How do I install the Exapp Operations skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add nextcloud/exapp-operations in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Exapp Operations safe to use?

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Which AI agents work with Exapp Operations?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Exapp Operations free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free. This skill is licensed under AGPL-3.

Who published Exapp Operations?

nextcloud (@nextcloud) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Exapp Operations by nextcloud — Agent Skill

Name: Exapp Operations
Author: nextcloud

Exapp Operations

Installs, operates and troubleshoots Nextcloud AppAPI and External Apps (ExApps) with occ: set up the HaRP deploy daemon on Docker, Kubernetes, a remote GPU host or Nextcloud AIO, route /exapps/ on the reverse proxy, install, enable, disable, update and remove ExApps, manage daemon registries and ExApp config, and diagnose daemon or routing failures symptom-first. Use for AppAPI admin questions and day-2 ExApp operations on development or production instances.

nextcloud 41b7765 5 files · 59.6 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

AppAPI and ExApp operations

AppAPI is the Nextcloud component that runs External Apps: services living outside the PHP process, usually as Docker containers, deployed and managed through a deploy daemon (HaRP is the recommended one). This skill is the operator's view: getting a daemon working on a real instance, the full occ command surface, and what to check when something breaks.

How to work

Start in references/operations.md; it is the hub:

New instance, no daemon yet: follow its Quickstart (section 2), an eight-step golden path from occ app:enable app_api to a running ExApp.
Choosing or registering a daemon: sections 3 to 5 (deploy types, topologies, the full daemon:register flag table).
Managing installed ExApps: section 6 (lifecycle commands and their semantics) and section 7 (config, registries, certificates, maintenance mode).
Something is broken: section 10 (symptom-first troubleshooting) plus section 11 (which capability exists in which Nextcloud version).

Special topologies have their own runbooks, same directory:

references/kubernetes.md: ExApps in a Kubernetes cluster (NC34+); HaRP runs off-cluster, expose types are the core decision.
references/remote-daemon.md: ExApp containers on a different machine than Nextcloud, for example a GPU server.
references/aio.md: Nextcloud AIO, where the daemon is auto-managed and the main failure mode is fighting it.

Facts that save hours

The number one failure is a shared-key mismatch: --harp_shared_key must be byte-identical to HaRP's HP_SHARED_KEY.
daemon:register is a silent no-op when a daemon with that name exists; daemon:unregister first to change anything.
Green daemon checks do not prove the ExApp path. Without a working /exapps/ reverse-proxy rule (with WebSocket upgrade) no ExApp can even be installed on a HaRP daemon: AppAPI polls the heartbeat at <nextcloud_url>/exapps/<appid>, so the install fails while DaemonCheck stays green.
Never paste real secrets into shared files or commands you log; placeholders in the runbooks are in angle brackets.
Destructive flags need explicit human approval: app:unregister --rm-data deletes the app's data volume.

Files

references/operations.md: concepts, Quickstart, daemon and lifecycle command references, operating notes, app store, runtime contract, troubleshooting, version notes.
references/kubernetes.md, references/remote-daemon.md, references/aio.md: topology runbooks.
The HaRP service itself (probes, logs, upgrades, load): harp-operations. AI features on top of AppAPI: nextcloud-ai-stack.
Building the app side of the contract: exapp-development. Changing an installed app: exapp-maintenance. Local dev environment: nextcloud-dev-setup.

---name: exapp-operationsdescription: Installs, operates and troubleshoots Nextcloud AppAPI and External Apps (ExApps) with occ: set up the HaRP deploy daemon on Docker, Kubernetes, a remote GPU host or Nextcloud AIO, route /exapps/ on the reverse proxy, install, enable, disable, update and remove ExApps, manage daemon registries and ExApp config, and diagnose daemon or routing failures symptom-first. Use for AppAPI admin questions and day-2 ExApp operations on development or production instances.license: AGPL-3.0-or-later---# AppAPI and ExApp operationsAppAPI is the Nextcloud component that runs External Apps: services living outside the PHP process, usuallyas Docker containers, deployed and managed through a deploy daemon (HaRP is the recommended one). This skillis the operator's view: getting a daemon working on a real instance, the full occ command surface, and whatto check when something breaks.## How to workStart in [references/operations.md](references/operations.md); it is the hub:- New instance, no daemon yet: follow its **Quickstart** (section 2), an eight-step golden path from `occ app:enable app_api` to a running ExApp.- Choosing or registering a daemon: sections 3 to 5 (deploy types, topologies, the full `daemon:register` flag table).- Managing installed ExApps: section 6 (lifecycle commands and their semantics) and section 7 (config, registries, certificates, maintenance mode).- Something is broken: section 10 (symptom-first troubleshooting) plus section 11 (which capability exists in which Nextcloud version).Special topologies have their own runbooks, same directory:- [references/kubernetes.md](references/kubernetes.md): ExApps in a Kubernetes cluster (NC34+); HaRP runs off-cluster, expose types are the core decision.- [references/remote-daemon.md](references/remote-daemon.md): ExApp containers on a different machine than Nextcloud, for example a GPU server.- [references/aio.md](references/aio.md): Nextcloud AIO, where the daemon is auto-managed and the main failure mode is fighting it.## Facts that save hours- The number one failure is a shared-key mismatch: `--harp_shared_key` must be byte-identical to HaRP's `HP_SHARED_KEY`.- `daemon:register` is a silent no-op when a daemon with that name exists; `daemon:unregister` first to change anything.- Green daemon checks do not prove the ExApp path. Without a working `/exapps/` reverse-proxy rule (with WebSocket upgrade) no ExApp can even be installed on a HaRP daemon: AppAPI polls the heartbeat at `<nextcloud_url>/exapps/<appid>`, so the install fails while `DaemonCheck` stays green.- Never paste real secrets into shared files or commands you log; placeholders in the runbooks are in angle brackets.- Destructive flags need explicit human approval: `app:unregister --rm-data` deletes the app's data volume.## Files- [references/operations.md](references/operations.md): concepts, Quickstart, daemon and lifecycle command references, operating notes, app store, runtime contract, troubleshooting, version notes.- [references/kubernetes.md](references/kubernetes.md), [references/remote-daemon.md](references/remote-daemon.md), [references/aio.md](references/aio.md): topology runbooks.- The HaRP service itself (probes, logs, upgrades, load): [harp-operations](../harp-operations/SKILL.md). AI features on top of AppAPI: [nextcloud-ai-stack](../nextcloud-ai-stack/SKILL.md).- Building the app side of the contract: [exapp-development](../exapp-development/SKILL.md). Changing an installed app: [exapp-maintenance](../exapp-maintenance/SKILL.md). Local dev environment: [nextcloud-dev-setup](../nextcloud-dev-setup/SKILL.md).

Frequently asked questions