TrueNAS Cloud File Explorer

A full-stack distributed cloud storage management system. This project consists of a custom Spring Boot REST API backend that interfaces with storage systems (like TrueNAS), and a modern native Android application built with Kotlin and Jetpack Compose for seamless user access.

Key Features

• Full-Stack Architecture: Clean separation of concerns between the Java backend API and the Kotlin mobile client.
• Secure Authentication: Integrates Firebase Authentication. The Android client retrieves a JWT token which is then strictly validated by a custom Spring Security filter chain on the backend before allowing file access.
• Complete File Management: Users can view, add, edit, and delete files stored on the distributed cloud directly from their mobile device.
• Reactive Mobile UI: The frontend is built entirely using Jetpack Compose, utilizing the MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel) pattern and Retrofit for asynchronous network calls.
• Robust Backend: A Java Spring Boot application utilizing Spring Web and Firebase Admin SDK to handle secure API routing.

Tech Stack

• Frontend (Mobile): Kotlin, Android SDK, Jetpack Compose, Retrofit, ViewModel
• Backend: Java, Spring Boot, Spring Security, Maven
• Authentication: Firebase Auth & Firebase Admin SDK
• Storage: TrueNAS / Distributed File System

How to Run

1. Backend Setup (Spring Boot)

1. Navigate to the backend/demo directory.
2. You will need to update the application.properties file with a valid local folder path or NFS mount.
3. Ensure you have your Firebase Admin Service Account JSON key configured in the project.
4. Run the backend using Maven:

   ./mvnw spring-boot:run

5. The API will start on localhost:8080.

2. Frontend Setup (Android)

1. Open the android_app folder in Android Studio.
2. Update the BASE_URL in RetrofitClient.kt to match your backend's IP address (use 10.0.2.2 if testing on an Android Emulator).
3. Connect your Firebase project via the google-services.json file.
4. Build and run the app on an emulator or physical device.

Screenshots

What I Learned

This project bridged the gap between frontend and backend development. I learned how to architect a RESTful API using Spring Boot, secure endpoints using custom JWT token filters with Spring Security, and access those APIs asynchronously on a mobile device using Retrofit and Kotlin Coroutines.