August 2021 Summaries

The New Gitpod Button has been added to GitLab Merge Request pages, making it easier for developers to review code changes. This feature provides a fresh development environment specifically for reviewing merge requests and is closed once the job is done. To launch a preconfigured Gitpod workspace from a GitLab merge request, simply add "gitpod.io/#" in front of the URL and hit Enter. The integration is also available on all merge request pages with the GitLab 14.2 release. Cornelius from Gitpod was awarded the "Golden Fork" for his contribution to the GitLab integration.

DevX Digest discusses the rise of ephemeral developer environments and their potential to improve the developer experience. The article highlights the challenges faced by developers in setting up and maintaining local developer environments, such as time-consuming setup processes and difficulties in reviewing code changes. It then introduces the concept of ephemeral developer environments, which are cloud-based and can be easily set up with a single configuration file. These environments reduce friction for developers by ensuring that they always have a consistent environment ready to go. The article also presents five workflows where ephemeral dev environments can improve productivity: onboarding, developing a feature, reviewing a PR, helping another team with code, and checking out an open-source project. Gitpod and GitHub Codespaces are mentioned as leading platforms in this new approach to developer environments. The article invites readers to share their thoughts on the topic and encourages them to join the DevX community for further discussions.

Running workshops is easier and more productive with Gitpod. The platform allows for automation of prerequisite activities, ensuring attendees can focus on learning the content being taught. By converting workshops to Docker images, they become repeatable and reproducible, reducing the need for complex setup processes. DataStax has integrated their cloud-native database-as-a-service product offering with Gitpod, while Pulumi uses Gitpod for their instructor-led workshops. The integration of workshops as code can be done by supplying a Dockerfile and specifying the commands to execute in a Git repository hosted on platforms like GitHub, GitLab or BitBucket.

GitHub Codespaces and Gitpod are working together to improve the developer experience with ephemeral, cloud-based developer environments. This approach is expected to become the standard by 2023, similar to how continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) has evolved today. The adoption of container-based dev environments in the cloud will help address issues such as multi-track development, local machine limits, security concerns, consistency problems, onboarding challenges, and remote work scenarios. Gitpod's free tier is now available to every developer with a GitLab, GitHub, and/or Bitbucket account, offering access to both public and private repositories for 50 hours per month.

DevX Digest is a new platform that aims to discuss Developer Experience (DevX) and its evolution. The first newsletter from the platform delves into how DevX has evolved over time, particularly in the Integrated Development Environment (IDE) world. It highlights the shift from heavy-weight IDEs like Eclipse to lighter alternatives such as Visual Studio Code (VS Code). VS Code's adoption is attributed to its faster start-up times, less bloat, and leaner design compared to Eclipse. The newsletter also discusses challenges developers face today, including slow performance on older hardware, and suggests that the future of DevX may lie in cloud-based development environments like Gitpod and GitHub Codespaces. The platform plans to share best practices and frameworks related to DevX across four areas: Develop, Collaborate, Test, build & deploy, and Run.