Outline

Outline is a free and open-source VPN solution developed by Jigsaw (a subsidiary of Google). It uses the Shadowsocks protocol to create a secure, encrypted connection. Outline is designed to be easy to set up and manage, making it accessible for users who need reliable internet access.

Install Outline Manager

Outline Manager is the admin tool used to create and manage Outline servers.

# Download Outline Manager
# macOS
brew install --cask outline-manager

# Linux (AppImage)
wget https://s3.amazonaws.com/outline-releases/manager/linux/stable/Outline-Manager.AppImage
chmod +x Outline-Manager.AppImage
./Outline-Manager.AppImage

# Windows
# Download from https://getoutline.org/get-started/#step-1

Deploy Outline Server

# One-line install script (runs Docker automatically)
sudo bash -c "$(wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Jigsaw-Code/outline-server/master/src/server_manager/install_scripts/install_server.sh)"

# The script outputs an API URL like:
# {"apiUrl":"https://<SERVER_IP>:<PORT>/<SECRET>","certSha256":"<CERT_HASH>"}
# Paste this into Outline Manager to connect

Docker Compose

services:
  outline-server:
    image: quay.io/nickstenning/outline-shadowbox:latest
    container_name: outline-server
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "8088:8088"
      - "8089:8089"
    volumes:
      - ./data/shadowbox:/opt/outline/persisted-state
    environment:
      - SB_DEFAULT_SERVER_NAME=my-outline-server

Install Outline Client

# macOS
brew install --cask outline

# Linux
wget https://s3.amazonaws.com/outline-releases/client/linux/stable/Outline-Client.AppImage
chmod +x Outline-Client.AppImage
./Outline-Client.AppImage

# iOS / Android
# Download "Outline" from App Store / Google Play

Usage

1. Open Outline Manager → Create a new server or connect to an existing one
2. Click Add new key to generate an access key (ss:// URL)
3. Share the access key with users
4. Open Outline Client → Paste the access key → Connect

Reference:

1. Outline Official Website
2. Outline Server Repository
3. Outline Client Repository
4. Outline Manager Repository