Initial Plugin registry

[slemeur]

Description

In order to allow the work of other teams on the plugin model, we should be setting up an initial plugin registry which could be use to host the different plugins and serve them when a workspace is getting initialiazed.

At this moment, what's required would only be the ability to:

• host plugins (the .cfa which should probably better be named .che)
• an api to retrieve the list of plugins with their ID and URL
• should also allow plain Theia extensions

[skabashnyuk]

How these plugins are connected with Phase 1 of Workspace.Next implementation #9406? How they are related to Services, Features.

Are this is all about standalone Theia and has no relation to Che or containers?
There are already methods to get plugins. https://github.com/skabashnyuk/kubsrv/blob/master/README.md#how-to-use
What parts are we missing?

[benoitf]

hello, quick question @skabashnyuk

"parameters": [
            {
              "name": "THEIA_PLUGINS",
              "value": "eclipse-che-ssh-extension.tar.gz"
            }
          ]

"parameters": [
            {
              "name": "THEIA_PLUGINS",
              "value": "che-theia-github.tar.gz"
            }

how do we download these .tar.gz file ?

[benoitf]

also, how do I upload pure theia plugins ? (no che feature archive) as marketplace should be able to handle both

[skabashnyuk]

@benoitf that is a good question. I'll try to find some options for the next Ws.Next meeting.
Is there anything else that you want to clarify?

[slemeur]

@skabashnyuk : If you can manage to provide the URL to download the plugins that would allow other team to move forward.

[benoitf]

@skabashnyuk
I can describe the usecases if it may help

1. : Deploy "on the fly" a Che plugin from the registry from a running che instance.
   note: this che plugin has no workspace configuration (like a LSP to declare, etc) so there is no requirement to "stop/update workspace-config/start" a workspace
   details:

   • allow to list plugins from the IDE itself (or UD) and be able to install/uninstall plugins.
     --> Theia IDE can interact with registry, list and install plugins that are not impacting workspace configuration
     It requires to get URLs of each .theia plugin (or external links) embedded in the original che feature archive

2. Boot a workspace with a specified set of che plugins
   In the workspace configuration, THEIA_PLUGINS env var is provided, with the URLs to grab the .theia files.
   --> Theia, on startup, will analyze THEIA_PLUGINS, download the specified .theia files or external links/ids (if not already in a local cache for example) and install them when booting the IDE

3. Deploy a .theia file plugin from a running instance of Theia.
   allow to filter the type of plugins to only see theiaplugins

[skabashnyuk]

@benoitf here #9895 (comment) I've tried to adjust my vision to your thoughts.

[skabashnyuk]

done in https://github.com/eclipse/che-plugin-registry