Improve opening flow + docs for VS Code Desktop (many popups)

[tobiasdiez]

When you start a workspace in desktop VS code, you have to

1. Allow the redirect to desktop client
   1. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployedge/microsoft-edge-policies#autolaunchprotocolsfromorigins
   2. https://chromeenterprise.google/policies/#AutoLaunchProtocolsFromOrigins
   3. https://admx.help/?Category=Chrome&Policy=Google.Policies.Chrome::AutoLaunchProtocolsFromOrigins
   4. MS Edge configuration: [{"allowed_origins": [ "https://gitpod.io" ], "protocol": "vscode"}, {"allowed_origins": ["https://gitpod.io"], "protocol": "jetbrains-gateway"}]
   5. https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/7517624?hl=en&ref_topic=9023246
2. Select the remote server platform (linux)
3. Accept the ssh fingerprint
4. Decide if you trust the contents of the remote repo

Relates to:

• Epic: SSH key support for VS Code Desktop #8513
• https://github.com/gitpod-io/website/issues/2262
• https://github.com/gitpod-io/website/issues/1262
• https://github.com/gitpod-io/website/issues/2455

Original description

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe

When you start a workspace in desktop VS code, you have to

• Select the remote server platform (linux)
• Accept the ssh fingerprint
• Decide if you trust the contents of the remote repo

One has to do this for every new workspace, even for the same repo.

Describe the behaviour you'd like

Make it possible to save the choices (per repo), so that one doesn't need to answer any questions when working on repos that one usually contributes too.

Describe alternatives you've considered

Writing a script that automatically clicks the correct buttons.

Additional context

Might be part of #8513

[loujaybee]

Thanks for raising @tobiasdiez! 🙏

@jeanp413 can you confirm if gitpod-io/openvscode-server#346 would resolve the SSH fingerprint prompt? We have a fix in JetBrains to suppress the known hosts dialog (CC: @iQQBot).

[loujaybee]

Thanks again for raising this @tobiasdiez 🙏

Going to now close this issue, here are a couple related docs:

• VS Code Desktop and SSH explained
• How to optimise the VS Code Desktop opening flow

1. SSH fingerprint is now optimised with SSH Gateway settings, we recommend setting up an SSH key, and setting gitpod.remote.useLocalApp to false in your VS Code Preferences so that you get the latest connection method.

• How to upload an SSH key to Gitpod
• Connecting to VS Code via SSH Gateway method

2. The browser redirect will only need to be dismissed once going forward (not per workspace)

• redirect to desktop IDE on app domain #12082

3. How to optimise Workspace Trust is now documented

• How to optimise Workspace Trust popup for VS Code

Please have a go setting everything up @tobiasdiez and let us know if you have any feedback 😁