nessi 6ec5133773 docs: update README with desktop requirements, helper builds, and realistic MVP usage notes
Expand README with desktop platform requirements (Windows x86, macOS ARM), helper build commands, gateway utility scripts, and updated local test flow. Add realistic MVP usage section clarifying current platform build status, gateway configuration needs, and admin debug profile behavior with client private key handling.
2026-03-16 06:30:08 +01:00

NexaVPN

NexaVPN is a production-oriented, self-hosted WireGuard control plane for remote access. It combines:

  • A Go backend and PostgreSQL control plane
  • A React admin console
  • A Tauri desktop client for Windows and macOS
  • WireGuard gateway and firewall policy enforcement
  • Docker Compose deployment assets

Monorepo Layout

  • docs/ architecture, schema, API, and deployment design
  • backend/ Go API, migrations, seeds, and domain services
  • admin-web/ React + Vite admin UI
  • desktop-client/ Tauri desktop client
  • deploy/ Docker Compose, reverse proxy, and gateway assets

Phase Status

This repository contains the initial production-minded MVP scaffold:

  • Phase 1: architecture, schema, API, enrollment, provisioning, gateway design
  • Phase 2: backend scaffold, migrations, auth, CRUD, audit, profile generation
  • Phase 3: admin UI scaffold and core pages
  • Phase 4: desktop client scaffold, enrollment flow, profile provisioning abstraction
  • Phase 5: deployment assets, bootstrap scripts, and hardening notes

Quick Start

  1. Copy deploy/.env.example to deploy/.env.
  2. Review docs/architecture.md and docs/deployment.md.
  3. Start the stack with Docker Compose from deploy/.
  4. Open http://localhost.
  5. On the admin login screen, choose the bootstrap flow if this is a fresh install.
  6. Create the initial admin, then sign in.

Important MVP Notes

  • WireGuard remains the tunnel transport. NexaVPN is the control plane around it.
  • Client private keys are generated on-device and are not stored server-side.
  • Gateway-side enforcement uses nftables generated from issued policy state.
  • The desktop client is structured so NexaVPN is the only user-facing VPN app.
  • The tunnel layer still uses WireGuard internally, but the intended delivery model is a NexaVPN-bundled tunnel backend, not a separately used WireGuard app.

Desktop Requirements

  • Windows x86: package NexaVPN with the bundled Windows x86 tunnel helper
  • macOS ARM: package NexaVPN with the bundled macOS ARM tunnel helper

See client-platforms.md for the current platform strategy.

Helper build commands:

cd desktop-client
npm run helper:windows-x86
npm run helper:macos-arm64

Gateway utility scripts:

./deploy/scripts/generate-gateway-keypair.sh
./deploy/scripts/get-admin-token.sh http://localhost admin your-password

Local Test Flow

cd deploy
cp .env.example .env
docker compose up --build

Then:

  1. Visit http://localhost
  2. Bootstrap the first admin account
  3. Create a standard user in the Users page
  4. Create a user policy in the Policies page
  5. Enroll a device from the NexaVPN desktop app against http://localhost
  6. Inspect the generated device profile in the Devices page

Realistic MVP Usage

The current repository can act as a real WireGuard control plane and issue per-device peer state, but these platform pieces are still at MVP level:

  • the desktop app now targets an embedded NexaVPN tunnel backend model, and the helper source is in-repo, but final platform builds and signing still need to happen per target OS
  • the gateway helper now applies WireGuard and nftables state in-container, but you still need to provide the gateway private key and correct uplink interface settings
  • admin debug profiles intentionally use a private-key placeholder because the client private key stays local
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