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Configure the Web IDE's extension marketplace URL

Problem to solve

Once we enable the installation of extensions in the Web IDE, we have to consider the variety of sources from which developers install extensions.

Open VSX is a well-known public marketplace, but its foundation is an open source project that can be forked and self-hosted. For some larger organizations, they want to provide access to a subset of extensions or host custom, internal extensions that wouldn't be listed on a public marketplace. These organizations should be able to configure the source for their extension marketplace.

Proposal

Introduce the ability to override the URL for the extension marketplace.

This feature plays into a larger strategy to provide flexible options for installing extensions. We would introduce a setting that works something like

Web IDE Extension Marketplace [select]
--> Open VSX marketplace
--> Custom marketplace

(if custom)
Marketplace URL [URL input]

Questions

  1. This seems like an instance-level configuration for self-managed but does it make sense to offer this at the group level on SaaS?
  2. What kind of protocols do customers need to conform to in order to provide the Web IDE with a searchable directory of extensions? We should probably have in-app messaging and a link to documentation that lets them know how to properly configure an alternate directory.

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