[matrix] Add Conduit deployment scaffold for #166, #183

Architecture:
- ADR-1: Conduit selected over Synapse/Dendrite (Rust, low resource)
- ADR-2: Deploy on existing Gitea VPS initially
- ADR-3: Full federation enabled

Artifacts:
- docs/matrix-fleet-comms/README.md (architecture + runbooks)
- deploy/conduit/conduit.toml (production config)
- deploy/conduit/conduit.service (systemd)
- deploy/conduit/Caddyfile (reverse proxy)
- deploy/conduit/install.sh (one-command installer)
- deploy/conduit/scripts/backup.sh (automated backups)
- deploy/conduit/scripts/health.sh (health monitoring)

Closes #183 (scaffold complete)
Progresses #166 (implementation unblocked)

deploy/conduit/Caddyfile

@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+# Caddy configuration for Conduit Matrix homeserver
+# Location: /etc/caddy/conf.d/matrix.conf (imported by main Caddyfile)
+# Reference: docs/matrix-fleet-comms/README.md
+
+matrix.timmy.foundation {
+    # Reverse proxy to Conduit
+    reverse_proxy localhost:8448 {
+        # Headers for WebSocket upgrade (client sync)
+        header_up Host {host}
+        header_up X-Real-IP {remote}
+        header_up X-Forwarded-For {remote}
+        header_up X-Forwarded-Proto {scheme}
+    }
+    
+    # Security headers
+    header {
+        X-Frame-Options DENY
+        X-Content-Type-Options nosniff
+        X-XSS-Protection "1; mode=block"
+        Referrer-Policy strict-origin-when-cross-origin
+        Permissions-Policy "geolocation=(), microphone=(), camera=()"
+    }
+    
+    # Enable compression
+    encode gzip zstd
+    
+    # Let's Encrypt automatic TLS
+    tls {
+        # Email for renewal notifications
+        # Uncomment and set: email admin@timmy.foundation
+    }
+    
+    # Logging
+    log {
+        output file /var/log/caddy/matrix-access.log {
+            roll_size 100mb
+            roll_keep 5
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+# Well-known delegation for Matrix federation
+# Allows other servers to discover our homeserver
+timmy.foundation {
+    handle /.well-known/matrix/server {
+        header Content-Type application/json
+        respond `{"m.server": "matrix.timmy.foundation:443"}`
+    }
+    
+    handle /.well-known/matrix/client {
+        header Content-Type application/json
+        header Access-Control-Allow-Origin *
+        respond `{"m.homeserver": {"base_url": "https://matrix.timmy.foundation"}}`
+    }
+    
+    # Redirect root to Element Web or documentation
+    redir / https://matrix.timmy.foundation permanent
+}

deploy/conduit/conduit.service

@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Conduit Matrix Homeserver
+After=network.target
+
+[Service]
+Type=simple
+User=conduit
+Group=conduit
+
+WorkingDirectory=/opt/conduit
+ExecStart=/opt/conduit/conduit
+
+# Restart on failure
+Restart=on-failure
+RestartSec=5
+
+# Resource limits
+LimitNOFILE=65536
+
+# Security hardening
+NoNewPrivileges=true
+ProtectSystem=strict
+ProtectHome=true
+ReadWritePaths=/opt/conduit/data /opt/conduit/logs
+ProtectKernelTunables=true
+ProtectKernelModules=true
+ProtectControlGroups=true
+RestrictAddressFamilies=AF_UNIX AF_INET AF_INET6
+RestrictNamespaces=true
+LockPersonality=true
+
+# Environment
+Environment="RUST_LOG=info"
+Environment="CONDUIT_CONFIG=/opt/conduit/conduit.toml"
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target

deploy/conduit/conduit.toml

@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+# Conduit Homeserver Configuration
+# Location: /opt/conduit/conduit.toml
+# Reference: docs/matrix-fleet-comms/README.md
+
+[global]
+# The server_name is the canonical name of your homeserver.
+# It must match the domain in your MXIDs (e.g., @user:timmy.foundation)
+server_name = "timmy.foundation"
+
+# Database path - SQLite for simplicity, PostgreSQL available if needed
+database_path = "/opt/conduit/data/conduit.db"
+
+# Port to listen on
+port = 8448
+
+# Maximum request size (20MB for file uploads)
+max_request_size = 20000000
+
+# Allow guests to register (false = closed registration)
+allow_registration = false
+
+# Allow guests to join rooms without registering
+allow_guest_registration = false
+
+# Require authentication for profile requests
+authenticate_profile_requests = true
+
+[registration]
+# Closed registration - admin creates accounts manually
+enabled = false
+
+[federation]
+# Enable federation to communicate with other Matrix homeservers
+enabled = true
+
+# Servers to block from federation
+# disabled_servers = ["bad.actor.com", "spammer.org"]
+disabled_servers = []
+
+# Enable server discovery via .well-known
+well_known = true
+
+[media]
+# Maximum upload size per file (50MB)
+max_file_size = 50000000
+
+# Maximum total media cache size (100MB)
+max_media_size = 100000000
+
+# Directory for media storage
+media_path = "/opt/conduit/data/media"
+
+[retention]
+# Enable message retention policies
+enabled = true
+
+# Default retention for rooms without explicit policy
+default_room_retention = "30d"
+
+# Minimum allowed retention period
+min_retention = "1d"
+
+# Maximum allowed retention period (null = no limit)
+max_retention = null
+
+[logging]
+# Log level: error, warn, info, debug, trace
+level = "info"
+
+# Log to file
+log_file = "/opt/conduit/logs/conduit.log"
+
+[security]
+# Require transaction IDs for idempotent requests
+require_transaction_ids = true
+
+# IP range blacklist for incoming federation
+# ip_range_blacklist = ["10.0.0.0/8", "172.16.0.0/12"]
+
+# Allow incoming federation from these IP ranges only (empty = allow all)
+# ip_range_whitelist = []

deploy/conduit/install.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Conduit Matrix Homeserver Installation Script
+# Location: Run this on target VPS after cloning timmy-config
+# Reference: docs/matrix-fleet-comms/README.md
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# Configuration
+CONDUIT_VERSION="0.8.0"  # Check https://gitlab.com/famedly/conduit/-/releases
+CONDUIT_DIR="/opt/conduit"
+DATA_DIR="$CONDUIT_DIR/data"
+LOGS_DIR="$CONDUIT_DIR/logs"
+SCRIPTS_DIR="$CONDUIT_DIR/scripts"
+CONDUIT_USER="conduit"
+
+echo "========================================"
+echo "Conduit Matrix Homeserver Installer"
+echo "Target: $CONDUIT_DIR"
+echo "Version: $CONDUIT_VERSION"
+echo "========================================"
+echo
+
+# Check root
+if [ "$EUID" -ne 0 ]; then
+    echo "Error: Please run as root"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Create conduit user
+echo "[1/8] Creating conduit user..."
+if ! id "$CONDUIT_USER" &>/dev/null; then
+    useradd -r -s /bin/false -d "$CONDUIT_DIR" "$CONDUIT_USER"
+    echo "  Created user: $CONDUIT_USER"
+else
+    echo "  User exists: $CONDUIT_USER"
+fi
+
+# Create directories
+echo "[2/8] Creating directories..."
+mkdir -p "$CONDUIT_DIR" "$DATA_DIR" "$LOGS_DIR" "$SCRIPTS_DIR"
+chown -R "$CONDUIT_USER:$CONDUIT_USER" "$CONDUIT_DIR"
+
+# Download Conduit
+echo "[3/8] Downloading Conduit v${CONDUIT_VERSION}..."
+ARCH=$(uname -m)
+case "$ARCH" in
+    x86_64)
+        CONDUIT_ARCH="x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu"
+        ;;
+    aarch64)
+        CONDUIT_ARCH="aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu"
+        ;;
+    *)
+        echo "Error: Unsupported architecture: $ARCH"
+        exit 1
+        ;;
+esac
+
+CONDUIT_URL="https://gitlab.com/famedly/conduit/-/releases/download/v${CONDUIT_VERSION}/conduit-${CONDUIT_ARCH}"
+
+curl -L -o "$CONDUIT_DIR/conduit" "$CONDUIT_URL"
+chmod +x "$CONDUIT_DIR/conduit"
+chown "$CONDUIT_USER:$CONDUIT_USER" "$CONDUIT_DIR/conduit"
+echo "  Downloaded: $CONDUIT_DIR/conduit"
+
+# Install configuration
+echo "[4/8] Installing configuration..."
+if [ -f "conduit.toml" ]; then
+    cp conduit.toml "$CONDUIT_DIR/conduit.toml"
+    chown "$CONDUIT_USER:$CONDUIT_USER" "$CONDUIT_DIR/conduit.toml"
+    echo "  Installed: $CONDUIT_DIR/conduit.toml"
+else
+    echo "  Warning: conduit.toml not found in current directory"
+fi
+
+# Install systemd service
+echo "[5/8] Installing systemd service..."
+if [ -f "conduit.service" ]; then
+    cp conduit.service /etc/systemd/system/conduit.service
+    systemctl daemon-reload
+    echo "  Installed: /etc/systemd/system/conduit.service"
+else
+    echo "  Warning: conduit.service not found in current directory"
+fi
+
+# Install scripts
+echo "[6/8] Installing operational scripts..."
+if [ -d "scripts" ]; then
+    cp scripts/*.sh "$SCRIPTS_DIR/"
+    chmod +x "$SCRIPTS_DIR"/*.sh
+    chown -R "$CONDUIT_USER:$CONDUIT_USER" "$SCRIPTS_DIR"
+    echo "  Installed scripts to $SCRIPTS_DIR"
+fi
+
+# Create backup directory
+echo "[7/8] Creating backup directory..."
+mkdir -p /backups/conduit
+chown "$CONDUIT_USER:$CONDUIT_USER" /backups/conduit
+
+# Setup cron for backups
+echo "[8/8] Setting up backup cron job..."
+if [ -f "$SCRIPTS_DIR/backup.sh" ]; then
+    (crontab -l 2>/dev/null || true; echo "0 3 * * * $SCRIPTS_DIR/backup.sh >> $LOGS_DIR/backup.log 2>&1") | crontab -
+    echo "  Backup cron job added (3 AM daily)"
+fi
+
+echo
+echo "========================================"
+echo "Installation Complete!"
+echo "========================================"
+echo
+echo "Next steps:"
+echo "  1. Configure DNS: matrix.timmy.foundation -> $(hostname -I | awk '{print $1}')"
+echo "  2. Configure Caddy: cp Caddyfile /etc/caddy/conf.d/matrix.conf"
+echo "  3. Start Conduit: systemctl start conduit"
+echo "  4. Check health: $SCRIPTS_DIR/health.sh"
+echo "  5. Create admin account (see README.md)"
+echo
+echo "Logs: $LOGS_DIR/"
+echo "Data: $DATA_DIR/"
+echo "Config: $CONDUIT_DIR/conduit.toml"

deploy/conduit/scripts/backup.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Conduit Matrix Homeserver Backup Script
+# Location: /opt/conduit/scripts/backup.sh
+# Reference: docs/matrix-fleet-comms/README.md
+# Run via cron: 0 3 * * * /opt/conduit/scripts/backup.sh
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# Configuration
+BACKUP_BASE_DIR="/backups/conduit"
+DATA_DIR="/opt/conduit/data"
+CONFIG_FILE="/opt/conduit/conduit.toml"
+RETENTION_DAYS=7
+TIMESTAMP=$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)
+BACKUP_DIR="$BACKUP_BASE_DIR/$TIMESTAMP"
+
+# Ensure backup directory exists
+mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR"
+
+log() {
+    echo "[$(date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')] $*"
+}
+
+log "Starting Conduit backup..."
+
+# Check if Conduit is running
+if systemctl is-active --quiet conduit; then
+    log "Stopping Conduit for consistent backup..."
+    systemctl stop conduit
+    RESTART_NEEDED=true
+else
+    log "Conduit already stopped"
+    RESTART_NEEDED=false
+fi
+
+# Backup database
+if [ -f "$DATA_DIR/conduit.db" ]; then
+    log "Backing up database..."
+    cp "$DATA_DIR/conduit.db" "$BACKUP_DIR/"
+    sqlite3 "$BACKUP_DIR/conduit.db" "VACUUM;"
+else
+    log "WARNING: Database not found at $DATA_DIR/conduit.db"
+fi
+
+# Backup configuration
+if [ -f "$CONFIG_FILE" ]; then
+    log "Backing up configuration..."
+    cp "$CONFIG_FILE" "$BACKUP_DIR/"
+fi
+
+# Backup media (if exists)
+if [ -d "$DATA_DIR/media" ]; then
+    log "Backing up media files..."
+    cp -r "$DATA_DIR/media" "$BACKUP_DIR/"
+fi
+
+# Restart Conduit if it was running
+if [ "$RESTART_NEEDED" = true ]; then
+    log "Restarting Conduit..."
+    systemctl start conduit
+fi
+
+# Create compressed archive
+log "Creating compressed archive..."
+cd "$BACKUP_BASE_DIR"
+tar czf "$TIMESTAMP.tar.gz" -C "$BACKUP_DIR" .
+rm -rf "$BACKUP_DIR"
+
+ARCHIVE_SIZE=$(du -h "$BACKUP_BASE_DIR/$TIMESTAMP.tar.gz" | cut -f1)
+log "Backup complete: $TIMESTAMP.tar.gz ($ARCHIVE_SIZE)"
+
+# Upload to S3 (uncomment and configure when ready)
+# if command -v aws &> /dev/null; then
+#     log "Uploading to S3..."
+#     aws s3 cp "$BACKUP_BASE_DIR/$TIMESTAMP.tar.gz" s3://timmy-backups/conduit/
+# fi
+
+# Cleanup old backups
+log "Cleaning up backups older than $RETENTION_DAYS days..."
+find "$BACKUP_BASE_DIR" -name "*.tar.gz" -mtime +$RETENTION_DAYS -delete
+
+log "Backup process complete"

deploy/conduit/scripts/health.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,142 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Conduit Matrix Homeserver Health Check
+# Location: /opt/conduit/scripts/health.sh
+# Reference: docs/matrix-fleet-comms/README.md
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+HOMESERVER_URL="https://matrix.timmy.foundation"
+ADMIN_EMAIL="admin@timmy.foundation"
+
+# Colors for output
+RED='\033[0;31m'
+GREEN='\033[0;32m'
+YELLOW='\033[1;33m'
+NC='\033[0m' # No Color
+
+log_info() {
+    echo -e "${GREEN}[INFO]${NC} $*"
+}
+
+log_warn() {
+    echo -e "${YELLOW}[WARN]${NC} $*"
+}
+
+log_error() {
+    echo -e "${RED}[ERROR]${NC} $*"
+}
+
+# Check if Conduit process is running
+check_process() {
+    if systemctl is-active --quiet conduit; then
+        log_info "Conduit service is running"
+        return 0
+    else
+        log_error "Conduit service is not running"
+        return 1
+    fi
+}
+
+# Check Matrix client-server API
+check_client_api() {
+    local response
+    response=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" "$HOMESERVER_URL/_matrix/client/versions" 2>/dev/null || echo "000")
+    
+    if [ "$response" = "200" ]; then
+        log_info "Client-server API is responding (HTTP 200)"
+        return 0
+    else
+        log_error "Client-server API returned HTTP $response"
+        return 1
+    fi
+}
+
+# Check Matrix versions endpoint
+check_versions() {
+    local versions
+    versions=$(curl -s "$HOMESERVER_URL/_matrix/client/versions" 2>/dev/null | jq -r '.versions | join(", ")' 2>/dev/null || echo "unknown")
+    
+    if [ "$versions" != "unknown" ]; then
+        log_info "Supported Matrix versions: $versions"
+        return 0
+    else
+        log_warn "Could not determine Matrix versions"
+        return 1
+    fi
+}
+
+# Check federation (self-test)
+check_federation() {
+    local response
+    response=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" "https://federationtester.matrix.org/api/report?server_name=timmy.foundation" 2>/dev/null || echo "000")
+    
+    if [ "$response" = "200" ]; then
+        log_info "Federation tester can reach server"
+        return 0
+    else
+        log_warn "Federation tester returned HTTP $response (may be DNS propagation)"
+        return 1
+    fi
+}
+
+# Check disk space
+check_disk_space() {
+    local usage
+    usage=$(df /opt/conduit/data | tail -1 | awk '{print $5}' | sed 's/%//')
+    
+    if [ "$usage" -lt 80 ]; then
+        log_info "Disk usage: ${usage}% (healthy)"
+        return 0
+    elif [ "$usage" -lt 90 ]; then
+        log_warn "Disk usage: ${usage}% (consider cleanup)"
+        return 1
+    else
+        log_error "Disk usage: ${usage}% (critical!)"
+        return 1
+    fi
+}
+
+# Check database size
+check_database() {
+    local db_path="/opt/conduit/data/conduit.db"
+    
+    if [ -f "$db_path" ]; then
+        local size
+        size=$(du -h "$db_path" | cut -f1)
+        log_info "Database size: $size"
+        return 0
+    else
+        log_warn "Database file not found at $db_path"
+        return 1
+    fi
+}
+
+# Main health check
+main() {
+    echo "========================================"
+    echo "Conduit Matrix Homeserver Health Check"
+    echo "Server: $HOMESERVER_URL"
+    echo "Time: $(date)"
+    echo "========================================"
+    echo
+    
+    local exit_code=0
+    
+    check_process || exit_code=1
+    check_client_api || exit_code=1
+    check_versions || true  # Non-critical
+    check_federation || true  # Non-critical during initial setup
+    check_disk_space || exit_code=1
+    check_database || true  # Non-critical
+    
+    echo
+    if [ $exit_code -eq 0 ]; then
+        log_info "All critical checks passed ✓"
+    else
+        log_error "Some critical checks failed ✗"
+    fi
+    
+    return $exit_code
+}
+
+main "$@"

docs/matrix-fleet-comms/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,271 @@
+# Matrix/Conduit Fleet Communications
+
+**Parent Issues**: [#166](https://gitea.timmy/time/Timmy_Foundation/timmy-config/issues/166) | [#183](https://gitea.timmy/time/Timmy_Foundation/timmy-config/issues/183)  
+**Status**: Architecture Complete → Implementation Ready  
+**Owner**: @ezra (architect) → TBD (implementer)  
+**Created**: 2026-04-05
+
+---
+
+## Purpose
+
+Fulfill [Son of Timmy Commandment 6](https://gitea.timmy/time/Timmy_Foundation/timmy-config/blob/main/son-of-timmy.md): establish Matrix/Conduit as the sovereign operator surface for human-to-fleet encrypted communication, moving beyond Telegram as the sole command channel.
+
+---
+
+## Architecture Decision Records
+
+### ADR-1: Homeserver Selection — Conduit
+
+**Decision**: Use [Conduit](https://conduit.rs/) (Rust-based Matrix homeserver)
+
+**Rationale**:
+| Criteria | Conduit | Synapse | Dendrite |
+|----------|---------|---------|----------|
+| Resource Usage | Low (Rust) | High (Python) | Medium (Go) |
+| Federation | Full | Full | Partial |
+| Deployment Complexity | Simple binary | Complex stack | Medium |
+| SQLite Support | Yes (simpler) | No (requires PG) | Yes |
+| Federation Stability | Production | Production | Beta |
+
+**Verdict**: Conduit's low resource footprint and SQLite option make it ideal for fleet deployment.
+
+### ADR-2: Host Selection
+
+**Decision**: Deploy on existing Gitea VPS (143.198.27.163:3000) initially
+
+**Rationale**:
+- Existing infrastructure, known operational state
+- Sufficient resources (can upgrade if federation load grows)
+- Consolidated with Gitea simplifies backup/restore
+
+**Future**: Dedicated Matrix VPS if federation traffic justifies separation.
+
+### ADR-3: Federation Strategy
+
+**Decision**: Full federation enabled from day one
+
+**Rationale**:
+- Alexander may need to message from any Matrix account
+- Fleet bots can federate to other homeservers if needed
+- Nostr bridge experiments (#830) may benefit from federation
+
+**Implication**: Requires valid TLS certificate and public DNS.
+
+---
+
+## Deployment Scaffold
+
+### Directory Structure
+
+```
+/opt/conduit/
+├── conduit               # Binary
+├── conduit.toml          # Configuration
+├── data/                 # SQLite + media (backup target)
+│   ├── conduit.db
+│   └── media/
+├── logs/                 # Rotated logs
+└── scripts/              # Operational helpers
+    ├── backup.sh
+    └── rotate-logs.sh
+```
+
+### Port Allocation
+
+| Service | Port | Protocol | Notes |
+|---------|------|----------|-------|
+| Conduit HTTP | 8448 | TCP | Matrix client-server API |
+| Conduit Federation | 8448 | TCP | Same port, different SRV |
+| Element Web | 8080 | TCP | Optional web client |
+
+**DNS Requirements**:
+- `matrix.timmy.foundation` → A record to VPS IP
+- `_matrix._tcp.timmy.foundation` → SRV record for federation
+
+### Reverse Proxy (Caddy)
+
+```caddyfile
+matrix.timmy.foundation {
+    reverse_proxy localhost:8448
+    
+    header {
+        X-Frame-Options DENY
+        X-Content-Type-Options nosniff
+    }
+    
+    tls {
+        # Let's Encrypt automatic
+    }
+}
+```
+
+### Conduit Configuration (conduit.toml)
+
+```toml
+[global]
+server_name = "timmy.foundation"
+database_path = "/opt/conduit/data/conduit.db"
+port = 8448
+max_request_size = 20000000  # 20MB for file uploads
+
+[registration]
+# Closed registration - admin creates accounts
+enabled = false
+
+[ federation]
+enabled = true
+disabled_servers = []
+
+[ media ]
+max_file_size = 50000000  # 50MB
+max_media_size = 100000000  # 100MB total cache
+
+[ retention ]
+enabled = true
+default_room_retention = "30d"
+```
+
+---
+
+## Prerequisites Checklist
+
+### Infrastructure
+- [ ] DNS A record: `matrix.timmy.foundation` → 143.198.27.163
+- [ ] DNS SRV record: `_matrix._tcp.timmy.foundation` → 0 0 8448 matrix.timmy.foundation
+- [ ] Firewall: TCP 8448 open to world (federation)
+- [ ] Firewall: TCP 8080 open to world (Element Web, optional)
+
+### Dependencies
+- [ ] Conduit binary (latest release: check https://gitlab.com/famedly/conduit)
+- [ ] Caddy installed (or nginx if preferred)
+- [ ] SQLite (usually present, verify version ≥ 3.30)
+- [ ] systemd (for service management)
+
+### Accounts (Bootstrap)
+- [ ] `@admin:timmy.foundation` — Server admin
+- [ ] `@alexander:timmy.foundation` — Operator primary
+- [ ] `@ezra:timmy.foundation` — Archivist bot
+- [ ] `@timmy:timmy.foundation` — Coordinator bot
+
+### Rooms (Bootstrap)
+- [ ] `#fleet-ops:timmy.foundation` — Operator-to-fleet command channel
+- [ ] `#fleet-intel:timmy.foundation` — Intelligence sharing
+- [ ] `#fleet-social:timmy.foundation` — General chat
+
+---
+
+## Implementation Phases
+
+### Phase 1: Infrastructure (Est: 2 hours)
+1. Create DNS records
+2. Open firewall ports
+3. Download Conduit binary
+4. Create directory structure
+
+### Phase 2: Deployment (Est: 2 hours)
+1. Write conduit.toml
+2. Create systemd service
+3. Configure Caddy reverse proxy
+4. Start Conduit, verify health
+
+### Phase 3: Bootstrap (Est: 1 hour)
+1. Create admin account via CLI
+2. Create user accounts
+3. Create rooms, set permissions
+4. Verify end-to-end encryption
+
+### Phase 4: Migration Planning (Est: 4 hours)
+1. Map Telegram channels to Matrix rooms
+2. Design bridge architecture (if needed)
+3. Create cutover timeline
+4. Document operator onboarding
+
+---
+
+## Operational Runbooks
+
+### Backup
+
+```bash
+#!/bin/bash
+# /opt/conduit/scripts/backup.sh
+BACKUP_DIR="/backups/conduit/$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)"
+mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR"
+
+# Stop Conduit briefly for consistent snapshot
+systemctl stop conduit
+
+cp /opt/conduit/data/conduit.db "$BACKUP_DIR/"
+cp /opt/conduit/conduit.toml "$BACKUP_DIR/"
+cp -r /opt/conduit/data/media "$BACKUP_DIR/"
+
+systemctl start conduit
+
+# Compress and upload to S3/backup target
+tar czf "$BACKUP_DIR.tar.gz" -C "$BACKUP_DIR" .
+# aws s3 cp "$BACKUP_DIR.tar.gz" s3://timmy-backups/conduit/
+```
+
+### Account Creation
+
+```bash
+# As admin, create new user
+curl -X POST \
+  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ADMIN_TOKEN" \
+  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+  -d '{"username":"newuser","password":"secure_password_123"}' \
+  https://matrix.timmy.foundation/_matrix/client/v3/register
+```
+
+### Health Check
+
+```bash
+#!/bin/bash
+# /opt/conduit/scripts/health.sh
+curl -s https://matrix.timmy.foundation/_matrix/client/versions | jq .
+```
+
+---
+
+## Cross-Issue Linkages
+
+| Issue | Relationship | Action |
+|-------|--------------|--------|
+| #166 | Parent epic | This scaffold enables #166 execution |
+| #183 | Scaffold child | This document fulfills #183 acceptance criteria |
+| #830 | Deep Dive | Matrix rooms can receive #830 intelligence briefings |
+| #137 | Related | Verify no conflict with existing comms work |
+| #138 | Related | Verify no conflict with Nostr bridge |
+| #147 | Related | Check if Matrix replaces or supplements existing plans |
+
+---
+
+## Artifacts Created
+
+| File | Purpose |
+|------|---------|
+| `docs/matrix-fleet-comms/README.md` | This architecture document |
+| `deploy/conduit/conduit.toml` | Production configuration |
+| `deploy/conduit/conduit.service` | systemd service definition |
+| `deploy/conduit/Caddyfile` | Reverse proxy configuration |
+| `deploy/conduit/scripts/backup.sh` | Backup automation |
+| `deploy/conduit/scripts/health.sh` | Health check script |
+
+---
+
+## Next Actions
+
+1. **DNS**: Create `matrix.timmy.foundation` A and SRV records
+2. **Firewall**: Open TCP 8448 on VPS
+3. **Install**: Download and configure Conduit
+4. **Bootstrap**: Create initial accounts and rooms
+5. **Onboard**: Add Alexander, test end-to-end encryption
+6. **Migrate**: Plan Telegram→Matrix transition
+
+---
+
+**Ezra's Sign-off**: This scaffold transforms #166 from fuzzy epic to executable implementation plan. All prerequisites are named, all acceptance criteria are mapped to artifacts, and the deployment path is phase-gated for incremental delivery.
+
+— Ezra, Archivist  
+2026-04-05