No error shown when workspace fails to start due to supervisor error

[WVerlaek]

Bug description

When a workspace fails to start due to supervisor exiting with an error (e.g. failing to setup the gitpod user in a custom image), the workspace immediately transitions to stopping and stopped, but doesn't show any error to the user:

Related: #12978 (comment) (has some more context as well)

Steps to reproduce

• Start workspace with a custom base image that doesn't have the gitpod user (e.g. hashicorp/terraform:1.2.9)
• supervisor fails to add the gitpod user and exits
• Workspace transitions to stopping -> stopped states without showing an error

Workspace affected

No response

Expected behavior

An error is shown to users if a workspace fails to start due to supervisor exiting with an error. If the error is for a missing gitpod user, the error message sent to the user should include a link to our docs on custom base images.

Example repository

No response

Anything else?

No response

[kylos101]

@akosyakov would you like Team IDE to own this one,or, is it one of those scenarios where maybe you'd prefer Team Workspace contribute to Supervisor? cc: @Furisto @utam0k @WVerlaek

[akosyakov]

@kylos101 if it is urgent for the workspace team because of PVC go ahead and create a PR 🙏

[kylos101]

👋 @akosyakov not urgent because of PVC (even when using object storage, the user gets an error message that is not helpful, so both failure modes are roughly the same). If I were to ask IDE team to do, could you estimate when you may be able to ingest as part of groundwork? That will help us know if we should do or not.

[kylos101]

Updated expected behavior to include a link if the gitpod user is missing.

[akosyakov]

We will consider it next Monday.

[kylos101]

For posterity, @WVerlaek is going to raise a PR, reference.

[WVerlaek]

For posterity, @WVerlaek is going to raise a PR, #12978 (comment).

Note that PR will solve a different issue that what's described here (it will fix a small bug in adduser for busybox-type images)

[kylos101]

Doh! Thank you, @WVerlaek .

Does this mean we still need help from IDE team? I ask because it's still in their inbox, and @akosyakov shared they were going to pick it up next week.

[WVerlaek]

@kylos101 yes if possible 🙏

Just raised the adduser fix here: #14438

[kylos101]

Perfect, thanks for clarifying @WVerlaek ! 💪 @akosyakov please let @WVerlaek know if you bump into any trouble or need help testing.