roon OS / ROCK lagging 6 versions (ref#I92AQ8)

Thank you for reaching out to Roon Support. Regarding your concern about the Tailscale version on Roon OS/ROCK — while we understand your request to update it, we’d like to clarify that Tailscale version 1.72.1 is not associated with any known security vulnerabilities, and we have not received reports of performance or stability issues with this version. We do see that you’ve already submitted a feature request to have it updated. Once that request gains significant support from other users, …

RoonOS/ROCK Automatic Tailscale update

Hi Roon People, Would it be possible to (auto)update tailscale on RoonOS? The current version is lagging quite a bit behind the current 1.82 version of Tailscale.

[vadim]

Hello @Steven_Wilkes,

Thank you for reaching out to Roon Support.

We appreciate your feedback regarding the Tailscale version included with Roon OS. While there are currently no known security or stability issues associated with the bundled version, we do understand your interest in having it updated.

This request has been passed along to our development team, and an update to Tailscale is on our R&D roadmap for a future release. Unfortunately, we can’t share a specific timeline yet, but your input helps us prioritize improvements like this by voting in the Feedback > Feature Suggestions section.

[Steven_Wilkes]

Thanks for the update. I’m an IT consultant and while I love being able to use Arc remotely via Tailscale, I’m slightly concerned about how out of date the Rock based Tailscale version is.
The Tailscale admin console isn’t able to force the client update due to the way Roon have implemented it. Understandable enough I suppose to avoid issues with Rock compatibilty.

[vadim]

Hello, @Steven_Wilkes!

Thank you for the update.

Please explain in more detail what is bothering you.

Are there any important features missing, are there any security issues, or are there any differences in performance?

[Steven_Wilkes]

No, there are no specific concerns or threats that I’m aware of with the current Tailscale package bundled with Rock. I work in tightly regulated IT environments and am used to being picked up by the security auditors to justify using outdated software components. I just raised this thread to see what Roon’s posture is on keeing the Rock components updated. As Rock is a self contained non-managed piece of software on my home network, I’m very much in Roon’s hands for receiving regular updates.
Unlike my other Tailscale nodes, I’m unable to update the components myself.
I’m sure I’m not the only Roon subscriber who would prefer to see the Tailscale components receive slightly more regular updates than they presently do.

[vadim]

Hello @Steven_Wilkes,

Thank you for the clarification and for sharing your perspective.

For our specific implementation, an update of the bundled Tailscale version is not required at this time. The newer Tailscale releases mainly introduce additional enterprise and advanced networking features that are not utilized within Roon OS.

The current version fully supports all functionality needed for secure remote access and Roon ARC connectivity. Therefore, the usability and stability of your Roon system are not affected by the current Tailscale version.

That said, we appreciate your attention to software lifecycle and security compliance — your feedback helps us ensure we continue to align with best practices in future releases.

[connor]

Hi @Steven_Wilkes,

Following up here, we recognize your concern and appreciate the time you’ve taken to reach out here. Roon closely monitors upstream security advisories for RoonOS dependencies, including Tailscale, to ensure that relevant security features are updated. It’s intentional that we don’t automatically install new packages from their update stream so that we can ensure compatibility with RoonOS.

That said, if you ever want to confirm whether a particular Tailscale update has been evaluated or included, you can open a topic here — we’re happy to clarify what’s in a given build.

We’ve escalated this feedback to the relevant teams for posterity. This thread will remain open for a few days in case you have any additional questions. Thank you!

[Steven_Wilkes]

Thanks to the Roon team members who have replied to this thread, much appreciated.

I fully understand why you don’t allow automatic Tailscale updates on Rock. The purpose of my request was really just to ensure that Roon were keeping an eye on the version that’s currently bundled and that it will be updated if there are any future publicly disclosed issues with any older versions.

I can always disable the Tailscale client on the Rock if I ever feel the need.