In this article
Comparing Setup Methods
Use this page to compare every setup method side by side. For a quick recommendation, see Installing HVE Core.
Help You Choose
Three questions narrow down the method:
- Do you need to pin or change HVE Core files?
- No: install the plugin, or offer it to your team through repository settings
- Yes: copy HVE Core into your repository or keep a clone
- Solo or team development?
- Solo: just you, no version control of HVE Core needed
- Team: multiple people who need a reproducible setup
- Where do you work?
- Local VS Code, with or without a devcontainer
- GitHub Codespaces
- Copilot CLI
Decision Matrix
| Need | Team | Updates | Recommended Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| The full set with the least setup | Any | Auto, follows main | Copilot Plugin ⭐ |
| The same setup for everyone in a repository | Team | Auto, follows main | Repository default |
| Marketplace release channels | Any | Auto | VS Code Extension |
| A customized copy owned by your repository | Team | Controlled | Repository copy |
| A pinned version | Team | Controlled | Git Submodule |
| Local customization without a container | Solo | Manual | Peer Directory Clone |
| Local customization in a devcontainer | Solo | Manual | Git-Ignored Folder |
| Codespaces | Any | Depends on the route | GitHub Codespaces |
| Editing HVE Core next to your project | Solo | Manual | Multi-Root Workspace |
| One host copy shared by containers | Solo | Manual | Mounted Directory |
Quick Decision Tree
Want the full set with the least setup?
└─ Yes ─────────────────────────────► Copilot Plugin ⭐
Want every teammate to get HVE Core from the repository?
├─ Without copying files ───────────► Repository default
└─ Pinned to a version ─────────────► Git Submodule
Need to customize HVE Core?
├─ Repository owns the copies ──────► Repository copy
├─ Local VS Code only ──────────────► Peer Directory Clone
├─ Local devcontainer ──────────────► Git-Ignored Folder
└─ Codespaces ──────────────────────► GitHub Codespaces
Prefer Marketplace release channels?
└─ Yes ─────────────────────────────► VS Code Extension
How Each Method Loads
Copilot reaches HVE Core through a plugin, through the project's own .github folders, through folders listed in .github/copilot/settings.json, or through VS Code's extension forwarding. The route decides which components arrive.
| Method | Copilot loads it through | Path-specific instructions | Version control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copilot Plugin | Plugin | Yes | Follows main |
| Repository default | Plugin, offered by .github/copilot/settings.json | Yes | Follows main |
| Repository copy | The project's own .github folders | Yes | Your repository |
| VS Code Extension | VS Code extension forwarding | May not reach Copilot sessions | Marketplace channels |
| Git Submodule | Folders listed in repository settings | Not confirmed | Pinned commit |
| Git-Ignored Folder | Plugin from source, or folders in repository settings | Yes as a plugin, not confirmed from settings | Manual git pull |
| Peer Directory Clone | Plugin from source | Yes | Manual git pull |
| Multi-Root Workspace | Plugin from source | Yes | Manual git pull |
| Mounted Directory | Folders in repository settings, when inside the workspace | Not confirmed | Shared host copy |
| GitHub Codespaces | Repository default, or folders in repository settings | Yes with the default, not confirmed otherwise | Depends on the route |
Use one method at a time. Copilot keeps copies that arrive by different routes, so a second route makes each agent appear twice.
Still Not Sure?
Start with the Copilot Plugin. If you outgrow it, move to a repository copy or a clone method, and uninstall the plugin when you switch.
For detailed documentation on each method, see the Setup Methods Overview.
🤖 Crafted with precision by ✨Copilot following brilliant human instruction, then carefully refined by our team of discerning human reviewers.