Plugin System

BoxMux includes a plugin system for extending functionality with dynamic component loading, security validation, custom UI components, and data sources.

Table of Contents

Overview

The BoxMux plugin system enables:

Key Features

Plugin Architecture

Plugin Lifecycle

  1. Manifest Discovery: BoxMux scans for plugin manifest files (.toml format)
  2. Manifest Validation: Validates plugin metadata, dependencies, and permissions
  3. Security Check: Verifies requested permissions against security policy
  4. Dynamic Loading: Attempts to load plugin shared library using libloading
  5. Interface Binding: Binds plugin functions to BoxMux plugin interface
  6. Registration: Registers plugin in component registry for use by boxes
  7. Fallback Handling: Falls back to mock implementation if loading fails

Component Types

The plugin system supports various component types:

Security Model

Permission System

Plugins must declare required permissions in their manifest:

Available Permissions

Permission Validation

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

# plugin-manifest.toml
[security]
permissions = [
    "filesystem_read",
    "network_access"
]

sandbox_enabled = true
resource_limits = { memory = "100MB", cpu_time = "5s" }

Security Manager

The PluginSecurityManager validates permissions and enforces security policies:

Plugin Development

Plugin Interface

Plugins must implement the core plugin interface:

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

// Plugin trait (simplified example)
pub trait BoxMuxPlugin {
    fn get_name(&self) -> &str;
    fn get_version(&self) -> &str;
    fn render(&self, config: &PluginConfig) -> Result<String, PluginError>;
    fn update(&mut self, data: &[u8]) -> Result<(), PluginError>;
}

Plugin Manifest

Each plugin requires a TOML manifest file:

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26

# example-plugin.toml
[plugin]
name = "metrics_visualizer"
version = "1.0.0"
description = "Advanced metrics visualization plugin"
author = "Developer Name"
license = "MIT"

[binary]
path = "libmetrics_visualizer.so"
entry_point = "create_plugin"

[dependencies]
boxmux = ">=0.76.0"
serde = "1.0"

[security]
permissions = [
    "filesystem_read",
    "network_access"
]
sandbox_enabled = true

[config]
schema = "config-schema.json"
default_config = { refresh_rate = 1000, max_points = 100 }

Plugin Implementation Example

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38

// libmetrics_visualizer/src/lib.rs
use boxmux_plugin_api::*;

pub struct MetricsVisualizerPlugin {
    name: String,
    version: String,
}

impl BoxMuxPlugin for MetricsVisualizerPlugin {
    fn get_name(&self) -> &str {
        &self.name
    }
    
    fn get_version(&self) -> &str {
        &self.version
    }
    
    fn render(&self, config: &PluginConfig) -> Result<String, PluginError> {
        // Custom visualization logic
        let data = self.fetch_metrics(config)?;
        let visualization = self.create_heatmap(&data)?;
        Ok(visualization)
    }
    
    fn update(&mut self, data: &[u8]) -> Result<(), PluginError> {
        // Update plugin state with new data
        Ok(())
    }
}

// Plugin entry point
#[no_mangle]
pub extern "C" fn create_plugin() -> Box<dyn BoxMuxPlugin> {
    Box::new(MetricsVisualizerPlugin {
        name: "metrics_visualizer".to_string(),
        version: "1.0.0".to_string(),
    })
}

Configuration

Box Plugin Configuration

Use plugins in box configurations:

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31

# Basic plugin usage
- id: 'custom_viz'
  title: 'Custom Visualization'
  plugin_type: 'metrics_visualizer'
  plugin_config:
    data_source: '/var/log/metrics.json'
    visualization_type: 'heatmap'
    refresh_rate: 1000
  security_permissions:
    - 'filesystem_read'

# Advanced plugin configuration
- id: 'api_monitor'
  title: 'API Status Monitor'
  plugin_type: 'http_monitor'
  plugin_config:
    endpoints:
      - name: 'Main API'
        url: 'https://api.example.com/health'
        timeout: 5000
        expected_status: 200
      - name: 'Database API'
        url: 'https://db.example.com/status'
        timeout: 3000
        headers:
          Authorization: 'Bearer ${API_TOKEN}'
    display_format: 'status_grid'
    alert_threshold: 500
  security_permissions:
    - 'network_access'
    - 'environment_access'

Plugin Registry Configuration

Configure plugin discovery and loading:

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

app:
  plugin_config:
    plugin_directories:
      - '/usr/local/lib/boxmux/plugins'
      - '~/.boxmux/plugins'
      - './plugins'
    security_policy: 'strict'  # strict, permissive, development
    fallback_enabled: true
    cache_enabled: true

Examples

Data Visualization Plugin

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

# Custom metrics dashboard
- id: 'metrics_dashboard'
  title: 'Advanced Metrics'
  plugin_type: 'prometheus_visualizer'
  plugin_config:
    prometheus_url: 'http://localhost:9090'
    metrics:
      - name: 'cpu_usage'
        query: 'rate(cpu_usage_total[5m])'
        chart_type: 'line'
      - name: 'memory_usage'  
        query: 'memory_usage_bytes / memory_total_bytes * 100'
        chart_type: 'gauge'
    refresh_interval: 5000
  security_permissions:
    - 'network_access'

External Integration Plugin

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

# Kubernetes cluster monitor
- id: 'k8s_monitor'
  title: 'Kubernetes Status'
  plugin_type: 'kubernetes_monitor'
  plugin_config:
    kubeconfig: '~/.kube/config'
    namespace: 'default'
    resources:
      - 'pods'
      - 'services'
      - 'deployments'
    display_format: 'table'
  security_permissions:
    - 'filesystem_read'
    - 'network_access'
    - 'process_spawn'

Custom Data Processor Plugin

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15

# Log analysis plugin
- id: 'log_analyzer'
  title: 'Log Analysis'
  plugin_type: 'log_processor'
  plugin_config:
    log_files:
      - '/var/log/nginx/access.log'
      - '/var/log/nginx/error.log'
    analysis_type: 'real_time'
    filters:
      - 'error_level >= warning'
      - 'response_time > 1000'
    aggregation_window: '5m'
  security_permissions:
    - 'filesystem_read'

Development Plugin (Mock Fallback)

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

# Development plugin with fallback
- id: 'dev_plugin'
  title: 'Development Feature'
  plugin_type: 'experimental_feature'
  plugin_config:
    feature_flag: 'enable_new_ui'
    mock_data: true
  # No security_permissions - will use mock implementation

Best Practices

Plugin Development

  1. Clear Interfaces: Design clean, well-documented plugin interfaces
  2. Error Handling: Implement comprehensive error handling and recovery
  3. Resource Management: Properly manage memory and system resources
  4. Testing: Include comprehensive tests for plugin functionality
  5. Documentation: Provide clear documentation and examples

Security Considerations

  1. Minimal Permissions: Request only necessary permissions
  2. Input Validation: Validate all input data and configuration
  3. Sandbox Isolation: Use sandbox mode for untrusted plugins
  4. Regular Updates: Keep plugins updated with security patches
  5. Code Review: Review plugin code for security vulnerabilities

Configuration Management

  1. Schema Validation: Use JSON schemas for plugin configuration validation
  2. Default Values: Provide sensible defaults for plugin configuration
  3. Environment Variables: Support environment-based configuration
  4. Hot Reloading: Design plugins to support configuration updates
  5. Fallback Strategies: Implement graceful fallback for plugin failures

Performance Optimization

  1. Lazy Loading: Load plugins only when needed
  2. Caching: Cache plugin results where appropriate
  3. Resource Limits: Set appropriate resource limits for plugins
  4. Profiling: Profile plugin performance and optimize bottlenecks
  5. Memory Management: Monitor and optimize memory usage

Development Workflow

  1. Mock Development: Use mock implementations during development
  2. Incremental Testing: Test plugins incrementally with real data
  3. Integration Testing: Test plugin integration with BoxMux
  4. Performance Testing: Verify plugin performance under load
  5. Security Testing: Test plugin security and permission handling

Plugin Distribution

  1. Package Management: Use proper package management for plugin distribution
  2. Version Compatibility: Maintain backward compatibility where possible
  3. Dependency Management: Clearly document and manage dependencies
  4. Installation Scripts: Provide easy installation and setup scripts
  5. Update Mechanisms: Implement plugin update and migration mechanisms

For plugin configuration reference, see Configuration Reference.
For development examples, see User Guide.
For security guidelines, see the Security section in the main documentation.