archy/docs/architecture.md

# Archipelago Bitcoin Node OS - Architecture Documentation

## Overview

Archipelago is a next-generation Bitcoin Node OS built on Alpine Linux with Podman containerization, combining the modularity of Parmanode with the security and efficiency of a minimal server OS.

## System Architecture

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              Alpine Linux Base (130MB)                   │
│  - Minimal kernel                                        │
│  - Hardened security                                     │
│  - Read-only root filesystem                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                        │
        ┌───────────────┼───────────────┐
        │               │               │
┌───────▼──────┐ ┌──────▼──────┐ ┌─────▼──────┐
│   Podman     │ │ Rust Backend│ │ Vue.js UI   │
│ (rootless)   │ │  (core/)    │ │ (neode-ui/) │
└───────┬──────┘ └──────┬──────┘ └─────────────┘
        │               │
        └───────┬───────┘
                │
    ┌───────────▼───────────┐
    │ Container Orchestration│
    │   Layer (new)          │
    │  - Manifest parser     │
    │  - Podman client       │
    │  - Dependency resolver  │
    │  - Health monitor      │
    └───────────┬───────────┘
                │
    ┌───────────▼───────────┐
    │  Containerized Apps   │
    │  - Bitcoin Core       │
    │  - LND / CLN          │
    │  - BTCPay Server      │
    │  - Nostr Relays       │
    │  - Meshtastic         │
    │  - Web5 DWN           │
    └───────────────────────┘
```

## Key Components

### 1. Alpine Linux Base

- **Size**: ~130MB (vs 1.5GB+ for Umbrel/StartOS)
- **Security**: Hardened kernel, minimal attack surface
- **Multi-arch**: ARM64 (Raspberry Pi) and x86_64 support

### 2. Container Orchestration Layer

Located in `core/container/`:
- **manifest.rs**: Parses YAML app manifests
- **podman_client.rs**: Wraps Podman API for container management
- **dependency_resolver.rs**: Resolves app dependencies and conflicts
- **health_monitor.rs**: Monitors container health and auto-restarts

### 3. Backend API Extensions

New RPC endpoints in `core/startos/src/container/`:
- `container-install`: Install app from manifest
- `container-start/stop/remove`: Container lifecycle
- `container-status/logs`: Status and debugging
- `container-list`: List all containers
- `container-health`: Health status aggregation

### 4. Vue.js UI Integration

New components in `neode-ui/`:
- **ContainerApps.vue**: List of containerized apps
- **ContainerAppDetails.vue**: Detailed app view with logs
- **ContainerStatus.vue**: Status indicator component
- **container-client.ts**: API client for container operations
- **container.ts**: Pinia store for container state

### 5. App Manifest System

Standardized YAML format in `apps/`:
- Defines container image, resources, dependencies
- Security policies and health checks
- Bitcoin/Lightning/Web5 integration metadata

### 6. Parmanode Compatibility

Located in `core/parmanode/`:
- **script_runner.rs**: Executes Parmanode scripts in containers
- **converter.rs**: Converts Parmanode modules to app manifests
- **parmanode-wrapper.sh**: Shell wrapper for direct script execution

### 7. Security Modules

Located in `core/security/`:
- **container_policies.rs**: Generates AppArmor/SELinux profiles
- **secrets_manager.rs**: Encrypted secrets storage
- **image_verifier.rs**: Cosign signature verification

### 8. Performance Optimization

Located in `core/performance/`:
- **resource_manager.rs**: CPU/memory/disk allocation
- **optimize-alpine.sh**: OS-level optimizations

## App Categories

### Bitcoin & Lightning
- Bitcoin Core (full node)
- LND (Lightning Network Daemon)
- Core Lightning (CLN)
- BTCPay Server
- Mempool (blockchain explorer)

### Web5 & Decentralized Protocols
- Nostr relays (nostr-rs-relay, strfry)
- Web5 DWN (Decentralized Web Node)
- DID Wallet
- Bitcoin Domain Names

### Mesh Networking & Routing
- Meshtastic (LoRa mesh networking)
- Router (mesh routing, device discovery)
- Local network management

### Self-Hosted Services
- Home Assistant
- Grafana
- SearXNG
- OnlyOffice
- Ollama (local AI)
- Penpot

## Security Model

1. **OS Level**: Hardened Alpine, read-only root, minimal kernel
2. **Container Level**: Rootless Podman, capability dropping, network isolation
3. **Secrets**: Encrypted storage, runtime injection only
4. **Supply Chain**: Signed images (Cosign), SBOM generation
5. **Network**: Firewall, rate limiting, Tor integration
6. **Audit**: Immutable logs, configuration tracking

## Networking

- **Isolated Networks**: Each app on separate bridge network by default
- **Bitcoin Core**: Isolated network, explicit RPC access
- **Lightning Nodes**: Separate network, gRPC/REST exposed
- **Tor Integration**: Optional, default for privacy-sensitive apps
- **Mesh Networking**: Meshtastic and router support for decentralized communication

## Data Persistence

- **App Data**: `/var/lib/archipelago/{app-id}/`
- **Secrets**: `/var/lib/archipelago/secrets/{app-id}/` (encrypted)
- **Logs**: `/var/lib/archipelago/logs/{app-id}/`
- **Backups**: `/var/lib/archipelago/backups/`

## Future Enhancements

- Time-travel snapshots (ZFS/BTRFS)
- Decentralized app marketplace (IPFS + Nostr)
- Multi-node clustering
- Hardware attestation (TPM 2.0)
- Protocol-agnostic design (multi-chain support)