redirect to desktop IDE on app domain

[akosyakov]

Description

An idea to redirect always on parent app domain, i.e. gitpod.io, via iframe to suppress popup on each new workspace start.

Important We need to consider a case if a user does not have yet app, but allowed pop-up always for some reason, i.e. for another IDE.

Related Issue(s)

Fixes #

How to test

• Select VS Code Desktop in settings.
• Start one workspace, click allow always in pop-up.
• Start another workspace, check that pop-up does not come anymore. VS Code Desktop is opened automatically.

Release Notes

Enable allowing redirect to Desktop IDEs for all workspaces.

Documentation

Werft options:

• /werft with-preview

[werft-gitpod-dev-com]

started the job as gitpod-build-ak-redirect-on-parent.1 because the annotations in the pull request description changed
(with .werft/ from main)

[loujaybee]

Oh wow, tested, and works great. IMO this redirect works more as a user would expect, once they allow once for Gitpod, doesn't seem relevant to keep showing this for different workspaces. A couple thoughts:

1. I cannot see an easy to get the prompt back (if I wanted to), without going to: code ~/Library/Application\ Support/Google/Chrome/Default/Preferences, and manually fiddling with the preferences, however that said we can easily document this anyway.

2. On mac, this will "pull" the focus to the desktop where VS Code is already opened (if it is). This isn't really related to this issue though, and is something we can investigate separately.

[loujaybee]

We need to consider a case if a user does not have yet app - @akosyakov

Thought(non-blocking):

1. If it's the users first experience, add an additional prompt asking the user to download, else dismiss (as in the NowTV example given in issue linked below).
2. Ensure that we are catching and handling any redirect errors where the external redirect fails.

We already have an issue for JetBrains for this, we can make it for both JetBrains and VS Code...

• Prompt when desktop IDE not installed (or open), e.g. "scheme does not have a registered handler" #9975

In both cases we could provide direct download embeds to download the app:

• Directly embed JetBrains Gateway download on workspace loading screen #8572

Also related:

• Track when Desktop IDE URI redirect fails #9934

CC: @gtsiolis

[akosyakov]

Ensure that we are catching and handling any redirect errors where the external redirect fails.

yes, it is also my thought if we want to suppress the dialog then we should handle errors and show own dialog. But from other side we already have a message in grayish which starts with if you **don't** see a dialog.... So maybe not a blocker?

In both cases we could provide direct download embeds to download the app:

I'm still uncomfortable with that. Because without toolbox users cannot upgrade Gateway and it will cause an issue with each major release. We could insert direct links to toolbox downloadable instead? I think this can be done as another PR though.

[loujaybee]

I think this can be done as another PR though. - @akosyakov

So maybe not a blocker? - @akosyakov

Ah yes, sorry my general sentiment is: "we have some proposals already lined up to catch/handle the failure states for the user" so we should be good to proceed with this PR and look at those UX niceties after for both JB + VS Code 🚀

Agree with your thoughts / concerns / suggestions on the embeds, we can discuss in the issue directly 🙏

[akosyakov]

/hold

• land [dashboard] allow to open desktop links on app domain #12102
• update compatibility check with build version from main

[akosyakov]

We need to think how we can pull the same trick for copy/paste feature.

[akosyakov]

/unhold