Gnome Online Accounts setup removed from gnome-initial-setup

[Erich Eickmeyer]

Per LP: #2049513, Online Accounts integration was removed as opposed to finding a downstream solution, which would have been as easy as using the default web browser instead of a webkitgtk-powered popup. Unfortunately, even though potential ideas were tossed around during the Ubuntu Flavor Sync at Ubuntu Summit 2023 in Riga and the following flavor sync online, obviously nothing ever came to fruition.

This issue is especially important to Edubuntu as one of its target audiences (teachers) want to be able to set-up their systems for email right away. gnome-initial-setup would give them that email setup out-of-the-box.

This is a User Experience regression and a solution needs to be found even if we need to implement one downstream.

[Erich Eickmeyer (eeickmeyer)]

This has been mitigated for now by creating a systemd user service that starts `gnome-control-center online-accounts` once upon first login, however, it's not ideal.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

I don't know if that was the intend but the description feels a bit accusatory to me.

To be clear that change is an upstream one. From an Ubuntu Desktop we would have liked to be able to help getting a solution for flavors but we got hit as hard as everyone by the archive issues/transitions and we are struggling with engineering capacity. Staying on an outdated, less maintained and less secure version wouldn't have been a reasonable option. I understand it's frustrating for Edubuntu but the outcome is what benefits the most Ubuntu.

Also as a flavor it is on you to keep up with the upstream world and to adjust. We try to help when possible but the reality is that we also struggle to find the engineering resources and it's not always possible