PVC: Deprecate the download feature

[atduarte]

Changes made as part of #7901 make it difficult to keep the download feature. At the same time, this is a feature that has very low usage.

We are seeking to deprecate it, to accelerate the work on #7901, and later invest in better ways to solve the base problems that this feature was originally designed to mitigate.

As a first step we need to:

• Create an admin page feature to restore latest snapshot to a new workspace #14380
• Update dashboard to remove download feature #14381

After, we need to:

• Remove workspace download APIs #14520
• Update admin page by removing download feature #14382
• Prevent workspace content download (remove endpoints or change permissions) #14483
• Update website (remove workspace download feature) #14378

Internal RFC

[gtsiolis]

Great to see we're working towards workspace file durability (#7901)!

issue: Removing or deprecating features can be always tricky as some users may still be using this. Still, downloading workspace files is almost not used at all, see relevant discussions[1][2][3] (internal).

thought: Besides ensuring workspace files reliability, this could push us towards figuring out new ways to allow users to export or back up workspace files and more importantly file changes, like exporting in branch, downloading a patch, and more.

suggestion: From design perspective, we could do either 🅰️ subtly inform the user ad-hoc in the workspace context menu or 🅱️ inform them with a page-level alert that can be dismissed (probably an inform alert instead of a warning alert). In both options we could link to a docs section to explain further or to #7901. Introducing a modal to explain the deprecation sounds unnecessary and comes with a low impact, unless we'd like to put more effort in explaining why this is happening.

🅰️ Context menu	🅱️ Page-level alert

[easyCZ]

The removal should also remove the endpoints. Removing anything from the UI is not sufficient. If the endpoint should remain, then changing the required permissions for the download is required.

[atduarte]

Thank you for such a fast turn around and great job, @gtsiolis! I really like option A. 🙌 Option B would be best if there were a lot of users using but in this case I don't think is necessary.

[gtsiolis]

Hey @easyCZ @atduarte!

What do you think, George?

1. The PR Remove download workspace button from the workspaces list and admin dashboard #14393 is just removing the button from the admin UI which is currently broken, not sure why, maybe because of the PVC feature flag? 🤷
2. The endpoint is still being used in the workspaces list, where downloading workspaces still works, see separate issue in Update dashboard to remove download feature #14381.
3. I opened the PR in Remove download workspace button from the workspaces list and admin dashboard #14393 as a minimal viable change and a fast way forward as I have no prior experience with backend endpoints. 🤹

What about removing also the endpoint?

I've tried 🅰️ updating also the workspace entry context menu following the designs described above and 🅱️ removing the entrypoint. There's high chance I've removed more than needed or I missed removing more parts for the endpoint. 🛹

So, where can we go from here?

1. Either someone from the WebApp or Workspace team picking up Remove download workspace button from the workspaces list and admin dashboard #14393 to properly resolve Update dashboard to remove download feature #14381 and Update admin page by removing download feature #14382.
2. Keep the Remove download workspace button from the workspaces list and admin dashboard #14393 as a small MVC and merge the change that only removes the UI from the admin dashboard.
3. Closing Remove download workspace button from the workspaces list and admin dashboard #14393 and letting someone from the team create a new PR from scratch.

Let me know what you prefer, or you think will help the team move better or faster. 🏀

Current state of #14393

[kylos101]

👋 @gtsiolis is there any design work left for this issue? Do you need anything else from @easyCZ or @atduarte?

I ask because I am hoping we can Schedule the related work for Webapp team this week. cc: @geropl

[gtsiolis]

@kylos101 I've opened #14393 to try resolving the first two issues listed in the issue description above, #14381 and #14382.

However, I no longer actively work on #14393 and have listed how we can move forward with that PR in #14393 (comment).

[kylos101]

Thanks @gtsiolis ! I've added #14381 and #14382 to the WebApp board and set the status for both to in-progress. @geropl I'm not sure if there are other attributes on the project that should be set for WebApp team?

[gtsiolis]

Thanks, @kylos101! I've removed the ~needs visual design label and removed this issue from the product design board for now. From what I understand, #14380, listed in the issue description, could benefit from some design input, but let me know if this is the case. Cc @atduarte

[kylos101]

👋 @easyCZ I've created #14483 to track your recommendation, thank you for providing a couple options.

[gtsiolis]

@kylos101 #14393 could already cover #14483, but I'll leave this to @easyCZ to decide, see 3efa8bc from #14393.

[gtsiolis]

heads-up: @kylos101 The download functionality has been removed (merged, not deployed yet) from the workspaces list (#14381) and the admin dashboard (#14382).

We still need to resolve #14483 to completely remove the functionality. Cc @atduarte

[easyCZ]

The backend removal PRs are open, referenced in the issue

• Prevent workspace content download (remove endpoints or change permissions) #14483

[atduarte]

Closed as not planned given implementation of PVC in its existing form was halted.

[gtsiolis]

Thanks, @atduarte! heads-up: Although we reverted most of the changes listed in the description issue we haven't reverted the docs changes in https://github.com/gitpod-io/website/pull/3007. Cc @easyCZ because #14828

[atduarte]

Thanks, @gtsiolis! Reverting that too.

[gtsiolis]

Cross-posting relevant issue in case anyone runs into this issue in the future:

• Create a patch from workspace changes #14829