Why a Dedicated CLI Session

The CLI is a separate Copilot surface. It supports terminal-first workflows.

1. It can read and write files, run commands, manage Git, and coordinate subagents.
2. It supports programmatic use and other terminal-oriented features.
3. It works in terminals, including SSH, CI/CD pipelines, and headless containers.

This session is especially useful for people who work mainly in a terminal.

Installation & Setup

Authentication:

copilot            # Launch interactive mode
/login             # Triggers OAuth device flow

For CI/CD: set COPILOT_GITHUB_TOKEN or GH_TOKEN.

Three Interactive Modes

Cycle between modes with Shift+Tab:

Plan mode is what a lot of users wish IDE agent mode had. It asks questions and shows the plan before touching anything.

Key Slash Commands

Session Management:

Agentic Commands:

Programmatic Mode: Scriptable AI

Run a prompt from the command line with this CLI feature.

copilot -p "PROMPT" [OPTIONS]

Embed Copilot in scripts, CI/CD, and cron jobs:

copilot -p "Generate a changelog from the last 10 commits" \
  --silent > changelog.md

copilot -p "Fix all ESLint errors in src/" --autopilot

cat error.log | copilot -p "Summarize the top 5 error patterns"

Programmatic mode supports terminal automation.

Built-in Specialized Agents

The CLI includes verified built-in agents:

/agent    # Browse and select a specialized agent
/plan     # Create an implementation plan

CLI-Exclusive Features

Feature	CLI	IDE
Autopilot mode
Programmatic mode (-p)
Session persistence (/resume)
Custom model providers (Ollama, Azure)
Subagent orchestration (/fleet)
Pipe output as input (cat log | copilot)
40+ slash commands		Limited
Works over SSH / headless

Copilot App — Orientation

Copilot App is a dedicated surface for agent sessions and customizations.

Key capabilities:

• Agent sessions for app-managed work
• Customize for plugins, skills, MCP servers, and canvases
• Canvases for shared plans, boards, checklists, and other work artifacts
• Approved access based on plan, policy, and data boundary

When to use:

• Work that needs a shared artifact or direct steering
• Discovering approved customizations

Session 08 covers the Copilot App, plugins, and canvas extensions.

Cross-IDE Comparison

Copilot works across multiple IDEs. Which features are available depends on the IDE:

IDE	Completions	Chat	Agent Mode	Best For
VS Code				Primary platform; most features first
Visual Studio				.NET developers
JetBrains				Multi-language (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm)
Eclipse			Preview	Agent mode in preview
Xcode			Preview	Apple dev; agent mode in preview
Vim/Neovim				Minimal overhead

For this curriculum: VS Code is the teaching baseline. Verify the currently supported experience for any other IDE in the official Copilot feature matrix and customer policy.

IDEs vary in feature completeness. VS Code is the reference. Check the Copilot feature matrix for the latest.

Four Surfaces, Four Workflows

You'll use all four in a normal week. Each solves a different problem.

CLI vs. IDE: Decision Framework

Choose the surface that fits the task. Many workflows use both.

Security Considerations

• CLI sends file contents and terminal output to the Copilot service
• Autopilot mode can execute commands without approval — use carefully
• In CI/CD, scope the GH_TOKEN to minimum required permissions
• Tool use is permissioned: approve once, approve similar for the session, or deny
• Pre-approve or limit tools with --allow-tool, --deny-tool, and --available-tools
• Never pipe secrets or credentials to Copilot

Same privacy story as IDE Copilot — encrypted in transit, never used for training.

Lab Overview

Deliverable: A CLI workflow cheat sheet + a fixed Node.js project + a completed pipeline script.

What to remember

1. The CLI is a standalone tool for terminal-first agent workflows.
2. Three modes: Standard (safe), Plan (review first), Autopilot (fully autonomous)
3. Programmatic mode (-p) supports CI/CD and automation
4. Built-in agents (Explore, Task, Code Review, Plan, Rubber Duck) provide specialized capabilities
5. CLI works where IDEs don't — SSH, containers, headless environments
6. Use the CLI and IDE for the work each surface fits