Using a web browser to "login" to https://projects.registry.vmware.com or https://packages.broadcom.com will fail expectedly

Products

• VMware vSphere with Tanzu
• Tanzu Kubernetes Grid
• VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid
• VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid 1.x
• VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid Integrated (TKGi)
• VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid Integrated Edition
• VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid Integrated Edition (Core)
• VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid Integrated Edition 1.x
• VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid Integrated EditionStarter Pack (Core)
• VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid Management
• VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid Plus
• VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid Plus 1.x
• VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid Service (TKGs)

Issue/Introduction

Scenario:

In certain scenarios, a Tanzu Kubernetes Platform Operator, a Kubernetes cluster Administrator, Kubernetes workload Developer may want to confirm whether or not a specific image exists within one of the public registries managed and published by VMware Tanzu by Broadcom.

For example:

During troubleshooting, one of the above persona may want to troubleshoot why a Kubernetes pod fails to run and reports errors similar to the following:

ImagePullBackOff 
or
ErrImagePull

Or troubleshoot why the kubelet process on a specific node is unable to pull a container image and returns similar errors.

Some examples of such public registries might include the following:

https://projects.registry.vmware.com
https://packages.broadcom.com

If, during troubleshooting, you attempt to formally "login" to one of these registries via a web browser (or docker login)  using a Broadcom/Tanzu account, it will fail.  A "login" account will not exist for you.

Environment

All vSphere with Tanzu/TKGs/VKS environments

Cause

These are public registries and you will not be able to formally login to them.  You do not need to "login" in order to pull images. 

 

The specific repos/packages:package_version is available publicly for "puling".  
For example, this is what an operator will see should they attempt to access the projects.registry.vmware.com UI page, then after when they click "Log in". 
- The below example is expected.  You will not be able to login.

Resolution

You are not required to login.
Operators should use standard tools such as docker pull or crictl pull to obtain images without the need to login