netTAK amd64 Install Guide

netTAK on x86-64 (amd64) is a standalone node: a single-node Wi-Fi access point with DHCP, local DNS, and the netTAK web dashboard. There is no HaLow radio, no mesh, and no cluster on x86 — those remain Raspberry Pi features. If you want a HaLow mesh, use the Raspberry Pi (arm64) guide instead.

Validated end-to-end on a Beelink SER3 running Ubuntu Server 24.04: backend cutover, offline install, AP up, client association + DHCP + UI.

Requirements

Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS (Noble), amd64. Headless — no desktop GUI needed.
A wired Ethernet connection for admin/SSH (the Wi-Fi radio becomes the AP).
Console access (monitor + keyboard) for Phase A — the backend switch can drop the network, so it must not be done over SSH.
No internet needed on the box — the bundle is 100% self-contained.

0. Get the bundle

Download nettak-install-0.28.1-amd64.tar.gz from your netTAK download page at activate.xtak.ai (or the v0.28.1 release), verify it against SHA256SUMS.txt, copy it to the target box, then:

tar xzf nettak-install-0.28.1-amd64.tar.gz
cd nettak-install-0.28.1-amd64

Phase A — NetworkManager baseline

⚠ Run this from the console, not over SSH. netTAK drives NetworkManager; Ubuntu Server defaults to systemd-networkd. This one-time step converts the box onto NetworkManager (offline, one reboot). It stops networkd and flips the backend on reboot — over SSH a bad flip locks you out.

sudo ./nm-baseline.sh
sudo reboot

After it reboots, confirm the switch (SSH is fine from here on):

cd nettak-install-0.28.1-amd64
sudo ./nm-baseline.sh --verify

Expect: NetworkManager: active and your wired NIC listed connected with its IP. Only continue once verify is green.

Recovery (only if the box loses its wired IP after reboot — run at the console):

sudo systemctl unmask systemd-networkd
sudo systemctl enable --now systemd-networkd
sudo rm -f /etc/netplan/99-nettak-nm.yaml
sudo netplan apply

Phase B — Install netTAK

SSH is fine from here on.

sudo ./install.sh <hostname> --mode=standalone --ap-password=<8+ char passphrase>

<hostname> must end in a number 1–254 (e.g. node-7); the trailing number becomes the node's subnet third octet (node-7 → 10.1.7.0/24).
--mode=standalone is required (no HaLow radio on x86).
--ap-password= sets the WPA2 passphrase (omit → defaults to password, with a warning to change it). The AP is always WPA2, never open.
The AP claims the box's Wi-Fi radio — keep the wired Ethernet as your admin path.

If NetworkManager isn't active, install.sh refuses immediately (before any change) and points you back to Phase A.

Verify

systemctl is-active nettak.service                 # -> active
iw dev <wifi-iface> info                            # -> type AP (broadcasting)
curl -sk https://<wired-nic-ip>:5103/v1/health      # -> {"version":"0.28.1",...}

Then connect a client to the SSID — it should get a DHCP lease and reach the web UI at https://<wired-nic-ip>:5103/ (admin side) or https://10.1.<N>.1:5103/ (AP side). The bootstrap admin password is printed in the install banner and in journalctl -u nettak -b 0.

Note: the install banner currently labels the admin URL “eth0/admin” and shows the AP-side IP; on a box whose NIC isn't eth0 (e.g. eno1) use the wired NIC's own IP. Cosmetic only, tracked as issue #119.

Uninstall

sudo ./uninstall.sh --purge   # removes netTAK, reclaims the Wi-Fi NIC; reboot after

The Phase-A NetworkManager change is intentionally not reverted by uninstall (it's a baseline-layer change, like the Pi's Phase-1 HaLow prerequisite).

netTAK is a product of xTAK (Altay Corporation). Support & licensing: Support.