docs(user): expand External Storage page from 11-line stub to full user guide

user_manual/contents.rst

@@ -18,4 +18,3 @@ Table of contents
     universal_access
     user_2fa
     session_management
-    external_storage/index

user_manual/files/accessing.rst

@@ -9,3 +9,4 @@ Accessing your files
    access_webdav
    desktop_mobile_sync
    large_file_upload
+   external_storage

user_manual/files/external_storage.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+.. _external_storage_user_label:
+
+============================
+Using External Storage
+============================
+
+The External Storage application lets your Nextcloud server connect to remote file
+systems — such as Amazon S3, SFTP servers, SMB/CIFS shares, or WebDAV servers — and
+present them as folders inside your Files view. Your administration team configures
+which backends are available and which mounts are shared with you.
+
+If your administrator has enabled user-managed external storage, you can also add
+your own connections under Personal Settings.
+
+Accessing external storage
+--------------------------
+
+External storage mounts appear as regular folders in your Files view. You can
+browse, upload, download, and delete files in them just as you would any other
+folder. Whether sharing is available depends on whether your administrator has
+enabled it for each individual mount.
+
+A colored indicator next to the folder name shows the connection status:
+
+* Green — the storage is connected and ready to use.
+* Yellow — the storage could not be reached; Nextcloud will retry automatically.
+* Red — the storage is unavailable. Contact your administrator if this persists.
+
+When a mount is unavailable, Nextcloud marks it as offline for ten minutes before
+retrying. You can trigger a manual recheck by clicking the status indicator.
+
+.. note::
+   Some external storage mounts may be read-only. You will not be able to upload
+   or delete files on a read-only mount.
+
+Sharing files from external storage
+------------------------------------
+
+Sharing from an external storage mount works the same as sharing any other file or
+folder — use the share icon in the Files view. Sharing must be explicitly enabled on
+each mount by your administrator, so the share icon may not be available on all
+mounts.
+
+.. note::
+   Server-side encryption is not available for external mounts pointing to other
+   Nextcloud instances.
+
+Adding your own external storage
+---------------------------------
+
+If your administrator has enabled user-managed external storage, you can connect
+your own storage services under **Personal Settings → External Storage**.
+
+To add a new mount:
+
+1. Click your profile icon in the top right and select **Personal Settings**.
+2. Select **External Storage** from the left sidebar.
+3. Choose a backend from the **Add storage** dropdown.
+4. Fill in the required fields for the backend (server address, path, credentials, etc.).
+5. Select an authentication method from the **Authentication** dropdown.
+
+Required fields are marked with a red border. Once all required fields are filled,
+the mount is saved automatically.
+
+A green dot next to the mount confirms a successful connection. A red or yellow icon
+means Nextcloud could not connect — check your credentials and network settings.
+
+To remove a mount, open the three-dot overflow menu next to it and select **Delete**.
+
+.. note::
+   Mounts you add under Personal Settings are visible only to your account.
+
+Supported backends
+------------------
+
+The following backends may be available, depending on what your administrator has
+enabled:
+
+* **Amazon S3** — Amazon Simple Storage Service buckets and S3-compatible storage.
+* **FTP** — FTP and FTPS servers.
+* **Nextcloud / ownCloud** — Another Nextcloud or ownCloud instance over WebDAV.
+* **OpenStack Object Storage** — OpenStack Swift buckets.
+* **SFTP** — SSH File Transfer Protocol servers.
+* **SMB / CIFS** — Windows file shares and Samba servers.
+* **WebDAV** — Any WebDAV-compatible server.
+
+For backend-specific configuration details, see
+`Configuring External Storage (GUI) <https://docs.nextcloud.com/server/latest/admin_manual/configuration_files/external_storage_configuration_gui.html>`_
+in the Administrator's manual.
+
+File change detection
+---------------------
+
+Files you add or change through Nextcloud are reflected immediately. Files added
+or changed directly on the external storage — without going through Nextcloud — may
+not appear until the next background scan.
+
+If externally added files are not appearing, ask your administrator to run
+``occ files:scan`` or to configure a periodic background scan for the mount.