Auto connect request for ubuntu-welcome

store-requests
1

The ubuntu-welcome snap will provide the first run/OOTB experience for Ubuntu Desktop. To achieve this it needs to be able to read some files left behind from the installer as well as launch other applications via the desktop-launch interface.

We’d like to request auto connect/system-files access to /var/log/{installer,upgrade/telemetry (as shown below) and desktop-launch.

  var-log-installer-telemetry:
    interface: system-files
    read:
      - /var/log/installer/telemetry
  var-log-upgrade-telemetry:
    interface: system-files
    read:
      - /var/log/upgrade/telemetry
1 Like
2

Given the purpose / use-case described, it makes sense for ubuntu-welcome to access those files and for it to need to be auto-connected, so +1 from me for auto-connect of var-log-installer-telemetry and var-log-update-telemetry.

desktop-launch also seems very reasonable for a first run/OOTB application, so +1 from me on that, noting it is super-privileged and you are a vetted publisher.

3

These paths are a subset of what is provided by the existing log-observe interface - so I wonder if it is better to perhaps re-use that in this case? Whilst log-observe provides more access than just this, it does allow the use of a standard interface - BUT if we go with system-files then we can more easily follow the principle of least privilege.

Is it expected that ubuntu-welcome may need access to other logs in the future? If so, perhaps it is better to just go with auto-connect of log-observe - otherwise system-files as specified by the OP seems reasonable.

Regarding desktop-launch, can you explain this use-case more? If this is just to launch the snap-store to allow the user to install applications, this could be done by just calling xdg-open snap:// - which only requires plugging the desktop interface.

4

Thanks for the suggestions. The telemetry files are transitive requirements for ubuntu-report/sysmetrics. Using log-observe sounds good to reduce the assumptions on which exact files are needed. The launch use-case is indeed about the store, I’ll give it a try with the plain desktop interface.

5

Can we please add another autoconnected interface for ubuntu-welcome

  dot-config-ubuntu-welcome-done:
    interface: personal-files
    write:
      - $HOME/.config/ubuntu-welcome-done

This allows the app to be able to write a file when complete to control the autostart flag, the same as gnome-initial-setup does now

6

dot-config-ubuntu-welcome-done seems quite self-explanitory. +1 for that as clearly this snap owns that file.

Let us know how you go with log-observe and desktop instead of desktop-launch and system-files, if they’re not needed then this request is down to just ubuntu-welcome-done.

7

@dclane We’ve dropped desktop-launch and system-files and switched to using log-observe. So we will need log-observe.

8

Thanks for the updates to use log-observe and desktop instead of system-files and desktop-launch.

+1 from me for auto-connect of log-observe and auto-connect of a personal-files instance named dot-config-ubuntu-welcome-done for write access to ~/.config/ubuntu-welcome-done (although I wonder if it would be better for this to be ~/.config/ubuntu-welcome/done - and then we could just grant write to all of ~/.config/ubuntu-welcome named dot-config-ubuntu-welcome - either is fine with me)

9

+1 on log-observe auto-connect from me also.

10

We also need to autoconnect system-observe to provide access to the host’s os-release information as well as additional info for sysmetrics. We also need to autoconnect hardware-observe for access to information on OEM and bios.

11

+2 for, 0 against, the declaration for log-observe and personal-files interface named “dot-config-ubuntu-welcome-done” is granted. this is now live

Regarding the auto-connect to system-observe and hardware-observe, it makes sense to me. +1 for this request

thanks

12

+1 from me also for auto-connecting system-observe and hardware-observe.

That’s +2 votes for and 0 against. These changes are now live also.