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Peer Directory Clone Installation

Peer Directory Clone keeps HVE Core in a sibling folder next to your project, and you install that folder in VS Code as a plugin from source. It is a simple setup for developers who use 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 a copy of HVE Core on disk that you update or pin with Git
  • You're developing or testing HVE Core itself

❌ Consider alternatives when:

How It Works​

HVE Core keeps plugin.json at its repository root, so the root folder of your clone is the plugin folder. After you install that folder as a plugin from source, Copilot gets the full set of HVE Core agents, skills, and path-specific instructions from it. Your project needs no HVE Core settings.

projects/
├── my-project/              # Your project, with no HVE Core settings
│
└── hve-core/                # Sibling clone, installed as a plugin from source
    ├── plugin.json          # Plugin manifest at the repository root
    └── .github/
        ├── agents/
        ├── instructions/
        └── skills/

A project can also list customization folders in .github/copilot/settings.json, but only folders inside the project checkout. A sibling folder such as ../hve-core is outside the checkout and cannot be listed there, so this method installs it as a plugin.

NOTE

If an earlier setup added chat.agentFilesLocations, chat.instructionsFilesLocations, or chat.agentSkillsLocations entries for HVE Core to .vscode/settings.json, remove them. Copilot does not need them. Switch to the Copilot harness and confirm HVE Core loads there before you remove them, as Use One Route at a Time describes.

Quick Start​

To use HVE Core without keeping a clone, install the hve-core plugin as described in Install the Plugin. For guided installation-method selection, MCP configuration, or copying HVE Core into your project, ask an agent to use the included hve-core-installer skill. Use the manual steps below to install from a peer clone.

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: Install the Clone as a Plugin​

Install the clone's root folder, the one that holds plugin.json, as a plugin from source:

  1. Run Chat: Open Customizations from the Command Palette to open the Agent Customizations editor, and select Plugins.
  2. Select the add (+) button next to User.
  3. Enter the clone's local folder path, such as /path/to/projects/hve-core.

Running Chat: Install Plugin from Source from the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) does the same.

IMPORTANT

Use one install route at a time. When the same content arrives through more than one route, for example this plugin and the HVE Core VS Code extension, Copilot lists agents more than once in the subagent list and does not remove the copies.

Step 3: Validate Installation​

  1. Run Developer: Reload Window from the Command Palette so new chat sessions pick up the plugin.
  2. Open Copilot Chat (Ctrl+Alt+I) with the Copilot harness, which is the VS Code default.
  3. Open the agent picker and confirm RPI Agent is listed.
  4. Type / and confirm skills such as /hve-core:rpi-research appear. VS Code prefixes a plugin's skills with the plugin name.

Updating HVE Core​

To get the latest version, pull in the clone:

cd ../hve-core
git pull

Then run Developer: Reload Window so new chat sessions pick up the change. If the change still does not show up, open the Plugins page in the Agent Customizations editor and select Check for and Apply Updates (the refresh icon), or run Chat: Update Plugins.

Troubleshooting​

Agents Not Appearing​

Check the clone​

# From your project directory
ls ../hve-core/plugin.json

If the file is missing, verify:

  1. HVE Core is cloned at the correct location
  2. Your terminal is in your project directory

Check the plugin install​

  1. Open the Agent Customizations editor, select Plugins, and confirm hve-core is listed.
  2. If it is missing, repeat Step 2 with the path of the folder that holds plugin.json.
  3. Run Developer: Reload Window and start a new chat session.

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 and installs separately
Project settings✅ None needed
Version pinning⚠️ Manual (use git checkout)
Setup complexity✅ Simple (clone, then install from source)
Update process✅ git pull, then reload the window

Next Steps​

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