---

name: copilot-cli description: Use when you need to run or troubleshoot GitHub Copilot CLI (npx @github/copilot), including sessions, permissions (--allow-tool/--deny-tool), MCP management (/mcp), or Copilot CLI agents.

GitHub Copilot CLI Skill

Goal

Use GitHub Copilot CLI (@github/copilot) safely and efficiently from the terminal (interactive sessions + one-shot prompts), with minimal-permission defaults.

Quick start

• Interactive (recommended for back-and-forth): npx @github/copilot
• One-shot prompt: npx @github/copilot -p "<your task>" --add-dir .
• Resume: npx @github/copilot --continue

Decide the mode

• Use interactive when you expect multiple turns, need /mcp management, or want to iteratively grant tools.
• Use -p one-shot when automating, piping output, or you want deterministic “ask → answer”.

Safety & permissions (default to least privilege)

• Prefer scoping context with --add-dir <path> over broad access.
• Avoid --allow-all-paths unless you fully trust the directory tree.
• Prefer enabling only what you need:
  • --allow-tool 'write' for edits
  • --allow-tool 'shell(git:*)' for git inspection
  • Combine with --deny-tool for dangerous subsets (example):
    • npx @github/copilot -p "Generate a commit message" --allow-tool 'shell(git:*)' --deny-tool 'shell(git push)'

MCP & agents

• In interactive mode, use /mcp show|add|edit|delete|enable|disable to manage MCP servers.
• Use --agent <name> for domain workflows (example):
  • npx @github/copilot --agent gitingest -p "Analyze repo structure" --add-dir E:\web\some-repo

Config, logs, and common fixes

• Config: C:\Users\<username>\.copilot\config.json
• Logs: C:\Users\<username>\.copilot\logs\
• Encoding (Windows): if output is garbled, set:
  • [Console]::OutputEncoding = [System.Text.Encoding]::UTF8

Reference manual (load only when needed)

For the full command list, permission matrix, MCP examples, aliases, and troubleshooting, see:

• references\copilot.md

Tip: to find specifics quickly, use ripgrep:

• rg -n "trusted_folders|/mcp|allow-tool|deny-tool|--resume|--continue" references\\copilot.md

When to use WSL Codex CLI instead

• Use Copilot CLI for tight, scoped Q&A and quick best-practice checks.
• Use WSL Codex CLI when you need Linux-native tooling or long multi-step refactors in Ubuntu.
• Common location (Windows): %USERPROFILE%\.codex\skills\wsl-codex-cli\scripts\wsl-codex.ps1