Nextcloud documentation
To generate additional documentation for the research management / collaboration software Nextcloud as static HTML pages applying pre-defined documentation templates. The input is simple markdown and the generation process uses the MkDocs module in GitLab. This project is a typical representation of a CI/CD pipeline based generation of static HTML pages used in domains comprising of developers, technical writers or To generate additional documentation for the research data
Overview
Value: To generate additional documentation for the research management / collaboration software Nextcloud as static HTML pages applying pre-defined documentation templates. The input is simple markdown and the generation process uses the MkDocs module in GitLab. This project is a typical representation of a CI/CD pipeline based generation of static HTML pages used in domains comprising of developers, technical writers or To generate additional documentation for the research data
Problem: Without automated HTML generation from Markdown, documentation cannot be reliably standardized or maintained across teams. There is a need for a consistent, easily updatable documentation system for Nextcloud, as manual updates are error-prone.
Solution: To generate additional documentation for the research data management / collaboration software Nextcloud as static HTML pages applying pre-defined documentation templates.
Who Benefits
Primary
- Maintainers of the local Nextcloud instances
Secondary
- Users of the specific Nextcloud instance
When to Use
- When maintaining or updating Nextcloud technical documentation.
- When automated static HTML generation via CI/CD is needed.
When Not to Use
- When no GitLab or CI/CD infrastructure is available.
- When dynamic, real-time documentation is required instead of static HTML.
Process
- Markdown documentation authored and version-controlled in GitLab.
- Automated CI/CD pipeline using GitLab and Docker.
- Static HTML generation with MkDocs templates.
- Review and deployment of generated documentation.
- Continuous maintenance aligned with Nextcloud updates.
Requirements
People
- Nextcloud maintainers
- GitLab administrators
Data Inputs
- Markdown documentation files
- MkDocs configuration
Tools & Systems
- GitLab CI/CD
- Docker
- MkDocs
Policies & Compliance
- University access control policy
- Documentation version control standards
Risks & Mitigations
-
Build failures or broken HTML due to incorrect Markdown syntax.
- Use CI/CD pipeline to automatically check syntax and run tests.
-
Unauthorized access or changes to documentation.
- Enforce GitLab access controls and SSO authentication.
Getting Started
Prerequisites: Git access and configured tools/systems listed below.
- Prepare repository/template/content as needed
- Configure tooling, permissions, and integrations
- Run the workflow and review results
FAQ
How is documentation generated automatically?
Markdown files are version-controlled in GitLab and processed via a CI/CD pipeline using MkDocs to produce static HTML pages.
Can multiple maintainers collaborate safely?
Yes, GitLab access controls and versioning prevent conflicts and unauthorized changes.
How are build errors handled?
The CI/CD pipeline checks syntax and reports errors before deployment.
Can the documentation be deployed continuously?
Yes, the pipeline can automatically update HTML documentation whenever changes are merged.
Glossary
- MkDocs
- Static site generator that converts Markdown files into HTML documentation sites.
- CI/CD Pipeline
- Automated workflow in GitLab for building, testing, and deploying artifacts like documentation.
- Docker
- Container platform used to isolate the build environment for MkDocs.
- Markdown
- Lightweight markup language used to author the documentation content.