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Installing

Install StartTunnel on a Debian VPS by renting a server, running the one-line installer script, and initializing the web interface. The entire process takes just a few minutes.

1. Get a VPS

Rent a cheap Debian 12+ VPS with a dedicated public IP. Minimum CPU/RAM/disk is fine. For bandwidth, no need to exceed your home Internet’s upload speed.

Requirements

  • Debian 12+ (Bookworm or newer)
  • x86_64, aarch64, or riscv64
  • Root access
  • Public IP (required for clearnet port forwarding; not required for private VPN use)

Important

StartTunnel is designed to be the sole application on your VPS. The installer disables UFW and manages its own firewall rules via iptables. Do not run other Internet-facing services on the same VPS.

2. Run the installer

SSH into your VPS and run:

curl -sSL https://start9labs.github.io/start-tunnel/install.sh | sh

Note

If DNS resolution is not working on your VPS, the installer will configure public DNS resolvers (Google, Cloudflare, Quad9) and back up your existing /etc/resolv.conf.

3. Initialize the web interface

start-tunnel web init

You will be guided through setup and shown your web URL, password, and Root CA certificate. To access the web interface without browser warnings, trust the Root CA on your device.

On subsequent runs (e.g. after updating), the password is not shown again. If you forget it, reset it with start-tunnel auth reset-password.

4. Next steps