add Gitpod doc (Seneca-CDOT#2474)

* add  Gitpod doc

* Fix gitpod doc #1

.gitpod.yml

@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ github:
     # add a "Review in Gitpod" button as a comment to pull requests (defaults to false)
     addComment: true
     # add a "Review in Gitpod" button to the pull request's description (defaults to false)
-    addBadge: true
+    addBadge: false
 
 # Install recommended extension, only installed once each user
 vscode:

docs/CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -14,12 +14,20 @@ Before creating an issue:
 - If they are, reach out and try to help.
 - Use [our Labels](https://github.com/Seneca-CDOT/telescope/labels) to help others quickly understand what an issue is all about.
 
-## Environment Setup
+## Local Environment Setup
 
 Telescope has many parts, and setup requires you to install a number of tools
 and dependencies. For instructions on how to setup your Telescope environment, please see
 the [Environment Setup documentation](https://github.com/Seneca-CDOT/telescope/blob/master/docs/environment-setup.md).
 
+## Browser-based Setup using Gitpod
+
+If you are just getting started, we recommend setting up Telescope locally first
+to familiarize yourself with the workflows of a typical project.
+
+However, you can also start an automated development environment and access it
+through your browser, please refer to [Develop on Gitpod](https://github.com/Seneca-CDOT/telescope/blob/master/docs/gitpod.md)
+
 ## Technologies
 
 Telescope uses quite a few different technologies, and we have some project specific

docs/gitpod.md

@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+# Development on Gitpod
+
+You can start an automated development environment in the cloud and access it
+through your browser.
+
+We have described the environment setup steps to Gitpod in [gitpod.yml](https://github.com/Seneca-CDOT/telescope/blob/master/.gitpod.yml)
+which takes care of installing dependencies, building, starting micro-services and
+starting the frontend development server for you.
+
+> Gitpod is a container-based development platform that puts developer experience first.
+> Gitpod provisions ready-to-code developer environments in the cloud accessible through your browser
+
+[Learn more about Gitpod](https://www.gitpod.io/docs)
+
+## Gitpod Pricing
+
+Gitpod gives each account 50 hours for free per month. When free hours run out, you can
+still keep working on your open workspaces but new workspaces can't be created.
+
+If you enjoy the experience, you can upgrade to Gitpod student plan without needing a credit card.
+
+|                     | Free              | Student Unleashed |
+| ------------------- | ----------------- | ----------------- |
+| Repository          | Public && Private | Public && Private |
+| Workspaces hours    | 50                | Unlimited         |
+| Workspace timeout   | 30 minutes        | 1 + 3 boost hours |
+| Parallel workspaces | 4                 | 16                |
+| Team collaboration  | No                | Yes               |
+| Monthly cost        | Free              | $9                |
+
+Learn more about [Gitpod pricing](https://www.gitpod.io/pricing)
+
+## Open a Gitpod workspace
+
+A Gitpod workspace includes everything developers need to be productive: source code, a
+Linux shell with root/sudo, a file system, the full VS Code editing experience including
+extensions, language support and all other tools and binaries that run on Linux.
+
+1. In a browser, navigate to a Telescope's Github branch, commit, Issue, or PR page.
+
+2. Open in Gitpod:
+
+- Option 1: [Install the Gitpod extension](https://www.gitpod.io/docs/browser-extension) to open the page in Gitpod with a click of a button.
+  ![Open in Gitpod](./images/openInGitpod.png)
+- Option 2: In the address bar, prefix the entire URL with `gitpod.io/#` and press Enter,
+  E.g, [gitpod.io/#https://github.com/Seneca-CDOT/telescope](https://gitpod.io/#https://github.com/Seneca-CDOT/telescope)
+
+3. To use GitPod, you need to have a Git hosting account such as Github, GitLab or BitBucket.
+
+4. You will see the familiar VSCode in the browser serving Telescope source code:
+
+   ![Browser-base vscode](./images/gitpodVSCode.png)
+
+- If you open an Issue, Gitpod automatically checks out a new git branch for you to work on.
+- On the first tab of the VScode terminal, the left half is for building and starting
+  services, the second half waits for services to start and spins up the Next frontend dev server.
+  Switch to the second tab for running terminal commands.
+- Each workspace is assigned a unique URL, however, it's not stable because a workspace is considered to be short-lived.
+
+## Gitpod pre-builds
+
+Gitpod continuously builds all Telescope Git branches like a CI server. Whenever the code changes
+(e.g. when new commits are pushed to your repository), Gitpod can prebuild workspaces,
+i.e. run the init commands in your .gitpod.yml configuration file before you even start a workspace.
+
+## Shut down your workspaces
+
+Within 3 minutes after closing your workspace browser tab, it will be stopped.
+
+Unused workspaces are automatically deleted after 14 days of inactivity.
+To prevent a workspace from being deleted, you can pin it in your list of workspaces.
+Pinned workspaces are kept forever.
+
+## Resuming workspaces
+
+Navigate to [Gitpod Dashboard](https://gitpod.io/workspaces) to select a workspace to continue
+working on.