Feature request: interoperability with an existing Tailscale node

Feature request: interoperability with an existing Tailscale node

Hi, thank you for building and open-sourcing Tailcat.

I have a use case that I’m not sure is currently supported, and I’d like to ask whether it could be considered.

Use case

I have one computer that is already running Tailscale and is connected to my tailnet:

Computer A
  └── Tailscale / tailscaled
       └── connected to my tailnet

I would then like other computers to use Tailcat only, without installing or logging into Tailscale:

Computer B
  └── Tailcat

Computer C
  └── Tailcat

The desired setup would be something like:

             Tailscale network
                    │
                    │
          ┌─────────┴─────────┐
          │   Computer A      │
          │   tailscaled      │
          │   Tailscale       │
          └─────────┬─────────┘
                    │
                 Tailcat
              ┌─────┴─────┐
              │           │
       Computer B   Computer C
         Tailcat      Tailcat

The Tailcat-only computers would ideally be able to connect through the Tailscale-connected computer and use Tailcat's existing functionality normally.

For example, I would like to be able to use features such as TCP forwarding, SOCKS, SSH, etc., from the Tailcat clients.

Question

Does Tailcat currently support this kind of interoperability with a machine running tailscaled?

If not, would this be technically feasible or something that could potentially be considered as a future feature?

I understand that Tailcat is intentionally designed to work independently from the Tailscale control plane, so this may be outside the project's intended scope. If that is the case, I would also greatly appreciate any guidance on the recommended way to achieve this use case.

I searched the existing issues but couldn't find a request specifically about interoperability between a Tailcat-only client and an existing Tailscale node.

Thank you very much for your time and for your work on Tailcat!

The issue names no files, tests, or entry points. Start by reviewing Tailcat’s separation from tailscaled and its TCP forwarding, SOCKS, and SSH functionality; determine whether a Tailcat-only client can route through an existing Tailscale node. Done means a scoped implementation plan or a documented incompatibility and recommended approach.