feat: migrate to nfs (WIP)

[Zaperex]

Description

Migrates statically installed OFS elements to the new frontend system

Which issue(s) does this PR fix

• Fixes RHIDP-15078
• Fixes RHIDP-15079
• Fixes RHIDP-15081

PR acceptance criteria

Please make sure that the following steps are complete:

• GitHub Actions are completed and successful
• Unit Tests are updated and passing
• E2E Tests are updated and passing
• Documentation is updated if necessary (requirement for new features)
• Add a screenshot if the change is UX/UI related

How to test changes / Special notes to the reviewer

[openshift-ci]

Skipping CI for Draft Pull Request.
If you want CI signal for your change, please convert it to an actual PR.
You can still manually trigger a test run with /test all

[openshift-ci]

PR needs rebase.

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[Zaperex]

/test all

[rhdh-qodo-merge]

PR Summary by Qodo

Migrate default frontend to Backstage NFS and retain OFS as app-legacy

✨ Enhancement ⚙️ Configuration changes 🧪 Tests 📝 Documentation 🕐 40+ Minutes

AI Description

• Make Backstage New Frontend System (NFS) packages/app the default shipped frontend.
• Rename the legacy OFS frontend to packages/app-legacy and add explicit legacy run scripts.
• Update dynamic plugin schema resolution and cluster-free Playwright harness/docs for NFS + Module
 Federation.

Diagram

graph TD
  H["Dev/E2E harness"] --> B["Backend"] --> SL["schemaLocator"] --> DP{{"Dynamic plugins"}}
  H --> A["NFS app (app)"] --> DFL["Dynamic features loader"] --> B
  B --> L["Legacy app (app-legacy)"]

Loading

High-Level Assessment

The following are alternative approaches to this PR:

1. Hard cutover (remove OFS + legacy fallbacks in this PR)

• ➕ Less long-term maintenance (single frontend, single schema layout).
• ➕ Avoids keeping compatibility code paths that can mask stale plugins.
• ➖ High rollout risk: breaks older dynamic plugins and any OFS-dependent environments.
• ➖ Harder to debug issues without a quick rollback path.

2. Make schema path a build-time contract (no runtime fs probing)

• ➕ Removes runtime existsSync checks and ambiguity; schema location is explicit.
• ➕ Improves portability (e.g., different filesystem layouts) and reduces edge cases.
• ➖ Requires coordinated change across plugin packaging/tooling and published artifacts.
• ➖ Slower incremental adoption while both old and new plugin builds exist.

3. Explicit feature-flagged default selection for a deprecation window

• ➕ Keeps a clear operator-controlled rollback during rollout.
• ➕ Makes deprecation/removal timeline explicit and testable.
• ➖ More permutations to document/test; extends dual-frontend overhead.

Recommendation: The incremental strategy in this PR is the right approach for a platform migration: NFS becomes the default, but app-legacy and schema fallback paths reduce disruption while the plugin ecosystem catches up. Follow up with a time-boxed plan to remove the legacy schema fallback once all supported plugins publish dist/.config-schema.json.

Files changed (22) +734 / -244

Enhancement (5) +403 / -27

App.tsxReplace Scalprum root with NFS createApp() feature composition +37/-27

Replace Scalprum root with NFS createApp() feature composition

• Builds the app root using 'createApp' + 'dynamicFrontendFeaturesLoader', composing upstream plugins and RHDH frontend modules (nav, user-settings, APIs, translations, theme).

packages/app/src/App.tsx

apisModule.tsAdd NFS frontend module registering core RHDH APIs +98/-0

Add NFS frontend module registering core RHDH APIs

• Introduces API blueprints for storage selection, learning-path client, and catalog graph with custom relations, exposed as an NFS frontend module.

packages/app/src/apis/apisModule.ts

Sidebar.tsxAdd NFS nav content blueprint for RHDH-branded sidebar +70/-0

Add NFS nav content blueprint for RHDH-branded sidebar

• Implements NFS navigation composition (search, menu ordering, settings group, and drawer toggle integration).

packages/app/src/modules/nav/Sidebar.tsx

InfoCard.tsxAdd build metadata InfoCard for Settings/General (NFS) +164/-0

Add build metadata InfoCard for Settings/General (NFS)

• Implements the Settings/General build-info card with copy-to-clipboard and show-more/show-less behavior, using config overrides and translations.

packages/app/src/modules/user-settings/InfoCard.tsx

schemaLocator.tsPrefer modern config schema output with legacy fallback +34/-0

Prefer modern config schema output with legacy fallback

• Adds a schema locator that prefers 'dist/.config-schema.json' (Backstage CLI) and falls back to legacy 'dist[-scalprum]/configSchema.json' during the transition.

packages/backend/src/schemaLocator.ts

Refactor (2) +8 / -11

index.tsxUpdate frontend entrypoint for NFS root rendering +6/-1

Update frontend entrypoint for NFS root rendering

• Switches to NFS-compatible startup: imports Backstage asset types/styles and renders the NFS app root via ReactDOM.

packages/app/src/index.tsx

index.tsUse extracted schemaLocator in dynamic plugin feature loader +2/-10

Use extracted schemaLocator in dynamic plugin feature loader

• Removes the inline schemaLocator implementation and replaces it with the shared helper.

packages/backend/src/index.ts

Tests (5) +96 / -36

playwright.legacy-local.config.tsRun cluster-free harness against NFS app and enable MF env +10/-8

Run cluster-free harness against NFS app and enable MF env

• Switches the frontend start command to 'backstage-cli' and injects 'ENABLE_STANDARD_MODULE_FEDERATION=true' for the backend process. Adds a temporary InfoCard validation spec to the suite.

e2e-tests/playwright.legacy-local.config.ts

tmp-infocard-check.spec.tsAdd temporary Playwright check for Settings/General InfoCard +16/-0

Add temporary Playwright check for Settings/General InfoCard

• Adds a small cluster-free spec validating the build-info InfoCard renders and expands on Settings/General.

e2e-tests/playwright/e2e/plugins/tmp-infocard-check.spec.ts

navigation.tsClarify legacy sidebar behavior comments +2/-2

Clarify legacy sidebar behavior comments

• Updates comments to refer to the legacy OFS sidebar behavior in navigation helpers.

e2e-tests/playwright/utils/ui-helper/navigation.ts

App.test.tsxUpdate app smoke test to render NFS app root +16/-26

Update app smoke test to render NFS app root

• Replaces Scalprum-focused test setup with 'renderWithEffects' against the NFS app root and updates required test config.

packages/app/src/App.test.tsx

schemaLocator.test.tsAdd unit tests for schemaLocator behavior +52/-0

Add unit tests for schemaLocator behavior

• Covers modern-path preference and backend/frontend legacy fallback paths based on plugin role/platform.

packages/backend/src/schemaLocator.test.ts

Documentation (2) +13 / -27

migrating-config-to-new-frontend-system.mdDocument NFS as default and MF enablement requirement +4/-15

Document NFS as default and MF enablement requirement

• Rewrites the guidance to treat NFS ('packages/app') as default and focuses on enabling standard Module Federation on the backend.

docs/dynamic-plugins/migrating-config-to-new-frontend-system.md

local-e2e-harness.mdUpdate harness docs for NFS + standard Module Federation +9/-12

Update harness docs for NFS + standard Module Federation

• Updates the cluster-free harness description to target NFS 'packages/app' and notes the backend must run with 'ENABLE_STANDARD_MODULE_FEDERATION=true'.

docs/e2e-tests/local-e2e-harness.md

Other (8) +214 / -143

e2e-cluster-free.yamlRename cluster-free E2E workflow labeling to NFS +1/-1

Rename cluster-free E2E workflow labeling to NFS

• Updates the workflow step name to reflect the harness targeting the NFS app.

.github/workflows/e2e-cluster-free.yaml

app-config.local-e2e.yamlUpdate local E2E overlay docs to NFS +1/-1

Update local E2E overlay docs to NFS

• Adjusts the header comment to document that the overlay targets the NFS 'packages/app' frontend.

app-config.local-e2e.yaml

ContainerfileRemove app-next package.json from container build inputs +0/-1

Remove app-next package.json from container build inputs

• Stops copying 'packages/app-next/package.json', aligning the container build with the new package layout.

build/containerfiles/Containerfile

package.jsonAdd dev script for running app-legacy alongside backend +1/-0

Add dev script for running app-legacy alongside backend

• Introduces 'dev:legacy' to run the backend filtered with the legacy frontend package.

package.json

package.jsonSwitch app workspace to NFS deps and build/start scripts +62/-47

Switch app workspace to NFS deps and build/start scripts

• Moves 'packages/app' to Backstage CLI NFS wiring, enables experimental Module Federation build, and updates dependencies to include NFS frontend packages and RHDH alpha modules.

packages/app/package.json

package.jsonEnable standard MF by default and add start:legacy +2/-3

Enable standard MF by default and add start:legacy

• Makes 'start' always set 'ENABLE_STANDARD_MODULE_FEDERATION=true' and introduces 'start:legacy' to serve 'app-legacy' via 'APP_CONFIG_app_packageName'. Removes the 'app-next' workspace dependency.

packages/backend/package.json

package.jsonRename app-next to app-legacy and restore OFS toolchain wiring +53/-49

Rename app-next to app-legacy and restore OFS toolchain wiring

• Renames the legacy package to 'app-legacy' and restores janus-cli-based start/build scripts and OFS dependency shape consistent with the legacy frontend.

packages/app-legacy/package.json

yarn.lockLockfile refresh for workspace rename and NFS dependencies +94/-41

Lockfile refresh for workspace rename and NFS dependencies

• Updates dependency resolutions to reflect the new NFS app dependencies and removal/rename of the app-next workspace.

yarn.lock

[rhdh-qodo-merge]

Code Review by Qodo

🐞 Bugs (2) 📘 Rule violations (2) 🔗 Cross-repo conflicts (1) 📜 Skill insights (0)

1. Spec imports from @playwright/test 📘 Rule violation ≡ Correctness

Description

The new E2E spec imports test/expect from @playwright/test instead of
@support/coverage/test, which bypasses the required coverage test wrapper. This breaks the
repository’s E2E coverage instrumentation requirements.

Code

e2e-tests/playwright/e2e/plugins/tmp-infocard-check.spec.ts[1]

+import { test, expect } from "@playwright/test";

Relevance

●●● Strong

Clear precedent enforcing @support/coverage/test imports; @playwright/test bypass is corrected.

PR-#4680
PR-#4798

ⓘ Recommendations generated based on similar findings in past PRs

Evidence

PR Compliance ID 1798 requires importing test/expect from @support/coverage/test, but the
added spec imports them from @playwright/test on line 1.

Rule 1798: E2E specs must import test/expect from @support/coverage/test, not @playwright/test
e2e-tests/playwright/e2e/plugins/tmp-infocard-check.spec.ts[1-1]

Agent prompt

The issue below was found during a code review. Follow the provided context and guidance below and implement a solution

## Issue description
The new Playwright spec file imports `test`/`expect` from `@playwright/test` instead of the required `@support/coverage/test` wrapper.

## Issue Context
Compliance requires all Playwright spec files under `e2e-tests/playwright/` to use the coverage-enabled test wrapper.

## Fix Focus Areas
- e2e-tests/playwright/e2e/plugins/tmp-infocard-check.spec.ts[1-3]

ⓘ Copy this prompt and use it to remediate the issue with your preferred AI generation tools

---

2. Missing test.beforeAll component annotation 📘 Rule violation ⚙ Maintainability

Description

The new E2E spec file defines tests without a test.beforeAll hook that adds a component
annotation. This reduces test traceability/ownership and violates the required component annotation
policy.

Code

e2e-tests/playwright/e2e/plugins/tmp-infocard-check.spec.ts[R5-8]

+test("tmp: settings general renders InfoCard", { tag: "@cluster-free" }, async ({ page }) => {
+  const common = new Common(page);
+  await common.loginAsGuest();
+

Relevance

●●● Strong

Repo accepts E2E hygiene/policy updates; adding suite-level hooks is common in their specs.

PR-#3482

ⓘ Recommendations generated based on similar findings in past PRs

Evidence

PR Compliance ID 1834 requires a test.beforeAll hook that pushes a component annotation, but the
new spec file contains only a test(...) block and no test.beforeAll annotation setup.

Rule 1834: Every e2e spec file must have a component annotation in test.beforeAll
e2e-tests/playwright/e2e/plugins/tmp-infocard-check.spec.ts[1-16]

Agent prompt

The issue below was found during a code review. Follow the provided context and guidance below and implement a solution

## Issue description
The new spec file does not include a `test.beforeAll` that pushes a `{ type: "component", description: "..." }` annotation.

## Issue Context
Compliance requires every `*.spec.ts` file under `e2e-tests/` to add a component annotation in a `test.beforeAll` hook.

## Fix Focus Areas
- e2e-tests/playwright/e2e/plugins/tmp-infocard-check.spec.ts[1-16]

ⓘ Copy this prompt and use it to remediate the issue with your preferred AI generation tools

---

3. Module federation env missing 🔗 Cross-repo conflict ☼ Reliability

Description

This PR documents NFS (packages/app) as the default and requires
ENABLE_STANDARD_MODULE_FEDERATION=true for dynamic frontend plugins to load, but rhdh-chart,
rhdh-operator, and rhdh-local snapshots don’t set that env var by default. As a result, upgraded
deployments can silently disable the backend’s Module Federation asset router and dynamic frontend
plugins may not load.

Code

docs/dynamic-plugins/migrating-config-to-new-frontend-system.md[R9-12]

+## Default: new frontend system (NFS)

-RHDH still ships the legacy `app` frontend package by default. The new frontend system lives in the `app-next` package and will become the default after the app-shell switch. Until then, enable **both** of the following on your RHDH **backend** deployment (OpenShift, Helm, Operator, [rhdh-local](https://github.com/redhat-developer/rhdh-local), or any environment where the backend runs as a container):
+RHDH ships the Backstage new frontend system (`packages/app`) by default. Enable standard Module Federation on the **backend** deployment so dynamic frontend plugins load correctly (OpenShift, Helm, Operator, [rhdh-local](https://github.com/redhat-developer/rhdh-local), or any environment where the backend runs as a container):

Relevance

●●● Strong

They usually fix docs that drift from real chart/operator defaults to avoid upgrade breakage.

PR-#3737
PR-#3834

ⓘ Recommendations generated based on similar findings in past PRs

Evidence

The PR explicitly states NFS is default and that ENABLE_STANDARD_MODULE_FEDERATION=true must be
set on backend deployments, while the backend code still disables the Module Federation router
unless the env var is true. The referenced chart/operator/local deployment manifests show their
backend containers’ env lists and do not include ENABLE_STANDARD_MODULE_FEDERATION, meaning
upgraded deployments won’t meet the new requirement by default.

docs/dynamic-plugins/migrating-config-to-new-frontend-system.md[9-21]
packages/backend/src/index.ts[85-105]
External repo: redhat-developer/rhdh-operator, config/profile/rhdh/default-config/deployment.yaml [161-170]
External repo: redhat-developer/rhdh-chart, charts/backstage/vendor/backstage/charts/backstage/templates/backstage-deployment.yaml [217-236]
External repo: redhat-developer/rhdh-local, compose.yaml [24-40]
External repo: redhat-developer/rhdh-chart, charts/backstage/values.yaml [347-382]

Agent prompt

The issue below was found during a code review. Follow the provided context and guidance below and implement a solution

## Issue description
RHDH backend currently disables the `dynamicPluginsFrontendServiceRef` (which serves standard Module Federation assets for dynamic frontend plugins) unless `ENABLE_STANDARD_MODULE_FEDERATION=true` is set.

This PR declares the New Frontend System (NFS) as default, which makes dynamic frontend plugins depend on standard Module Federation in typical deployments. However, the deployment repos (chart/operator/local) do not inject this env var by default, so upgrading the RHDH image can cause dynamic frontend plugins to stop loading.

## Issue Context
Downstream deployment repos typically treat the RHDH image as a black box; if the image requires a new env var for correct default behavior, those repos must be updated in lockstep, or the image should set a safe default.

## Fix Focus Areas
- docs/dynamic-plugins/migrating-config-to-new-frontend-system.md[9-21]
- packages/backend/src/index.ts[85-105]
- /cross_repos/rhdh-operator/config/profile/rhdh/default-config/deployment.yaml[161-164]
- /cross_repos/rhdh-chart/charts/backstage/vendor/backstage/charts/backstage/templates/backstage-deployment.yaml[217-235]
- /cross_repos/rhdh-local/compose.yaml[24-40]

### Suggested approach
1) **Preferred (avoid lockstep releases):** update the RHDH image/runtime defaults so `ENABLE_STANDARD_MODULE_FEDERATION` effectively defaults to `true` when using NFS (or always). For example:
  - remove/adjust the conditional noop override in `packages/backend/src/index.ts`, or
  - set `ENV ENABLE_STANDARD_MODULE_FEDERATION=true` in the container build/entrypoint for NFS images.

2) **If keeping opt-in behavior:** open coordinated PRs in:
  - `rhdh-chart` to add `ENABLE_STANDARD_MODULE_FEDERATION=true` to the default backend container env (or set it via default `extraEnvVars`).
  - `rhdh-operator` to add the env var to the `backstage-backend` container in the rhdh profile deployment template.
  - `rhdh-local` to add the env var to the `rhdh` service environment.

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---

4. Unguarded localStorage read 🐞 Bug ☼ Reliability

Description

In InfoCard, the initial state reads localStorage.getItem(...) without guarding for environments
where storage access is unavailable or throws (e.g., blocked storage), which can crash rendering of
the Settings/General page. The same component already wraps localStorage writes/removes in a
try/catch, but the initial read is still unprotected.

Code

packages/app/src/modules/user-settings/InfoCard.tsx[R23-26]

+  const [showBuildInformation, setShowBuildInformation] = useState<boolean>(
+    () =>
+      localStorage.getItem('rhdh-infocard-show-build-information') === 'true',
+  );

Relevance

●●● Strong

Small defensive reliability change in a React component is typically accepted.

PR-#2594

ⓘ Recommendations generated based on similar findings in past PRs

Evidence

The state initializer reads localStorage with no error handling, while localStorage writes/removes
are already wrapped in try/catch within the same component, indicating localStorage operations may
fail and should be guarded consistently.

packages/app/src/modules/user-settings/InfoCard.tsx[23-38]

Agent prompt

The issue below was found during a code review. Follow the provided context and guidance below and implement a solution

### Issue description
`InfoCard` initializes state by directly calling `localStorage.getItem(...)` during render. In environments where localStorage access throws (privacy mode, blocked storage), this can break rendering. Writes/removes are already guarded, but the read is not.

### Issue Context
The component uses localStorage to persist the “show more” state. The write path is wrapped in a try/catch, suggesting failures are expected and should be handled consistently.

### Fix Focus Areas
- packages/app/src/modules/user-settings/InfoCard.tsx[23-26]

### Suggested change
Wrap the initializer in a try/catch (and default to `false` on failure), e.g.:

```ts
const [showBuildInformation, setShowBuildInformation] = useState<boolean>(() => {
 try {
   return localStorage.getItem('rhdh-infocard-show-build-information') === 'true';
 } catch {
   return false;
 }
});
```

(Optionally also use `globalThis.localStorage`/feature checks if you want to be extra defensive.)

ⓘ Copy this prompt and use it to remediate the issue with your preferred AI generation tools

---

5. Typo breaks aria-label 🐞 Bug ⚙ Maintainability

Description

InfoCard passes arial-label (misspelled) to CopyTextButton, so the intended aria-label is
not applied to the rendered button and may lead to an unlabeled control for assistive technologies.

Code

packages/app/src/modules/user-settings/InfoCard.tsx[R129-132]

+              text={clipboardText}
+              tooltipText={t('app.userSettings.infoCard.metadataCopied')}
+              arial-label={t('app.userSettings.infoCard.copyMetadata')}
+            />

Relevance

●●● Strong

Obvious deterministic typo affecting accessibility/labeling; such fixes are routinely accepted.

PR-#2808

ⓘ Recommendations generated based on similar findings in past PRs

Evidence

The JSX attribute is visibly misspelled as arial-label in the new InfoCard, which is not a
standard ARIA attribute name.

packages/app/src/modules/user-settings/InfoCard.tsx[128-132]

Agent prompt

The issue below was found during a code review. Follow the provided context and guidance below and implement a solution

### Issue description
`CopyTextButton` is given a misspelled ARIA attribute name (`arial-label`), which will not set the standard `aria-label` and may leave the control without the intended accessible name.

### Issue Context
This is in the newly introduced NFS app Settings/General build metadata InfoCard.

### Fix Focus Areas
- packages/app/src/modules/user-settings/InfoCard.tsx[129-132]

### Suggested change
Change:
```tsx
arial-label={...}
```
To:
```tsx
aria-label={...}
```

ⓘ Copy this prompt and use it to remediate the issue with your preferred AI generation tools

---

Context used

⚠️ Tickets: not configured — ticket URL found in PR but could not be fetched — check ticket provider credentials

✅ Compliance rules (platform): 46 rules

✅ Skills: e2e-verify-fix, e2e-diagnose-and-fix

✅ Cross-repo context

  Explored: repo: redhat-developer/rhdh-operator (sha: a425373c)

  Explored: repo: redhat-developer/rhdh-local (sha: a1776caa)

  Explored: repo: redhat-developer/rhdh-plugins (sha: af6eb5ae)

  Explored: repo: redhat-developer/rhdh-chart (sha: 94e45eac)

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[sonarqubecloud]

Quality Gate failed

Failed conditions
11.2% Duplication on New Code (required ≤ 3%)
C Security Rating on New Code (required ≥ A)
D Reliability Rating on New Code (required ≥ A)

See analysis details on SonarQube Cloud

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[openshift-ci]

@Zaperex: The following test failed, say /retest to rerun all failed tests or /retest-required to rerun all mandatory failed tests:

Test name	Commit	Details	Required	Rerun command
ci/prow/e2e-ocp-helm	9918c88	link	true	/test e2e-ocp-helm

Full PR test history. Your PR dashboard.

Details

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