Airgap support for VS Code as an Eclipse Che editor

[benoitf]

(was: Check if che plug-in registry could provide the VS Code marketplace API)

Is your task related to a problem? Please describe

For offline/airgap mode, we will need a private registry to provide vsix files.
OpenVSX requires a database + elasticsearch (and oAuth is only github)

So we should check if we can propose basic API on top of existing plug-in registry to provide these offline features if people don't need a '3-tier service' for that purpose.

Describe the solution you'd like

Layer providing queries/download of VSIX files

Describe alternatives you've considered

Allow to set by preferences of the user the registry to use (like Eclipse OpenVSX instance, in-house OpenVSX, etc.)

Additional context

• Add new fields in CheCluster CR to configure VS Code marketplace #21598
• Che operator should propagate an env varialble START_OPENVSX to the plugin registry #21611
• Provides OpenVSX CheCluster URL to user containers #21600
• feat: Embed OpenVsx in plug-in registry with few vsix files che-plugin-registry#1324
• Use either OpenVSX.org or local OpenVSX instance when starting VS Code #21601
• feat: Allow to use OpenVSX instance from the plug-in registry che-incubator/che-code#85
• fix: X-Forwarded-Host header can be array or comma separated list eclipse/openvsx#499
• feat: Update memory for Plugin-Registry to 1536Mi che-operator#1464
• adjust memory of plug-in registry container based on CheCluster settings #21620
• Dashboard does not respect CheCluster CR changes #21654
• Can't install an extension from the embedded openVSX  #21662

Release Notes Text

It's now possible to run an Eclipse Che workspace using VS Code as editor in a cluster with a restricted/disconnected network (air gap). Eclipse Che is now able to run a local open-vsx registry instance within the plugin-registry pod so that VS Code editors running in workspaces can use it to manage extensions. To control what instance of open-vsx should be used in the workspaces we have introduced a new field inCheCluster CR to specify the open-vsx URL.

[tsmaeder]

Wouldn't it make more sense to improve the upstream open-vsx code base to make it more modular? It would allow other open-vsx clients to benefit, as well.

[benoitf]

yes the first path is to try to enhance OpenVSX (and there are already some PRs to support this light mode)

[che-bot]

Issues go stale after 180 days of inactivity. lifecycle/stale issues rot after an additional 7 days of inactivity and eventually close.

Mark the issue as fresh with /remove-lifecycle stale in a new comment.

If this issue is safe to close now please do so.

Moderators: Add lifecycle/frozen label to avoid stale mode.

[devstudio-release]

sync'd to Red Hat JIRA https://issues.redhat.com/browse/CRW-3378