Why does che override the container entrypoint in a devfile on Red Hat Dev Spaces

[Charleeboyle]

Summary

I am trying to migrate from RedHat Code Ready Workspaces (CRW) to Red Hat Dev Spaces. Our existing devfile for CRW does not work in Dev Spaces because Che is contributing many different fields to the devfile upon creation of the workspace.

The following attributes are added to the devfile:

che-code.eclipse.org/contribute-cpuLimit: true
      che-code.eclipse.org/contribute-cpuRequest: true
      che-code.eclipse.org/contribute-endpoint/che-code: 3100
      che-code.eclipse.org/contribute-endpoint/code-redirect-1: 13131
      che-code.eclipse.org/contribute-endpoint/code-redirect-2: 13132
      che-code.eclipse.org/contribute-endpoint/code-redirect-3: 13133
      che-code.eclipse.org/contribute-entry-point: true
      che-code.eclipse.org/contribute-memoryLimit: true
      che-code.eclipse.org/contribute-memoryRequest: true
      che-code.eclipse.org/contribute-volume-mount/checode: /checode

The part causing the most confusion is this entrypoint command which is added to the container component of the devfile:

command:
        - /checode/entrypoint-volume.sh

From reading the devfile.io documentation, the command field modifies the entrypoint command of the container created from the image, and if not specified, the entrypoint from the provided image is used.

We provide a custom image for this container component, therefore when Che adds these fields into the devfile, the container does not start as intended. When this entrypoint command is removed from the devfile after the workspace is created, by editing the devfile, our container will start as intended, but then the workspace does not open.

What is the purpose of these Che contributions ? I notice that these are added to the "Empty Workspace" sample also.

Relevant information

The devfile we want to use:

schemaVersion: 2.1.0
metadata:
  name: sample-workspace
projects:
  - name: sample
    git:
      checkoutFrom:
        revision: main
      remotes:
        origin: < git repo containing our project source >
components:
    - name: ui
      container:
        image: < web application image which is hosted on the 9080 port>
        memoryLimit: 4927M
        mountSources: true
        endpoints:
          - name: ui
            targetPort: 9080
            exposure: public
            protocol: http

We are aiming for a workspace which opens our project source, and runs the specified image in a container ui, exposing it on the defined endpoint.

Our image entrypoint is being overridden when the workspace is created

command:
        - /checode/entrypoint-volume.sh

Do we need two container components in our devfile? One which will host the workspace, and one which will run our custom image?

[RomanNikitenko]

Hello, @Charleeboyle
About

I have no info about version you are using, but recently the corresponding part was reworked: https://github.com/eclipse-che/che-plugin-registry/pull/1566/files

So, it should be possible to start IDE on the post-start event, the entrypoint should not be overridden.

[Charleeboyle]

Hi @RomanNikitenko thanks for the speedy response.

Currently we are using the devspacesoperator.v3.5.0 as part of the registry.redhat.io/redhat/redhat-operator-index:v4.12 catalog source.

I wonder if our version does not include those changes in the PR

[RomanNikitenko]

The changes will be available within 3.6 version

[Charleeboyle]

Is there a timeline for the 3.6 release ?

[RomanNikitenko]

May 17 is date of the 3.6 release if I'm not mistaken.
The new version should be available here when the release is done.

[Charleeboyle]

This issue was resolved in version 3.6. Thank you.