Install the RAPP Brainstem

Recommended, and the easiest way

VS Code with GitHub Copilot

Not required, but it's the best way to explore the AI frontier: Copilot installs the Brainstem, opens it in VS Code's browser and guides you through it. Paste this one line into GitHub Copilot Chat in VS Code (agent mode) and send it. Copilot reads the guide itself and does every step; you never type a command.

Go and read https://raw.githubusercontent.com/microsoft/aibast-agents-library/main/docs/start/skill.md and set up my Brainstem for me.

rapp_brainstem

Explorer

▾ rapp_brainstem

› __pycache__

› .brainstem_data

› .vscode

▾ agents

› __pycache__

› experimental

pybasic_agent.py

pycontext_memory_agent.py

pyhacker_news_agent.py

pymanage_memory_agent.py

pyrar_rapp_learn_new_agent.py

› tests

{ }.brainstem_book.json

≡.brainstem_model

≡.copilot_session

≡.copilot_token

⚙.env

⚙.env.example

◆.gitignore

pybrainstem.py

M↓CLAUDE.md

M↓CONSTITUTION.md

<>index.html

pylocal_storage.py

ⓘREADME.md

≡requirements-dev.txt

≡requirements.txt

M↓soul.md

>_start.ps1

$start.sh

pytui.py

◷VERSION

M↓ soul.md × RAPP Brainstem ×py hello_agent.py

‹ › ⟳ http://localhost:7071/

RAPP Brainstemv0.6.17● connectedAuto ▾

Welcome to your local RAPP Brainstem!

I am your local assistant powered by Copilot. Here is a quick tour to get you started:

Chat: just ask me questions below to start building and researching.
Agents panel: the ⊕ icon (top right) shows installed tools.
Add agents: drop any agent.py file onto this window to teach me new things.

What can you do?

I can chat, remember things you tell me, read Hacker News, and learn new skills from any agent.py you give me.

Message brainstem...Send

1# Who I am
2
3You are my Brainstem: a small AI that runs on my computer.
4Talk in plain words. Ask before anything leaves the house.
5
6# What I can do
7
8Every file in agents/ ending in _agent.py is a skill.
9Drop a new one in and I can use it on the next message.

Set up my Brainstem

Chat with Copilot

+ Agent

You paste one line. Copilot does the rest while you watch.

Don't have VS Code? Install it, then set up GitHub Copilot.

The Brainstem

Local frontier learning and rapid prototyping tool — learn the pattern here, then graduate it

Start here ▶

The biological brainstem keeps you alive — breathing, heartbeat, reflexes. Your AI brainstem does the same: it runs the core agent loop, calls tools, and responds. It is a learning and prototyping tool, not a product you ship: every skill you build here is meant to graduate into GitHub Copilot, Copilot Studio, and Microsoft 365 Copilot, the first-party tools that carry it to your users.

GitHub Copilot Chat in VS Code Agent

Get https://microsoft.github.io/aibast-agents-library/skill.md and do Tier 1 (The Brainstem) for me. Do every step yourself; only stop when I need to sign in.

Open Copilot Chat (Ctrl+Alt+I, Mac ⌃⌘I), choose Agent, paste, press Enter. Copilot installs it, waits for it to answer, opens it and gives you a tour.

Or run the one line yourself in a terminal:

The one-liner

This is the only step. It installs Python, clones the repo, sets up a venv, authenticates, and launches.

curl -fsSL https://github.com/microsoft/aibast-agents-library/releases/download/installers/install.sh | bash

Windows: irm https://github.com/microsoft/aibast-agents-library/releases/download/installers/install.ps1 | iex

↓ Download installer

Advanced — manual steps

1. Authenticate with GitHub

Your GitHub Copilot subscription IS the AI engine. No OpenAI keys needed.

gh auth login

2. Start the brainstem

The server starts on port 7071 with a chat UI, health endpoint, and agent auto-discovery.

brainstem

3. Talk to it

Open localhost:7071 in your browser, or hit the API directly.

curl -s localhost:7071/health | python3 -m json.tool

4. Make it yours

Write a soul.md to define its personality. Drop *_agent.py files into the agents folder to give it skills. Point SOUL_PATH and AGENTS_PATH in .env to your private files.

The Hippocampus

Persistent memory — runs local, deploys to Azure

Next step ▶

GitHub Copilot Chat in VS Code Agent

Get https://microsoft.github.io/aibast-agents-library/skill.md and do Tier 2 (The Hippocampus) for me. Do every step yourself; only stop when I need to sign in.

Open Copilot Chat (Ctrl+Alt+I, Mac ⌃⌘I), choose Agent, paste, press Enter. Copilot checks your Brainstem, signs you in to Azure in your own browser, and deploys.

Or do it yourself:

The hippocampus is where memories form. One command sets up everything — Python, Azure Functions Core Tools, venv, dependencies, start script. No Azure account or API keys needed. Auth happens through the chat UI.

Run the one-liner

This is the only step. It clones CommunityRAPP, installs everything, and tells you what to do next. The Microsoft-hosted setup guide documents the upstream dependency.

curl -fsSL https://github.com/microsoft/aibast-agents-library/releases/download/installers/community_rapp-install.sh | bash

Windows: irm https://github.com/microsoft/aibast-agents-library/releases/download/installers/community_rapp-install.ps1 | iex

Hippocampus setup and API guide

▶ Advanced: manual steps

The Nervous System

Connect to Copilot Studio — reach into M365

Advanced ▶

GitHub Copilot Chat in VS Code Agent

Get https://microsoft.github.io/aibast-agents-library/skill.md and do Tier 3 (The Nervous System) for me. Do every step yourself; only stop when I need to sign in.

Open Copilot Chat (Ctrl+Alt+I, Mac ⌃⌘I), choose Agent, paste, press Enter. Copilot imports the Copilot Studio solution into the environment you pick and wires it to your Azure Function.

Or do it yourself:

Your nervous system extends your brain's reach to every part of your body — eyes, ears, hands. Copilot Studio does the same: it connects your agent to Teams, M365 Copilot, and the entire Microsoft ecosystem. Your brainstem becomes an enterprise AI.

1. Download the solution

Grab the Power Platform solution package from the repo. This .zip contains the declarative agent, connectors, and flows preconfigured for your Azure Function.

curl -fsSL -o MSFTAIBASMultiAgentCopilot.zip https://raw.githubusercontent.com/microsoft/aibast-agents-library/main/MSFTAIBASMultiAgentCopilot_1_0_0_5.zip

2. Import into Power Platform

Go to make.powerapps.com → Solutions → Import → upload the .zip. This creates the Copilot Studio agent and Power Automate flows in your environment.

3. Wire the connector

Open the imported Power Automate flow and update the HTTP action URL to point to your deployed Azure Function endpoint from Step 2. Add your Function Key if using key-based auth.

4. Publish to Teams & M365 Copilot

In Copilot Studio, publish the agent. Your users can now talk to it in Teams, M365 Copilot, and any channel Copilot Studio supports. Same agent logic you tested locally — now enterprise-wide.

What you learn: Copilot Studio, declarative agents, Power Platform solutions, Teams integration, enterprise AI deployment.

VS Code with GitHub Copilot

Welcome to your local RAPP Brainstem!

Advanced: run the one-liner yourself

AIBAST agents and prototyping office hours

The Brainstem

The one-liner

1. Authenticate with GitHub

2. Start the brainstem

3. Talk to it

4. Make it yours

The Hippocampus

Run the one-liner

Start it & authenticate

Deploy to Azure (when ready)

Test the cloud deployment

The Nervous System

1. Download the solution

2. Import into Power Platform

3. Wire the connector

4. Publish to Teams & M365 Copilot

Current Limitations