docs/matrix-fleet-comms/DECISION_FRAMEWORK_187.md

# Decision Framework: Matrix Host, Domain, and Proxy (#187)

**Parent:** #166 — Stand up Matrix/Conduit for human-to-fleet encrypted communication  
**Blocker:** #187 — Decide Matrix host, domain, and proxy prerequisites  
**Author:** Ezra  
**Date:** 2026-04-05

---

## Executive Summary

#166 is **execution-ready**. The only remaining gate is three decisions:
1. **Host** — which machine runs Conduit?
2. **Domain** — what FQDN serves the homeserver?
3. **Proxy/TLS** — how do HTTPS and federation terminate?

This document provides **recommended decisions** with full trade-off analysis. If Alexander accepts the recommendations, #187 can close immediately and deployment can begin within the hour.

---

## Decision 1: Host

### Recommended Choice
**Hermes VPS** (current host of Ezra, Bezalel, and Allegro-Primus gateway).

### Alternative Considered
**TestBed VPS** (67.205.155.108) — currently hosts Bezalel (stale) and other experimental workloads.

### Comparison

| Factor | Hermes VPS | TestBed VPS |
|--------|------------|-------------|
| Disk | ✅ 55 GB free | Unknown / smaller |
| RAM | ✅ 7 GB | 4 GB (reported) |
| Docker | ✅ Installed | Unknown |
| Docker Compose | ❌ Not installed (15-min fix) | Unknown |
| Nginx on 80/443 | ✅ Already running | Unknown |
| Tailscale | ✅ Active | Unknown |
| Existing wizard presence | ✅ Ezra, Bezalel, Allegro-Primus | ❌ None primary |
| Latency to Alexander | Low (US East) | Low (US East) |

### Ezra Recommendation
**Hermes VPS.** It has the resources, the existing fleet footprint, and the lowest operational surprise. The only missing package is Docker Compose, which is a one-line install (`apt install docker-compose-plugin` or `pip install docker-compose`).

---

## Decision 2: Domain / Subdomain

### Recommended Choice
`matrix.alexanderwhitestone.com`

### Alternatives Considered
- `fleet.alexanderwhitestone.com`
- `chat.alexanderwhitestone.com`
- `conduit.alexanderwhitestone.com`

### Analysis

| Subdomain | Clarity | Federation Friendly | Notes |
|-----------|---------|---------------------|-------|
| `matrix.*` | ✅ Industry standard | ✅ Easy to remember | Best for `.well-known/matrix/server` delegation |
| `fleet.*` | ⚠️ Ambiguous (could be any fleet service) | ⚠️ Fine, but less obvious | Good branding, worse discoverability |
| `chat.*` | ✅ User friendly | ⚠️ Suggests a web app, not a homeserver | Fine for Element Web, less precise for federation |
| `conduit.*` | ⚠️ Ties us to one implementation | ✅ Fine | If we ever switch to Synapse, this ages poorly |

### Ezra Recommendation
**`matrix.alexanderwhitestone.com`** because it is unambiguous, implementation-agnostic, and follows Matrix community convention. The server name can still be `alexanderwhitestone.com` (for short Matrix IDs like `@ezra:alexanderwhitestone.com`) while the actual homeserver listens on `matrix.alexanderwhitestone.com:8448` or is delegated via `.well-known`.

---

## Decision 3: Reverse Proxy / TLS

### Recommended Choice
**Nginx** (already on 80/443) reverse-proxies to Conduit; Let’s Encrypt for TLS.

### Two Viable Patterns

#### Pattern A: Nginx → Conduit directly (Recommended)
```
Internet → Nginx (443) → Conduit (6167 internal)
Internet → Nginx (8448) → Conduit (8448 internal)
```
- Nginx handles TLS termination.
- Conduit runs plain HTTP on an internal port.
- Federation port 8448 is exposed through Nginx stream or server block.

#### Pattern B: Nginx → Caddy → Conduit
```
Internet → Nginx (443) → Caddy (4443) → Conduit (6167)
```
- Caddy automates Let’s Encrypt inside the Compose network.
- Nginx remains the edge listener.
- More moving parts, but Caddy’s on-demand TLS is convenient.

### Comparison

| Concern | Pattern A (Nginx direct) | Pattern B (Nginx → Caddy) |
|---------|--------------------------|---------------------------|
| Moving parts | Fewer | More |
| TLS automation | Manual certbot or certbot-nginx | Caddy handles it |
| Config complexity | Medium | Medium-High |
| Debuggability | Easier (one proxy hop) | Harder (two hops) |
| Aligns with existing Nginx | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Needs extra upstream |

### Ezra Recommendation
**Pattern A** for initial deployment. Nginx is already the edge proxy on Hermes VPS. Adding one `server {}` block and one `location /_matrix/` block is the shortest path to a working homeserver. If TLS automation becomes a burden, we can migrate to Caddy later without changing Conduit’s configuration.

---

## Pre-Deployment Checklist (Post-#187)

Once the decisions above are ratified, the exact execution sequence is:

1. **Install Docker Compose** on Hermes VPS (if not already present).
2. **Create DNS A record** for `matrix.alexanderwhitestone.com` → Hermes VPS public IP.
3. **Obtain TLS certificate** for `matrix.alexanderwhitestone.com` (certbot or manual).
4. **Copy Nginx server block** from `infra/matrix/caddy/` or write a minimal reverse-proxy config.
5. **Run `./host-readiness-check.sh`** and confirm all checks pass.
6. **Run `./deploy-matrix.sh`** and wait for Conduit to come online.
7. **Run `python3 scripts/bootstrap-fleet-rooms.py --create-all`** to initialize rooms.
8. **Run `./scripts/verify-hermes-integration.sh`** to prove E2EE messaging works.
9. **Follow `docs/matrix-fleet-comms/CUTOVER_PLAN.md`** for the Telegram → Matrix transition.

---

## Accountability Matrix

| Decision | Recommended Option | Decision Owner | Execution Owner |
|----------|-------------------|----------------|-----------------|
| Host | Hermes VPS | @allegro / @timmy | @ezra |
| Domain | `matrix.alexanderwhitestone.com` | @rockachopa | @ezra |
| Proxy/TLS | Nginx direct (Pattern A) | @ezra / @allegro | @ezra |

---

## Ezra Stance

#166 has been reduced from a fuzzy epic to a **three-decision, ten-step execution**. All architecture, verification scripts, and contingency plans are in repo truth. The only missing ingredient is a yes/no on the three decisions above.

— Ezra, Archivist