TAK Server 5.5 Installation and Federation Guides

Complete guides for installing and configuring TAK Server 5.5 on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, including federation setup.

Important Gotchas / Known Issues

Critical: PostgreSQL Version MUST be 15

Ubuntu 24.04 may try to install PostgreSQL 16 by default, which will cause TAK Server to fail!

• TAK Server 5.5 requires PostgreSQL 15 specifically
• Ubuntu 24.04's default apt repository often provides PostgreSQL 16
• Using PostgreSQL 16 will cause database connection errors and server failures
• Solution: You MUST explicitly specify PostgreSQL 15 during installation using the PostgreSQL APT repository

See the PostgreSQL Installation section in the tutorial for the correct installation commands.

Critical: OpenJDK 17 is REQUIRED

Do NOT remove OpenJDK 17 completely!

• The TAK Server .deb package has dependencies on OpenJDK 17 packages
• While we use Temurin JDK 17 as the runtime, the OpenJDK 17 packages must be installed to satisfy dependencies
• Removing OpenJDK 17 will cause the .deb installation to fail
• Solution: Install both Temurin JDK 17 (for runtime) AND OpenJDK 17 packages (for dependencies)

The tutorial correctly shows installing both - follow it as written.

Critical: Federation Hub is Separate Package

Federation requires a separate Federation Hub package!

• Federation Hub is NOT included in the main TAK Server package
• You must download takserver-fed-hub_5.5-RELEASE58_all.deb separately from tak.gov
• Federation Hub scripts need PATH fixes for Ubuntu 24.04 (full paths to /usr/bin/awk and /usr/bin/java)
• See FEDERATION_SETUP.md for complete details

---

Overview

This repository contains step-by-step installation and configuration guides for:

• TAK Server 5.5 installation on Ubuntu 24.04
• Federation Hub setup and configuration
• Federation with OpenTAKServer or other TAK servers

Tested On:

• Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS (Noble Numbat)
• TAK Server 5.5-RELEASE-58
• TAK Server Federation Hub 5.5-RELEASE-58

Prerequisites

Before starting, you need to:

1. Download TAK Server packages from https://tak.gov (requires registration)
   • takserver_5.5-RELEASE58_all.deb
   • takserver-fed-hub_5.5-RELEASE58_all.deb (for federation)
2. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS system with:
   • Minimum 8GB RAM
   • 40GB+ disk space
   • Internet connection
   • sudo access

Important: This repository does not include any TAK Server SDK files, packages, or proprietary software. All TAK Server components must be downloaded directly from tak.gov.

Guides

1. TAK Server Installation

TAK_SERVER_5.5_COMPLETE_TUTORIAL.md

• Complete step-by-step installation guide
• Covers Java 17, PostgreSQL 15, TAK Server 5.5
• Certificate generation and configuration
• Firewall setup
• Troubleshooting common issues

TAK_SERVER_5.5_INSTALLATION_GUIDE.md

• Alternative installation reference
• Quick reference for experienced users

2. Docker Installation

TAK_SERVER_DOCKER_GUIDE.md

• Complete Docker installation and setup guide
• Docker Compose configuration
• Container-based deployment with persistent data
• Certificate generation in containers
• Federation in Docker
• Production considerations and best practices

3. Federation Setup

FEDERATION_SETUP.md

• Complete Federation Hub installation guide
• Certificate configuration for federation
• Connecting to OpenTAKServer or other TAK servers
• Troubleshooting federation issues
• Key gotchas and common pitfalls

Quick Start

Read the gotchas above first - they will save you hours of troubleshooting!

Choose the guide that fits your needs:

1. Complete Tutorial - Step-by-step installation with all commands

   • Best for: First-time installers
   • Includes: Exact commands, verification steps, troubleshooting
   • Time: 1-2 hours

2. Installation Guide - Comprehensive guide with detailed explanations

   • Best for: Understanding the architecture and configuration
   • Includes: Detailed explanations, certificate setup, advanced configuration
   • Time: 2-3 hours

3. Docker Installation Guide - Complete Docker containerized deployment

   • Best for: Container-based deployments, development environments, easy setup
   • Includes: Dockerfile, Docker Compose, persistent volumes, production considerations
   • Time: 1-2 hours

4. Federation Setup - Complete Federation Hub setup guide

   • Best for: Connecting to OpenTAKServer or other TAK servers
   • Includes: Certificate trust, firewall config, troubleshooting, key gotchas
   • Time: 30-60 minutes

Installation Commands

1. Install TAK Server (follow complete tutorial first):

   # See TAK_SERVER_5.5_COMPLETE_TUTORIAL.md for full steps
   sudo dpkg -i takserver_5.5-RELEASE58_all.deb

2. Install Federation Hub (if federating with other servers):

   # See FEDERATION_SETUP.md for complete instructions
   sudo dpkg -i takserver-fed-hub_5.5-RELEASE58_all.deb

3. Access TAK Server:

   • Web UI: https://YOUR_SERVER_IP:8443
   • Federation UI: https://YOUR_SERVER_IP:9100

Post-Installation Verification

Verify TAK Server Status

Check that all TAK Server services are running:

# Check main services
sudo systemctl status takserver-messaging.service
sudo systemctl status takserver-api.service

# Verify all TAK components
sudo systemctl list-units --type=service --all | grep -i tak

# Check running processes
ps aux | grep -i tak | grep -v grep

# Verify listening ports
sudo netstat -tlnp | grep -E ':(8089|8443|8444|8446)'

Expected output should show:

• takserver-messaging.service: active
• takserver-api.service: active
• Ports 8089, 8443, 8444, 8446 listening

Access Web Interface

TAK Server requires a client certificate for web access. The admin certificate is generated during installation.

Copy Admin Certificate:

# Copy certificate to home directory
sudo cp /opt/tak/certs/files/admin.p12 ~/admin.p12
sudo chown $USER:$USER ~/admin.p12

Import Certificate to Browser:

Firefox:

1. Settings → Privacy & Security → Certificates → View Certificates
2. "Your Certificates" tab → Import
3. Select admin.p12
4. Password: atakatak (default)
5. Restart browser

Chrome/Chromium:

1. Settings → Privacy and Security → Security → Manage certificates
2. "Your certificates" → Import
3. Select admin.p12
4. Password: atakatak (default)
5. Restart browser

Access Web UI:

Navigate to https://localhost:8443 or https://YOUR_SERVER_IP:8443

When prompted, select the admin certificate to authenticate.

Key Components

TAK Server Ports

Port	Protocol	Purpose
8089	TCP/TLS	TAK Server client connections
8443	HTTPS	Web administration interface
8444	HTTPS	Federation HTTPS (with cert)
8446	HTTPS	Certificate-based HTTPS
6969	UDP	Multicast (SA awareness)

Federation Hub Ports

Port	Protocol	Purpose
9000	TCP/TLS	Federation V1 server port
9001	TCP/TLS	Federation V2 server port
9100	HTTPS	Federation Hub web UI
9101	TCP/TLS	Federation Hub V1 broker
9102	TCP/TLS	Federation Hub V2 broker

Important Notes

Security

• Never commit certificates or private keys to version control
• Default passwords should be changed in production
• Certificates in this repo's .gitignore are excluded for security
• Review firewall rules before exposing to internet

Package Downloads

All TAK Server packages must be downloaded from:

• https://tak.gov

Registration is required. We cannot distribute TAK Server software.

Federation

• Federation Hub is a separate package from TAK Server
• Both servers must trust each other's certificates
• Firewall must allow inbound connections on federation ports
• See FEDERATION_SETUP.md for complete details and gotchas

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Java version conflicts: TAK Server 5.5 requires Java 17
2. PostgreSQL connection: Verify PostgreSQL 15 is running
3. Certificate issues: Regenerate certificates if expired
4. Federation not connecting: Check firewall, certificates, and port configuration

See individual guides for detailed troubleshooting steps.

Directory Structure

.
├── README.md                                    # This file
├── TAK_SERVER_5.5_COMPLETE_TUTORIAL.md         # Full installation guide
├── TAK_SERVER_5.5_INSTALLATION_GUIDE.md        # Alternative reference
├── TAK_SERVER_DOCKER_GUIDE.md                  # Docker installation guide
├── FEDERATION_SETUP.md                          # Federation guide
└── .gitignore                                   # Security exclusions

Contributing

Issues, corrections, and improvements are welcome. Please ensure:

• No sensitive data (certificates, keys, passwords) is included
• Commands are tested on Ubuntu 24.04
• Documentation is clear and step-by-step

Disclaimer

This is an unofficial community guide. For official TAK Server documentation and support:

• Official documentation: https://tak.gov
• TAK.gov community forums: https://tak.gov/community

TAK Server is government software. All TAK Server components and packages must be obtained from official sources.

License

These guides are provided as-is for educational purposes. TAK Server software is subject to its own licensing terms from tak.gov.

Version History

• v1.2 - Added Docker installation and setup guide with Docker Compose
• v1.1 - Added Federation Hub setup guide with detailed gotchas
• v1.0 - Initial TAK Server 5.5 installation guide for Ubuntu 24.04