---
title: Install tailcat on Linux | Snap Store
description: Get the latest version of tailcat for Linux - Like netcat, but over Tailscale's
  data plane, without the control plane
url: https://snapcraft.io/tailcat
---

# tailcat

[Chi Wai CHAN (raychan96)](https://snapcraft.io/publisher/raychan96 "View all snaps from Chi Wai CHAN (raychan96)")

* [Chi Wai CHAN (raychan96)](https://snapcraft.io/publisher/raychan96 "View all snaps from Chi Wai CHAN (raychan96)")

latest/stable 0.6.0

Install latest/stable of tailcat

---

**Install using the command line**

```
sudo snap install tailcat
```

Don't have snapd? [Get set up for snaps](https://snapcraft.io/docs/installing-snapd).

---

### Package name

* tailcat

---

### License

* BSD-3-Clause

---

### Last updated

* 10 September 2026 - latest/stable
* 10 September 2026 - latest/candidate

---

### Websites

* [tailscale.com](https://tailscale.com/tailcat "https://tailscale.com/tailcat")

---

### Contact

* [chanchiwairay@gmail.com](mailto:chanchiwairay@gmail.com "mailto:chanchiwairay@gmail.com")

---

### Source code

* [github.com/tailscale/tailcat](https://github.com/tailscale/tailcat "https://github.com/tailscale/tailcat")
* [github.com/chanchiwai-ray/tailcat-snap](https://github.com/chanchiwai-ray/tailcat-snap "https://github.com/chanchiwai-ray/tailcat-snap")

---

### Report a bug

* [github.com/tailscale/tailcat/issues](https://github.com/tailscale/tailcat/issues "https://github.com/tailscale/tailcat/issues")
* [github.com/chanchiwai-ray/tailcat-snap/issues](https://github.com/chanchiwai-ray/tailcat-snap/issues "https://github.com/chanchiwai-ray/tailcat-snap/issues")

---

##### Report a Snap Store violation

* [Report this Snap](https://snapcraft.io/tailcat#report-snap-modal)

---

* [Description](https://snapcraft.io/tailcat#tab-description)
* [Security](https://snapcraft.io/tailcat#tab-security)

#### Like netcat, but over Tailscale's data plane, without the control plane

Tailcat is a remix of Tailscale open source pieces to act like netcat, but over Tailscale's data
plane, without Tailscale's control plane. Tailscale's data plane (magicsock) gives you
point-to-point WireGuard-encrypted tunnels between two machines, using DERP relays for NAT
hole-punching and as a relay of last resort. Unlike Tailscale itself, tailcat needs no account,
no control plane, and no root/admin access. All connection metadata is exchanged out of band
(e.g. by copy/paste or DNS TXT record) and everything runs in userspace via a gVisor netstack.

Please refer to the upstream project <https://github.com/tailscale/tailcat> for more information.

---

## Install tailcat on your Linux distribution

Choose your Linux distribution to get detailed installation instructions. If yours is not shown, get more details on the [installing snapd documentation](https://snapcraft.io/docs/installing-snapd).

[### Arch Linux](https://snapcraft.io/install/tailcat/arch)

[### CentOS](https://snapcraft.io/install/tailcat/centos)

[### Debian](https://snapcraft.io/install/tailcat/debian)

[### elementary OS](https://snapcraft.io/install/tailcat/elementary)

[### Fedora](https://snapcraft.io/install/tailcat/fedora)

[### KDE Neon](https://snapcraft.io/install/tailcat/kde-neon)

[### Kubuntu](https://snapcraft.io/install/tailcat/kubuntu)

[### Manjaro](https://snapcraft.io/install/tailcat/manjaro)

[### Pop!\_OS](https://snapcraft.io/install/tailcat/pop)

[### openSUSE](https://snapcraft.io/install/tailcat/opensuse)

[### Red Hat Enterprise Linux](https://snapcraft.io/install/tailcat/rhel)

[### Ubuntu](https://snapcraft.io/install/tailcat/ubuntu)