Session 04 — GitHub Copilot in the CLI¶

Slides in new tab Download PDF

Module: Copilot in Practice Difficulty: Intermediate Prerequisites: Sessions 01–03 Duration: 3 hours (1 hr trainer content + 2 hr lab)

Overview¶

Cover GitHub Copilot's terminal-native experience through the standalone copilot CLI. Learners explain commands, generate shell scripts, troubleshoot errors, and run multi-step agent tasks from the terminal. The session compares CLI and IDE workflows so trainers can help teams choose a suitable surface.

Learning Outcomes¶

Install and configure the standalone copilot CLI and shell workflows.
Use interactive copilot and copilot -p "..." for command-line help.
Use Standard, Plan, and Autopilot modes for multi-step tasks.
Compare CLI, IDE Chat, IDE Agent Mode, and Copilot App workflows.
Identify CLI-specific features and when the CLI fits better than the IDE.
Check Copilot App and cross-IDE support for the approved environment.

Session Materials¶

Resource	Location
Lab exercises	`lab/`
Lab starter files	`lab/starter/`
Lab solution files	`lab/solution/`

Key Topics¶

Standalone copilot binary: installation, authentication, configuration
Interactive copilot prompts — natural language command explanations
copilot -p "..." — command generation from intent descriptions
Shell integrations: aliases, shell completion, inline invocation
CLI agent mode: autonomous multi-step terminal tasks
CLI-exclusive features: piping output to Copilot, log analysis, environment debugging
Copilot App orientation and handoff to Session 08 for plugins and canvas extensions
Cross-IDE comparison: VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, Eclipse, Xcode, and others
Decision framework: when to use CLI vs. IDE Chat vs. IDE Agent Mode vs. Copilot App
SSH and remote workflows where CLI is the only option
Scripting with Copilot: generating and debugging shell scripts
Security considerations: what context the CLI sends, privacy implications