betterNAS/openspec/changes/scaffold-nextcloud-control-plane/proposal.md

Why

betterNAS needs an initial architecture and repository scaffold that lets us build our own storage control plane without inheriting the maintenance cost of a Nextcloud core fork. We want to move quickly on product-specific business logic, but still stand on top of a mature backend for files, sync, sharing primitives, and existing clients.

What Changes

• Create an initial betterNAS platform scaffold centered on vanilla Nextcloud running in Docker for local development.
• Define a thin Nextcloud app shell that owns betterNAS-specific integration points, branded surfaces, and adapters into the Nextcloud backend.
• Define a control-plane service boundary where betterNAS business logic, policy, and future orchestration will live outside the Nextcloud monolith.
• Establish a repository layout for Docker infrastructure, Nextcloud app code, ExApp/service code, and shared API contracts.
• Document the decision to treat Nextcloud as an upstream backend dependency rather than a forked application baseline.

Capabilities

New Capabilities

• workspace-scaffold: Repository structure and local development platform for running betterNAS with Nextcloud, service containers, and shared packages.
• nextcloud-shell-app: Thin betterNAS app inside Nextcloud for navigation, settings, branded entry points, and backend integration hooks.
• control-plane-service: External betterNAS service layer that owns business logic and exposes internal APIs used by the Nextcloud shell and future clients.

Modified Capabilities

• None.

Impact

• Affected code: new repository layout under docker/, apps/, exapps/, packages/, docs/, and scripts/
• Affected systems: local developer workflow, Docker-based service orchestration, Nextcloud runtime, AppAPI/ExApp integration path
• Dependencies: Nextcloud, Docker Compose, AppAPI/ExApps, shared contract definitions
• APIs: new internal control-plane APIs and service boundaries for future desktop, iOS, and web clients