GolangTAK documentation

GolangTAK is one program that runs your TAK server. You install it with one command, open its dashboard in a browser, and connect your devices with a QR code. This page walks through everything in plain steps.

1. Install

Paste one command. It installs GolangTAK as a service that starts at boot, opens the firewall, creates the certificate authority and the administrator account, and tests every port before it finishes.

Linux, Raspberry Pi, cloud server, macOS

Windows (PowerShell)

Linux without curl, and FreeBSD

When it finishes it prints the dashboard address, the administrator user name and password, and a QR code for iTAK. Nothing else needs to be installed: no Docker, no database, no Java or Python.

Running on a cloud server? Also allow the ports in your provider's firewall or security group. The list is under Troubleshooting.

2. Sign in to the dashboard

1. Open https://SERVER:8446 in a browser, using the address the installer printed. On a trusted network http://SERVER:8080 also works.
2. Your browser warns about the certificate the first time, because the server made its own. Continue to the site, or set up a trusted certificate under Let's Encrypt.
3. Sign in as admin with the printed password, then choose your own password when asked.

Lost the password? It stays in admin-password.txt in the data folder until you change it: /var/lib/golangtak on Linux, C:\ProgramData\GolangTAK on Windows.

The dashboard is in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and Ukrainian. Change the language on the sign-in page or under My account. Turn on two-step sign-in there too.

3. Connect devices

Open Connect a device in the dashboard. Pick the user, then use whichever way suits the device.

Devices appear under Online now and on the Map. Units are drawn with MIL-STD-2525 symbols.

4. Users and groups

Give each person their own user under Users. Groups are channels: people see traffic only from the groups they share. Each user has groups they receive from and groups they send to.

• Sign in with company accounts: Settings, Directory sign-in for LDAP or Active Directory.
• Let people sign up themselves: Settings, Email and accounts, with optional approval and allowed email domains.
• Scripts and tools use an API token from API tokens instead of a password.

5. Link other servers

Open Server links. Traffic flows both ways, and loop protection keeps messages from echoing back.

6. Video

The video server is built in. Publish with rtsp://SERVER:8554/live/NAME, or from drone apps and OBS with rtmp://SERVER:1935/live/NAME?user=USER&pass=PASSWORD. Sign in with a GolangTAK user name and password.

Every stream appears in each TAK client's video list and on the dashboard's Video page, where it plays in the browser. Press Record on a stream, or record everything automatically under Settings, Video server. To relay an IP camera, add it as a pull source.

7. Voice

Mumble, Mumla and the TAK voice plugins connect to port 64738 with the same user name and password as TAK. Each group has its own channel, so people talk with the same team they share a map with.

8. Feeds and trackers

Turn feeds on under Settings, Data feeds, or add your own under Feeds and layers.

9. Telegram

1. Create a bot with @BotFather in Telegram and copy its token.
2. Add the bot to your group and send /start there.
3. Get the group's ID (bots such as @getidsbot show it; groups start with -100).
4. Enter both under Settings, Telegram, save, and restart when asked.

Group messages appear in TAK's All Chat Rooms and the other way round, emergencies are posted to the group, and locations people share in Telegram show on the map.

10. Reach it from anywhere

11. Files, missions and checklists

Data packages shared from devices appear under Files, where you can upload, send to devices or delete them. Missions (Data Sync) are shared collections of map items and files with subscribers, roles, invitations and change history. ExCheck checklists work with the ATAK and WinTAK plugins. Repeated objects (choose an item on the map and select Repeat) are sent to every device that connects.

Publish ATAK plugins through the built-in update server, and push settings to devices with device profiles, both under Plugins and profiles.

12. APIs and plugins

13. Commands

On Linux and macOS put sudo in front of commands that change things.

14. Update, back up and remove

• Update: run the install command again. Settings, users, certificates and data are kept.
• Back up: Settings, Maintenance, Download backup, or golangtak backup.
• Background jobs: data cleanup, certificate renewal and feeds are listed under Settings, Maintenance, where each can be run now or paused.
• Remove: golangtak uninstall, or golangtak uninstall --purge to delete all data too.

15. Troubleshooting

Compared with OpenTAKServer and FreeTAKServer

Based on each project's own documentation. GolangTAK covers every feature listed for both, in one program.

GolangTAK is an independent open source project and is not affiliated with OpenTAKServer, FreeTAKServer, tak.gov or the TAK Product Center.