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BytesAgain β€Ί Skills β€Ί Copilot CLI
πŸ¦€ ClawHub

Copilot CLI

by @awalesagar

Reference knowledge base for GitHub Copilot CLI. Use when answering questions about Copilot CLI features, commands, configuration, plugins, hooks, skills, MC...

Versionv1.1.1
Downloads546
Stars⭐ 1
#crypto-defi#security#legal
TERMINAL
clawhub install copilot-cli-base

πŸ“– About This Skill

name: copilot-cli description: > Reference knowledge base for GitHub Copilot CLI. Use when answering questions about Copilot CLI features, commands, configuration, plugins, hooks, skills, MCP servers, custom agents, automation, or troubleshooting CLI workflows. Do NOT use for general Git/GitHub questions, VS Code Copilot Chat, or IDE-only Copilot features. license: MIT-0 compatibility: Designed for OpenClaw, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, and compatible AgentSkills clients metadata: openclaw: emoji: "⌨️" homepage: "https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/copilot-cli/about-copilot-cli" os: ["darwin", "linux", "win32"] requires: bins: ["copilot"] install: - id: npm kind: node package: "@github/copilot" bins: ["copilot"] label: "Install via npm"

Copilot CLI Reference Skill

GitHub Copilot CLI is a terminal-native AI coding agent. This skill provides reference docs for all features, commands, and operational patterns.

When to Use

βœ… USE this skill when:

  • Answering questions about Copilot CLI features, commands, or configuration
  • Setting up CI/CD automation with Copilot CLI or GitHub Actions
  • Troubleshooting Copilot CLI errors, auth, or rate limits
  • Creating custom agents, plugins, hooks, or MCP server integrations
  • Writing prompts for programmatic/autopilot execution
  • Comparing Copilot CLI vs Claude Code for a specific use case

    • ❌ DON'T use this skill when:

  • General Git or GitHub questions unrelated to Copilot CLI (β†’ use git CLI / GitHub skill)
  • VS Code Copilot Chat or Copilot Edits features (β†’ IDE-specific docs)
  • GitHub Actions workflows that don't involve Copilot (β†’ Actions docs)
  • Copilot Workspace or other non-CLI Copilot products

    • Setup

    Install: npm install -g @github/copilot (or via GitHub CLI extension) Auth: copilot β†’ trust directory β†’ /login Config: edit ~/.copilot/config.json directly (no copilot config set command)

    See references/getting-started.md for full installation, authentication, and configuration details.

    Quick Reference

    Interactive: copilot β†’ trust directory β†’ /login β†’ prompt Programmatic: copilot -p "PROMPT" --yolo --no-ask-user -s With permissions: copilot -p "PROMPT" --allow-tool='shell(git:*), write' --no-ask-user Autopilot: copilot --autopilot --yolo --max-autopilot-continues 10 -p "PROMPT" Custom agent: copilot -p "PROMPT" --agent=my-agent Model override: copilot -p "PROMPT" --model claude-opus-4.6 Plan mode: Shift+Tab to cycle modes (standard/plan/autopilot) Research: /research TOPIC β†’ deep report with citations Fleet: /fleet PROMPT β†’ parallel subagent execution Chronicle: /chronicle standup Β· tips Β· improve Β· reindex

    Copilot CLI vs Claude Code

    | Need | Copilot CLI | Claude Code | |------|-------------|-------------| | Rate-limited on Claude Code | βœ… Use as fallback | β€” | | CI/CD automation | βœ… Built-in Actions support | Limited | | Clean stdout (no PTY/ANSI) | β€” | βœ… Better | | Long iterative reviews | βœ… Better for many iterations | β€” |

    See references/patterns-and-best-practices.md for the full decision matrix.

    Key Gotchas

    Automation:

  • Always use -p (not -i) for automation β€” -i hangs
  • Always set --max-autopilot-continues=N in CI/CD to prevent runaway loops
  • Size timeouts by complexity: 120s (simple) β†’ 1800s (large)
  • Background servers die between exec spawns β€” restart each time

    • OpenClaw Integration (programmatic exec):

  • Copilot requires a real TTY β€” pipe/stdout redirection causes EPIPE crashes
  • Use pty: true on exec calls to avoid output fragmentation
  • Set timeout: 120 minimum (MCP startup ~3s + inference ~25s+)
  • Use --allow-all (or --yolo) for file write permissions in --no-ask-user mode
  • Working formula:
    •   copilot -p "" --no-ask-user --allow-all --max-autopilot-continues 3
  # + exec options: pty=true, timeout=120
  • The --add-dir flag grants access to specific directories without full --allow-all

    • Configuration:

  • --yolo does NOT skip folder trust β€” pre-trust in ~/.copilot/config.json
  • No copilot config set β€” edit config JSON manually
  • Custom instructions now combine (not cascade) β€” avoid conflicting instructions

    • Experimental features:

  • /chronicle and history queries require --experimental or /experimental on
  • Premium requests vary by model multiplier β€” check with /model

    • See references/troubleshooting.md for all issues and fixes.

    Quick Responses

    | Question | Answer | |----------|--------| | How do I start Copilot CLI? | copilot (interactive) | | How do I use it in CI/CD? | copilot -p "PROMPT" --yolo --no-ask-user -s | | How do I create a custom agent? | See references/automation-and-delegation.md | | How do I add an MCP server? | See references/customization.md | | How do I research a topic? | /research TOPIC in interactive mode |

    Reference Documents

    Full index: references/index.md

    | File | Contents | |------|----------| | getting-started.md | Installation, auth, config, permissions, env vars, plan mode overview | | usage.md | Interactive & programmatic modes, 40+ slash commands, shortcuts, model selection, config settings, built-in agents | | automation-and-delegation.md | CI/CD, GitHub Actions, autopilot, delegate, fleet, custom agent creation | | customization.md | Custom instructions (combining), plugins, MCP servers, enterprise governance | | hooks.md | Hook types (command + prompt), config, denial responses, PowerShell support | | integrations.md | VS Code integration (diffs, sessions, selection), ACP server | | research.md | /research reports with citations, /chronicle session history & insights | | troubleshooting.md | Auth, rate limits, autopilot runaway, enterprise access, diagnostics | | patterns-and-best-practices.md | Decision matrix, prompt engineering, anti-patterns |

    All files in references/ directory.

    ⚑ When to Use

    TriggerAction
    - Answering questions about Copilot CLI features, commands, or configuration
    - Setting up CI/CD automation with Copilot CLI or GitHub Actions
    - Troubleshooting Copilot CLI errors, auth, or rate limits
    - Creating custom agents, plugins, hooks, or MCP server integrations
    - Writing prompts for programmatic/autopilot execution
    - Comparing Copilot CLI vs Claude Code for a specific use case
    ❌ **DON'T use this skill when:**
    - General Git or GitHub questions unrelated to Copilot CLI (β†’ use git CLI / GitHub skill)
    - VS Code Copilot Chat or Copilot Edits features (β†’ IDE-specific docs)
    - GitHub Actions workflows that don't involve Copilot (β†’ Actions docs)
    - Copilot Workspace or other non-CLI Copilot products

    βš™οΈ Configuration

    Install: npm install -g @github/copilot (or via GitHub CLI extension) Auth: copilot β†’ trust directory β†’ /login Config: edit ~/.copilot/config.json directly (no copilot config set command)

    See references/getting-started.md for full installation, authentication, and configuration details.