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[bot] Add CLI Extensions, /pr agent, preCompact hook, and MCP devcontainer support (v1.0.3–v1.0.5) #10

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[bot] Add CLI Extensions, /pr agent, preCompact hook, and MCP devcontainer support (v1.0.3–v1.0.5) #10

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74 changes: 71 additions & 3 deletions README.md
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ For detailed documentation, see the [Further Reading](#further-reading) section
│ Hooks Automate lifecycle events (format, lint, startup) │
│ Custom Agents Named specialists with personas │
│ Plugins Bundle all of the above into one package │
│ Extensions Custom tools & hooks via @github/copilot-sdk │
│ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
Expand All @@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ For detailed documentation, see the [Further Reading](#further-reading) section
│ Running Parallel Auto-delegates work; /fleet for explicit │
│ Tasks & /fleet parallel execution via subagents │
│ Autopilot Mode Hands-off autonomous task completion (CLI) │
│ /pr Agent Create PRs, fix CI, address review in CLI │
│ Coding Agent Autonomous cloud agent — issues in, PRs out │
│ Agentic Workflows Automate repo tasks via GitHub Actions + AI │
│ Mission Control Dashboard to manage coding agents at scale │
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -91,9 +93,11 @@ For detailed documentation, see the [Further Reading](#further-reading) section
- [Hooks](#hooks)
- [Custom Agents](#custom-agents)
- [Plugins](#plugins)
- [CLI Extensions](#cli-extensions)
- [Agentic Features](#agentic-features)
- [Running Parallel Tasks](#running-parallel-tasks)
- [Autopilot Mode](#autopilot-mode)
- [/pr — PR Lifecycle Agent](#pr--pr-lifecycle-agent)
- [Copilot Coding Agent](#copilot-coding-agent)
- [Agentic Workflows](#agentic-workflows)
- [Mission Control](#mission-control)
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -266,7 +270,7 @@ When creating or modifying database tables.

> **When you need it:** Your app needs to interact with other systems, ex: query PostgreSQL, check GitHub issues, or interact with cloud storage. Without MCP, you'd have to copy-paste data into chat.

**📁 Location:** `.vscode/mcp.json` (VS Code) or `~/.copilot/mcp-config.json` (CLI)
**📁 Location:** `.vscode/mcp.json` (VS Code) · `~/.copilot/mcp-config.json`, `.devcontainer/devcontainer.json`, or `.vscode/mcp.json` (CLI)

<details markdown>
<summary>Example configuration</summary>
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -346,12 +350,15 @@ Custom scripts that run automatically at specific lifecycle events — like pre-
| `post-edit` | After Copilot edits a file |
| `pre-commit` | Before a git commit |
| `startup` | When a CLI session starts — auto-submits a prompt or slash command |
| `preCompact` | Runs before context compaction — useful for summarizing or saving state first |

**Config notes:**

- Use `"command"` as a **cross-platform alias** for `bash`/`powershell` shell commands — works on all platforms without separate entries
- `"timeout"` is accepted as an alias for `"timeoutSec"` for readable config
- Personal hooks (`~/.copilot/hooks/`) apply across all repos; repo-level hooks (`.github/hooks/`) are scoped to that repo
- Add `"disableAllHooks": true` to a hooks config file to disable all hooks in that file
- Set `"permission": "ask"` on a hook to prompt the user for confirmation before the hook runs

| | |
|---|---|
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -454,6 +461,43 @@ Enable plugins automatically at startup by listing them in your CLI config:

---

### CLI Extensions

Experimental feature for writing custom tools and hooks in JavaScript/TypeScript against the `@github/copilot-sdk` API — extending the CLI with capabilities beyond the built-in tool set.

> **When you need it:** You need a custom tool that isn't covered by built-in tools or MCP servers — for example, a company-specific deployment checker, a project-aware linter runner, or a tool Copilot can call to interact with internal systems.

**Manage extensions in-session:**

```
/extensions # List loaded extensions and their status
/extensions enable # Enable a specific extension
/extensions disable # Disable a specific extension
```

Extensions can be written as `.js` or `.cjs` modules. Copilot can write extensions for itself — prompt it to create a custom tool using `@github/copilot-sdk`.

<details markdown>
<summary>Example — asking Copilot to create an extension</summary>

```
> Write me a CLI extension that checks whether all RecipeShare API routes have
corresponding OpenAPI spec entries. Use @github/copilot-sdk.
```

Copilot will scaffold the extension file and register it so it's available as a tool in the current session.

</details>

| | |
|---|---|
| **Status** | Experimental (v1.0.3+) |
| **Format** | `.js` or `.cjs` modules using `@github/copilot-sdk` |
| **Manage** | `/extensions` command to view, enable, and disable |
| **Difference from plugins** | Extensions add new *tool types*; plugins bundle existing artifacts (agents, skills, hooks, MCP) |

---

## Agentic Features

> Runtime capabilities — how Copilot delegates work, runs in parallel, and operates autonomously.
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -603,6 +647,28 @@ Autopilot and `/fleet` are independent features that combine well. A common work

---

### `/pr` — PR Lifecycle Agent

The `/pr` slash command turns Copilot into a pull-request assistant: create PRs, view status, fix failing CI, address reviewer comments, and resolve merge conflicts — all without leaving the CLI.

> **When you need it:** You want to stay in flow while working on a PR — let Copilot diagnose a failing CI check and push a fix, or automatically apply reviewer suggestions, instead of context-switching to the browser.

```
> /pr # Summarize current PR status
> /pr view # View PR status in the terminal
> /pr view web # Open PR in the browser
```

Copilot can take autonomous actions on your PR — running tests, pushing commits to fix CI failures, and applying review feedback — combining with [Autopilot Mode](#autopilot-mode) for fully hands-off PR resolution.

| | |
|---|---|
| **Where** | Copilot CLI (v1.0.5+) |
| **Actions** | Create · view · fix CI failures · address review feedback · resolve merge conflicts |
| **Related** | [Coding Agent](#copilot-coding-agent) for cloud-based, asynchronous PR creation |

---

### Copilot Coding Agent

GitHub's autonomous agent that picks up issues, creates branches, and opens PRs — **without a chat session**. It runs on GitHub's cloud infrastructure, not your machine.
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -868,7 +934,7 @@ squad > /status

Key CLI commands: `squad init`, `squad status`, `squad triage` (auto-triage issues), `squad copilot` (add/remove @copilot), `squad doctor`, `squad nap` (context hygiene), `squad export`/`import`, `squad aspire` (observability dashboard).

#### What's new (v0.8.x)
#### What's new (v0.8.25)

- **SubSquads** — break large teams into focused sub-groups (renamed from workstreams)
- **Crash recovery** — sessions persist to disk; agents resume from checkpoint after failures
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -969,8 +1035,10 @@ Based on [lessons from 2,500+ repositories](https://github.blog/ai-and-ml/github
| **Hooks** | Lifecycle automation | `.github/hooks/` or `~/.copilot/hooks/` | When you want auto-formatting/linting/startup prompts |
| **Agents** | Named specialist personas | `.github/agents/{name}.agent.md` | When you need dedicated workflow owners |
| **Plugins** | Bundled agent toolkits | `plugin.json` manifest | When sharing agent setups across repos |
| **CLI Extensions** | Custom tools & hooks via SDK | `.js`/`.cjs` modules using `@github/copilot-sdk` | When you need custom tools beyond built-ins or MCP |
| **Running Parallel Tasks / `/fleet`** | Auto-delegates or explicitly fans out work to subagents | *(runtime capability)* / `/fleet` slash command | When your request has multiple independent jobs |
| **Autopilot Mode** | Hands-off autonomous task completion | Copilot CLI (`--autopilot` / Shift+Tab) | When you want Copilot to work to completion without interaction |
| **`/pr` Agent** | CLI PR assistant — create, fix CI, address feedback | `/pr` slash command (CLI v1.0.5+) | When working on PRs without leaving the terminal |
| **Coding Agent** | Autonomous cloud agent | GitHub infrastructure | When you want async issue automation |
| **Agentic Workflows** | AI + GitHub Actions automation | GitHub Actions | When you want automated repo maintenance |
| **Mission Control** | Multi-agent dashboard | GitHub.com / VS Code | When managing agents at scale |
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -1027,7 +1095,7 @@ Based on [lessons from 2,500+ repositories](https://github.blog/ai-and-ml/github
- [Maximize Agentic Capabilities](https://github.blog/ai-and-ml/github-copilot/how-to-maximize-github-copilots-agentic-capabilities/) · [Mission Control](https://github.blog/changelog/2025-10-28-a-mission-control-to-assign-steer-and-track-copilot-coding-agent-tasks/) · [Agents vs Skills vs Instructions](https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/183962) · [Agentic Workflows](https://github.blog/ai-and-ml/automate-repository-tasks-with-github-agentic-workflows/)

**CLI Release Notes**
- [GitHub Copilot CLI releases](https://github.com/github/copilot-cli/releases) — full changelog for every CLI version (v1.0+ is GA)
- [GitHub Copilot CLI releases](https://github.com/github/copilot-cli/releases) — full changelog for every CLI version (v1.0+ is GA; v1.0.5 adds `/pr`, `/extensions`, `preCompact` hook)

**Platform**
- [Copilot SDK](https://github.com/github/copilot-sdk) · [Copilot Spaces](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/provide-context/use-copilot-spaces)
Expand Down