In this article
Copilot CLI Plugin
Install the complete HVE Core component set as a Copilot CLI plugin for terminal-based AI-assisted development workflows.
Prerequisites
- GitHub Copilot CLI installed and authenticated
Register the HVE Core Marketplace
Register the repository as a plugin marketplace:
copilot plugin marketplace add microsoft/hve-core
The registration tracks the main branch, which has no release gate or release attestation. Each push to main publishes an unattested dependency SBOM, described in Continuous Main SBOM. PreRelease and Stable are VS Code extension channels, so the plugin has no channel to select.
Browse Available Plugins
List the plugins in the registered marketplace:
copilot plugin marketplace browse hve-core
You can also type /plugin in a Copilot CLI chat session to browse available plugins.
Install the Plugin
Install hve-core from the registered marketplace. The plugin includes the complete HVE Core component set, including the Research, Plan, Implement, Review lifecycle.
copilot plugin install hve-core@hve-core
Update an Installed Plugin
Refreshing the marketplace catalog and updating the installed plugin are separate actions. Because the registration tracks main, refresh the catalog before updating the plugin:
copilot plugin marketplace update hve-core
copilot plugin update hve-core@hve-core
Replace an Earlier Registration
If you registered a release-channel or tag ref, such as microsoft/hve-core#release/stable or microsoft/hve-core#hve-core-v<version>, remove that registration and register the repository again to follow main. The repository does not publish release/prerelease or release/stable branches, so those refs no longer resolve, and a tag ref stays fixed at that tag:
copilot plugin marketplace remove hve-core --force
copilot plugin marketplace add microsoft/hve-core
copilot plugin install hve-core@hve-core
In some Copilot CLI versions, --force also uninstalls plugins installed from that marketplace. Check copilot plugin marketplace remove --help for your version.
If you previously registered or installed a retired package identity, the retired package identities section of the migration guide maps each retired extension, command, skill, and agent to its replacement.
Plugin Contents
The plugin includes:
| Component | CLI Discovery | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Agents | Yes | Custom chat agents for specialized workflows |
| Skills | Yes | Self-contained skill packages |
| Instructions | No | Included for #file: references, not auto-applied |
The marketplace has one entry, which resolves to the repository root. Root plugin.json lists the plugin's agents, commands, rules (instruction files), and skills as repository-relative .github/... paths. The client also reads the root README and LICENSE; no generated plugin tree or plugin ZIP is involved.
Limitations
Instructions are not auto-applied from plugins
The Copilot CLI plugin spec
recognizes agents, skills, commands, hooks, mcpServers, and
lspServers as component types. There is no instructions component type.
The CLI loads path-specific instructions exclusively from
.github/instructions/**/*.instructions.md in the
project repo.
Instruction files in plugin directories are not auto-applied via applyTo
pattern matching.
Instruction files are still included in the plugin because agents reference
them via #file: directives and skills link to them. Those cross-file references
resolve correctly within the plugin directory tree. The difference is between
explicit inclusion (an agent pulls in instruction content at execution time)
and automatic application (the CLI matches applyTo patterns against the
files you are editing).
For full path-specific instruction behavior, copy instruction files into your
project's .github/instructions/ directory.
Other limitations
- Skills require skill-compatible agent environments
Using Agents After Installation
After installing a plugin, agents and skills are available in your CLI session.
Skills vs Agent Mode
CLI plugins provide two distinct interaction patterns:
| Mode | Command | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Skill | /rpi-research | Activates one reusable capability from the default mode |
| Agent Mode | /agent hve-core:rpi-agent | Switches to the coordinated RPI lifecycle |
Skills run a specific workflow and produce structured output. Agent mode enables freeform conversation with a specialized agent until you exit.
IMPORTANT
The CLI does not switch to a custom agent on behalf of a skill. Select
hve-core:rpi-agent when you want lifecycle coordination, or invoke a
direct phase skill such as /rpi-research:
/agent hve-core:rpi-agent
Research API authentication patterns before deciding whether planning is ready.
Skills that do not require an agent context work directly from the default mode.
Manual-only skills such as git-commit, git-merge, and git-setup set
disable-model-invocation: true. Copilot CLI does not currently run skills
with that setting
(github/copilot-cli#4438),
so use them from VS Code until that issue is resolved.
Example: Research Workflow
Invoke the Research phase skill directly:
> /rpi-research topic="API authentication patterns"
[Skill executes the research workflow and creates a research document]
Continue with follow-up questions in the same session:
> What are common API authentication patterns for REST APIs?
[Research conversation continues]
> How do OAuth2 and API keys compare for microservices?
[Follow-up within same agent context]
Available Agents
After installing the hve-core plugin, these agents are available via /agent <qualified-name>:
hve-core:rpi-agentcoordinates Research, Plan, Implement, Review, and Follow-uphve-core:documentationaudits, authors, and validates documentation
Start an interactive scripted invocation with the same qualified identifier:
copilot --agent hve-core:rpi-agent
For the complete list, run /help in a CLI session to see all available commands and agents.
When to Use Each Mode
- Use direct skills (
/rpi-research,/rpi-plan,/rpi-implement,/rpi-review) from default mode for one bounded responsibility that does not require a custom agent. - Use agent mode with
/agent hve-core:rpi-agentfor lifecycle coordination. - Stay in agent mode for exploratory conversations, follow-up questions, or tasks that don't fit a predefined skill.
🤖 Crafted with precision by ✨Copilot following brilliant human instruction, then carefully refined by our team of discerning human reviewers.