can't authenticate via Github on my work machine and IT helpdesk don't want to change firewall

[jgunstone]

Hi there,

I've been long watching Zed and following the 🚀 new windows release 🚀 would like to trial it for use on my corporate computer.
I'd like to authenticate with Github but the redirect seems to fail, I get:
Error: didn't recieve login redirect
Error: authentification cancelled

in the logs:

Looking at the docs I assume I need to ensure connections to zed.dev are allowed past the firewall.
https://zed.dev/docs/accounts?highlight=authentic#signing-in

Note: If you're behind a corporate firewall, ensure that connections to zed.dev and collab.zed.dev are allowed.

I've asked my company's IT Helpdesk to make the changes to the firewall and they are very resistant to the idea and state that no other software that we use requires this. They see it as an unnecessary security hole.

I like to understand:

• is this definitely required?
• if yes, why? (so I can explain it to them)
  • and why should this not percieved as a security risk / why is it a managed risk?

many thanks

[morgankrey]

You don't actually need to log in to use Zed - can I ask why that's stopping your use? Or is it not

[jgunstone]

its not - I can use it. But all my development / project planning is done in Github so I expect I have a lot to gain from this functionality

[morgankrey]

Ah I see - a few followups then

• auth with GitHub that you're talking about is basically "log into zed". Theres not an integration benefit with GitHub per se, just allows you to use zeds hosted ai models and edit predictions
• zeds git feature set doesn't require login
• we don't have any first party deep integration with git features, just use them as our auth backbone (today, but more methods to come)

[jgunstone]

aha ok - useful to know thank you - so it is just piggy backing of Github as an SSO provider?
but if I'd like to use Zed's ai models then I do need to do this?
is there another way to log into zed without having to make changes to the firewall?

[morgankrey]

Correct it's just using GitHub for oauth
Not at present but we're revisiting auth generally for cases like this in the next few months

[jgunstone]

Ok - generally I like that it is using Github for OAuth - this means I basically get authentification out-the-box which is great.
I'm still not clear why this requires changes to the company firewall? (likely my understanding of OAuth is the barrier...)

[jgunstone]

Hi - just to follow up on this -
I logged in and out of Zed in the browser and then when I reopened zed software and signed in it worked.
Not sure what the firewall note in the docs means and it also confused my companies IT team