additional workarounds for code oss remote 1.83

README.md

@@ -740,7 +740,6 @@ and only VSCodium has official server-side builds, so you'll need to use custom
 
 Steps to get it running, assuming that you already have keyring and key-based SSH auth (with non-RSA key) configured:
 
-
 In container (one of the sources: https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-remote-release/issues/6347):
 ```
 doas apk add gcompat libstdc++ curl bash git procps
@@ -752,16 +751,46 @@ On host (where you intend to run IDE client):
 `doas apk add code-oss`
 
 Run `code-oss`, add "Open Remote - SSH" extension by jeanp413.
-Go to its settings, and set "Server Download Url Template" to
+
+Go to its settings, and:
+* Set "Server Download Url Template" to
 `https://github.com/gitpod-io/openvscode-server/releases/download/openvscode-server-v${version}/openvscode-server-v${version}-${os}-${arch}.tar.gz`
 (otherwise it will download VSCodium server-side builds by default).
+* Set "Experimental: Server Binary Name" to `openvscode-server` (otherwise it will try to launch remote `code-server-oss` which does not exist and never will, taking its name from Code OSS `product.json`).
+
 Exit `code-oss`.
 
 Add `"enable-proposed-api": ["jeanp413.open-remote-ssh"]` at the root level of `~/.vscode-oss/argv.json`.
 
+> ##### Patch code-oss manifests
+>
+> (TODO: figure how to optimize this step without having to manually patch them after every update)
+>
+> In /usr/lib/code-uss/resources/app:
+>
+> * Update `package.json`: update `version` and `distro` fields to refer to the compatible version https://github.com/gitpod-io/openvscode-server/releases (for example, latest code-oss in aports at the moment of this writing is 1.83.1, but openvscode-server is only released for 1.83.0);
+> * Update `product.json`: update `version` field and add `commit` field as needed; change `serverApplicationName` from `code-server-oss` (which does not exist and never will) to `openvscode-server` ()
+
 Run `code-oss` again, you'll get remote button under the marketplace button.
 Go there, add your host, right-click it, connect.
 Connection should be successful, and you should see "connected to remote" on Code OSS main screen.
+
+> ##### Work around certain musl incompatibilities
+>
+> Some openvscode-server versions cannot start on Alpine (https://github.com/gitpod-io/openvscode-server/issues/534).
+>
+> In order to solve this, after Open Remote - SSH extension downloaded and unpacked REH binaries and displayed an error saying that it could not start the remote server:
+>
+> SSH into the container, go to `~/.vscode-server-oss/bin/COMMIT_NAME/`,
+> ```
+> doas apk add ouch
+> wget https://unofficial-builds.nodejs.org/download/release/v18.15.0/node-v18.15.0-linux-x64-musl.tar.xz
+> ouch decompress https://unofficial-builds.nodejs.org/download/release/v18.15.0/node-v18.15.0-linux-x64-musl.tar.xz
+> rm node
+> cp node-v18.15.0-linux-x64-musl/bin/node .
+> ```
+> and tell Code OSS to try again.
+
 "Open folder" should take you to the remote directory structure, allowing you to open projects hosted in container.
 All code-related extensions will also work in remote context, isolated from the parent system and unable to affect it,
 no matter what malicious npm packages get installed into container.