Allow access to Gitpod as an unauthenticated user

[loujaybee]

Context: Having a method of cloning / starting a project in an unauthenticated manner can value to users onboarding.

Via a non-authenticated flow, we can present to the user upfront how Gitpod works and brings value to them before they are required to hand over their login credentials, this is especially relevant to apps like Gitpod that handle access to sensitive information.

There are many valid reasons why a user would hesitate to sign-up to an app like Gitpod, e.g. the user doesn't want to grant access to their private code, or has other privacy-related concerns around handing over their sensitive data to an unknown entity (Gitpod). I've seen authentication hesitation across many different applications, and lifting authentication requirements to experience the product can sometimes help a user to experience the product in a "risk-free" way.

Experimenting with this idea could be worthwhile.

Examples:

• DAZN allowing users to browse the catalog and see content before logging in.
• Exalidraw allowing you to use the app before logging in.

Challenges

• Disabling elements of terminal access (vscode.dev disables the terminal)
• Preventing abuse (e.g. mining)
• We're not just VS Code browser, and this experience could re-inforce that misconception

Additional information

• Related Twitter thread.
• See vscode.dev

Related to:

• https://github.com/gitpod-io/gitpod/issues/8971

[ghost]

Not only the terminal. Also some extensions like Python and JS Debugger etc.

[stale[bot]]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.

[shaal]

I think this is still a very important feature. Can we add meta: never-stale to this issue?

[ghost]

Not only the terminal. Also some extensions like Python and JS Debugger etc.

Now we can restrict them for doing those things with VSCode's restricted mode. Not sure about jetbrains tho.

[stale[bot]]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.

[stale[bot]]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.

[ghost]

Don't stale

[stale[bot]]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.

[shaal]

I think this is still an important feature.

[istvandesign]

I think this is an important feature for conducting interviews/pair programming with third parties on gitpod.

[testliopavel]

Just pinging the team about this. This is definitely the feature we've been looking for. Any estimates on when this might be implemented? And speaking of the VS Code restricted mode - is this something we can configure, or does it need to be done from the Gitpod team side?

[axonasif]

And speaking of the VS Code restricted mode - is this something we can configure, or does it need to be done from the Gitpod team side?

hi @testliopavel, do you want the restricted mode to be turned off by default or something like that?

[testliopavel]

Thanks for your reply! I'm seeking an alternative solution that would allow me to lock certain files from editing. This would be ideal if the Gitpod workspace could be accessed with an unauthenticated user. But I'm unsure if this is something that can be achieved with Restricted Mode at this time...

[axonasif]

Technically, I think you could build a VSCode extension to emulate such behavior of marking certain files as un-modifiable. I don't know of any built-it VSCode feature to allow that.