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Peer Directory Clone Installation

Peer Directory Clone places HVE-Core as a sibling folder next to your project. This is the simplest method for developers working with local VS Code without devcontainers.

When to Use This Method​

✅ Use this when:

  • You're using local VS Code (no devcontainer)
  • You're working solo on a project
  • You want the simplest possible setup
  • You're developing or testing HVE-Core itself

❌ Consider alternatives when:

How It Works​

HVE-Core is cloned into a sibling directory. Your project's VS Code settings reference it using relative paths.

projects/
├── my-project/              # Your project
│   └── .vscode/
│       └── settings.json    # Points to ../hve-core
│
└── hve-core/                # Sibling directory
    └── .github/
        ├── agents/
        ├── prompts/
        └── instructions/

Quick Start​

Use the hve-core-installer agent:

  1. Open GitHub Copilot Chat (Ctrl+Alt+I)
  2. Select hve-core-installer from the agent picker
  3. Say: "Install HVE-Core using peer directory clone"
  4. Follow the guided setup

Manual Setup​

Step 1: Clone HVE-Core​

Open a terminal in your project's parent directory:

# Navigate to parent of your project
cd /path/to/projects

# Clone HVE-Core as a sibling
git clone https://github.com/microsoft/hve-core.git

Your directory structure should now look like:

projects/
├── my-project/
└── hve-core/

Step 2: Update VS Code Settings​

Create or update .vscode/settings.json in your project:

{
  "chat.agentFilesLocations": {
    "../hve-core/.github/agents/ado": true,
    "../hve-core/.github/agents/data-science": true,
    "../hve-core/.github/agents/design-thinking": true,
    "../hve-core/.github/agents/github": true,
    "../hve-core/.github/agents/installer": true,
    "../hve-core/.github/agents/project-planning": true,
    "../hve-core/.github/agents/hve-core": true,
    "../hve-core/.github/agents/hve-core/subagents": true,
    "../hve-core/.github/agents/security-planning": true
  },
  "chat.promptFilesLocations": {
    "../hve-core/.github/prompts/ado": true,
    "../hve-core/.github/prompts/design-thinking": true,
    "../hve-core/.github/prompts/github": true,
    "../hve-core/.github/prompts/hve-core": true,
    "../hve-core/.github/prompts/security-planning": true
  },
  "chat.instructionsFilesLocations": {
    "../hve-core/.github/instructions/ado": true,
    "../hve-core/.github/instructions/coding-standards": true,
    "../hve-core/.github/instructions/design-thinking": true,
    "../hve-core/.github/instructions/github": true,
    "../hve-core/.github/instructions/hve-core": true,
    "../hve-core/.github/instructions/shared": true
  },
  "chat.agentSkillsLocations": {
    "../hve-core/.github/skills": true,
    "../hve-core/.github/skills/shared": true
  }
}

Step 3: Validate Installation​

Verify HVE-Core directories are accessible:

ls ../hve-core/.github/agents

You should see .agent.md files. Then validate in VS Code:

  1. Reload VS Code window (Ctrl+Shift+P → "Developer: Reload Window")
  2. Open GitHub Copilot Chat (Ctrl+Alt+I)
  3. Click the agent picker dropdown
  4. Verify HVE-Core agents appear (task-planner, task-researcher, prompt-builder)

Updating HVE-Core​

To get the latest version:

cd ../hve-core
git pull

No VS Code restart required. Changes take effect immediately.

Troubleshooting​

Agents Not Appearing​

Check the relative path​

# From your project directory
ls ../hve-core/.github/agents

If the path doesn't resolve, verify:

  1. HVE-Core is cloned at the correct location
  2. Your terminal is in your project directory
  3. The relative path in settings.json is correct

Check VS Code settings​

  1. Open Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P)
  2. Type "Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON)"
  3. Verify no conflicting settings override your workspace settings

Path Breaks After Moving Project​

Relative paths break if your project moves. Options:

  1. Re-clone HVE-Core next to the new location
  2. Update settings.json with the new relative path
  3. Switch to Multi-Root Workspace for portable paths

Doesn't Work in Devcontainer​

Peer directory clone doesn't work in devcontainers because the container can't access files outside the mounted workspace.

Solutions​

Limitations​

AspectStatus
Devcontainers❌ Not supported
Codespaces❌ Not supported
Team sharing⚠️ Each developer clones separately
Portable paths⚠️ Breaks if project moves
Version pinning⚠️ Manual (use git checkout)
Setup complexity✅ Very simple
Update process✅ Just git pull

Next Steps​

🤖 Crafted with precision by ✨Copilot following brilliant human instruction, then carefully refined by our team of discerning human reviewers.