Connect My Computer

[ravicious]

RFD 133

Setup

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1. Foundation (WIP CTA + new document) Connect My Computer: Add a setup document and an icon in the top bar #28063
2. Checking permissions before showing CMC in the UI + feature flag Connect My Computer: check permissions before showing in the UI #28346
3. Setting up the roles (Add role setup for Connect My Computer in tshd #28891 & Add frontend part of Connect My Computer role setup #28956)
4. Connect My Computer: Downloading the agent #28181
   teleport-connect +1
   
5. Generating the config file Connect My Computer: Generate the config file #29010
6. Joining the cluster Connect My Computer: Join cluster #29479
7. Connect My Computer: Update the copy in the setup tab #28281
   teleport-connect +1
   
8. Connect My Computer: Add progress bar to the setup screen #32312
   backport/branch/v14 size/md ui +3

Setup implementation details

Once we agree on the UI, it's likely we'll have to go back to the setup steps and adjust them a little bit. For example, launching the agent during the setup might initially be much simpler than what we'll need later on to get updates on the status of the agent process. However, initially we shouldn't concern ourselves with that, we want to just implement the setup, let's just keep in mind that we're probably have to share some state between the setup doc and the rest of the UI.

The renderer is going to perform all four steps. Some of them will need access to tshd client (such as setting up the roles), while others will need to talk with the main process (such as downloading the agent). Since we need to report the status of each step to the user, it'll be easier to just have some kind of a separate handler for each step.

When checking permissions, always check them for the root cluster - ACL is not defined for leafs.

Joining the cluster

For now just start the agent without checking if the node successfully joined the cluster.

Status UI

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1. Status tab for Connect My Computer #28934
   teleport-connect +1
   

Agent lifecycle

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1. Implement waiting for Connect My Computer node to join cluster #30905
   backport/branch/v14 size/md tsh +3
2. Connect My Computer: Auto start the agent #30758
   size/md ui +2
3. Connect My Computer: Remove the agent #31020
   backport/branch/v14 size/md ui +3
4. Connect My Computer: Keeping compatibility promise #31951
   backport/branch/v14 size/md ui +3
5. Connect My Computer: Enable telemetry #31638
   backport/branch/v14 size/sm ui +3

Other

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1. Telemetry https://github.com/gravitational/cloud/pull/5552 Connect My Computer: Add usage events #30033
2. Ensure Connect My Computer agent is terminated if orphaned #29896
   size/lg ui +2
3. Add docs for Connect My Computer #32798
   backport/branch/v14 documentation size/md +3

Papercuts

Important

• Either bring back old GenerateUserCerts behavior (Get accessInfo based on user on access request drop #31068) or ask for relogin during setup.
• Single ConnectMyComputer doc rather than two separate document types for status and setup (Connect My Computer: Use a single document #31699)
  • Still, the distinction between setup and status is important on subcomponent level.
  • This would also fix the problem with setup redirect described below.
• Logs are not stored to disk (Connect My Computer: Store agent logs #32044).
  • Create a LoggerService for each agent on spawn event.
• Move the icon to top left (Connect My Computer: Move icon to the top bar #31751).
  • Use a portal for this, see ravicious/cmc-portal-example.
• The default CTA on the status page when the agent is running should be Start SSH Session, not Disconnect (Connect my Computer: Various fixes #31794)
• Make the logs on the status page wider (Connect my Computer: Various fixes #31794)
• The icon should be visible when the user has permissions to set up Connect My Computer or if the agent has been already set up (Connect my Computer: Various fixes #31794)
• Do not omit checking all permissions when the agent is configured (Connect My Computer: Do not omit checking all permissions when the agent is configured #31927)

Good to have

• Setup should redirect to Status (as in open the tab) only if Setup is the current active location.
• Rather minor issue: CreateConnectMyComputerRole should return not certsReloaded, but the name of the created role.
  • The UI should then check if the created role is in the list of roles of the current user. If not, it should sync root cluster details.
  • With the current implementation, in a pristine state if CreateConnectMyComputerRole succeeds but the attepm to GetCluster fails and you attempt to repeat the setup, CreateConnectMyComputerRole will return certsReloaded: false and the app won't attempt to refresh the certs in the UI.
• Attempt to call RemoveNode after stopping the agent. Otherwise the agent will linger in the cache.
  • This means that the agents need to be stopped before tshd.

Stretch

• Use a single role with traits. Add role setup for Connect My Computer in tshd #28891 (comment)
• Add animations for error boxes in Setup
• Show download progress in the UI (electron native progress bar does not work on Linux)
• teleport CLI API tests (detecting breaking changes)

After release

• Discover tile with link to docs

[ravicious]

Moved docs & the Discover tile to the new "After release" section. The release of the feature will mean that Connect My Computer is available in Connect. After the release we'll work on getting people to use it.

Removed WSL from the stretch goals. We'll think of WSL if the feature gains traction.

Moved teleport CLI API tests to the stretch goals. The API is unlikely to change, so the tests would not bring as much value.