[INFRA-1924] Jenkins Hangouts channel does not work reliably

[jenkins-infra-bot]

Some of contributors have recently reported that jenkins.io/hangout does not work for them reliably. Sometimes they get a permission error when they try to join the call. It was reported by Oliver Gondža, Martin d'Anjou, and several other contributors.

I tested it on my own:

• I can always connect using my corporate Google account ( onenashev at cloudbees dot com )
• Sometimes I cannot join the call using my personal account as well.

Firstly I assumed it is somehow related to a person who joins the meeting first. If it is a corporate Google account, it is not possible to join with GMail accounts anymore. But I was unable to reproduce it in such way

 

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Originally reported by oleg_nenashev, imported from: Jenkins Hangouts channel does not work reliably

• status: Resolved
• priority: Major
• resolution: Won't Do
• resolved: 2019-09-04T01:06:54+02:00
• imported: 2022/01/10

[jenkins-infra-bot]

oleg_nenashev:

CC Olivier Vernin

[jenkins-infra-bot]

olivergondza:

I can (sort of) confirm Oleg hypothesis that I am able to join the hangout with my gmail account when noone is in but I did have problem joining when others ware on the call.

[jenkins-infra-bot]

olblak:

We also noticed that several time on the infra meeting and I though it was influenced by the first one to join but I can't help much since I don't have access to the calendar setting.
R. Tyler Croy or Liam Newman maybe an help

[jenkins-infra-bot]

lloydchang:

there's a rumor that google hangout for consumers (used by your personal gmail account) may shut down in 2020.

if the rumor of shut down for consumers in 2020 is true, then fixing reliability may be a low priority for google in 2019.

rumor is from https://9to5google.com/2018/11/30/google-hangouts-shutting-down/

[jenkins-infra-bot]

olivergondza:

Lloyd Chang, note that this is a problem now, not sometime next year as this is not exclusively related to GSoC. In case those rumors materialize, we would need a different plan for countless online meetings we have.

[jenkins-infra-bot]

lloydchang:

Thank you Oliver Gondža

Skimming Google Hangout's status dashboard, the most recent incident I see was on October 30th, with these service details.

I'm guessing you experienced issues more recently (after October 30th).

[jenkins-infra-bot]

lloydchang:

When issues occurred recently, what alternative(s) were used to continue the video-based group meetings?

Perhaps Skype? Or WeChat? Maybe something else?

Thank you.

[jenkins-infra-bot]

lloydchang:

Hello everyone,

When you cannot connect to jenkins.io/hangout with your Gmail account... On the same day, are you able to start or connect to a new Google hangout URL via these steps?
1. Switch to your Gmail account
2. Go to https://hangouts.google.com/call/
3. Click "Copy Link to Share"
4. Share the new link, e.g. https://hangouts.google.com/call/PkmbvkuZ5HbXDWy5X2v_AEEE

I have a hypothesis that there were system-wide issues connecting Gmail and Google Hangout reliably in November, instead of an issue specific to jenkins.io/hangout only.

On the same day (November 29th) when Oleg Nenashev created this bug report, I see a person unrelated to the Jenkins community reported following bug report, "not been able to use hangouts on my gmail accounts for hours" to Google:

Hi, i've not been able to use hangouts on my gmail accounts for hours.

by Rebecca Maxon Nov 29

Hello please i cant use hangouts on my gmail account, it keeps showing something's not right,

We're having trouble connecting to Google. We'll keep trying, Please kindly resolve this problem, thank you

Categories:Gmail

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/hangouts/1zAExNJA_wQ;context-place=topicsearchin/hangouts/connect%7Csort:date

After skimming the Google Hangouts Help Forum, I see many reports of connection issues throughout November
https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topicsearchin/hangouts/connect%7Csort:date

[jenkins-infra-bot]

olblak:

Which could make sense, thanks Lloyd Chang for your investigation.

[jenkins-infra-bot]

lloydchang:

(documenting an incident)
At beginning of Dec-5 Wednesday 2pm UTC, GSoC meeting, this happened:
1. Oleg Nenashev joined https://jenkins.io/hangout
2. Lloyd Chang goes to https://jenkins.io/hangout
3. Lloyd Chang was redirected to a "call" in URL  https://hangouts.google.com/call/-f0gw6h7DFaxzHXQgcT7AEEI?no_rd
4. Lloyd Chang tries joining the call
5. Google Hangout responds with:
"Connecting... Error: You're not allowed to join this video call [CLOSE]"

6. This video call ended because of an error

7. Lloyd Chang reported the issue to https://gitter.im/jenkinsci/gsoc-sig
8. To work around this issue, Oleg Nenashev creates a Hangout on Air (HoA) with the "hangouts" link of
https://hangouts.google.com/hangouts/_/ytl/tlYihPj02ilylUIQvyJFfEl2rMTXXcPrumDHJycX6vQ=?eid=113711801835417391950&hl=en_US&authuser=1
and shared the HoA link via Gitter
9. Using the newly created HoA "hangouts" link, instead of a "call" in URL, worked around the error in above screenshot

[jenkins-infra-bot]

oleg_nenashev:

Hangouts on Air is dead, we are moving meetings to Zoom. I doubt we want to spend any time on that