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Part 2: Set Up Copilot CLI

Time: ~5 minutes
Goal: Install GitHub Copilot CLI, authenticate, and run your first prompt

What Is GitHub Copilot CLI?

GitHub Copilot CLI is an AI assistant that lives in your terminal. You type in plain English, and it responds with structured results — summaries, drafts, plans, analysis — without ever opening a browser.

❯ copilot
copilot> summarize my last 5 emails

📧 Here's what needs your attention today:
1. [URGENT] Budget approval needed from Finance — Sarah...
2. [ACTION] Engineering timeline review due Friday...
...

It's included with all GitHub Copilot subscriptions.

Step 1: Install Copilot CLI

Choose the installation method for your platform:

Windows

winget install GitHub.Copilot

Or via npm (requires Node.js 22+):

npm install -g @github/copilot

Mac

brew install copilot-cli

Or via npm:

npm install -g @github/copilot

Linux

npm install -g @github/copilot

💡 Not sure if you have Node.js? Run node --version in your terminal. You need v22 or later for the npm install method. If not installed, download from nodejs.org (get the LTS version), or use Winget/Homebrew instead.

Step 2: Verify the Installation

copilot --version

You should see a version number printed. If you get "command not found", try closing and reopening your terminal, then run it again.

Step 3: Authenticate

Launch Copilot CLI:

copilot

On first launch, Copilot CLI may ask you to confirm that you trust the current folder. Choose the option that matches your comfort level. If you're not signed in, it will then prompt you to use the /login command.

/login

A browser window will open — sign in with your GitHub account. Once authenticated, return to the terminal.

✅ You'll see: Signed in as @yourusername

Step 4: Explore the Interface

Now that you're in, try a few things:

Get help

/help

This shows all available slash commands — your navigation menu inside Copilot CLI.

Check available models

/model

Shows which AI models are available to you (GPT, Claude, Gemini, etc.).

Ask something in plain English

What can you help me with today?

No special syntax needed — just type like you're sending a message.

How Copilot CLI Works

You type a prompt
        ↓
Copilot CLI interprets and plans
        ↓
Fetches from your files, connected services, or knowledge
        ↓
Returns a structured response

On its own, Copilot CLI can see:

  • Files in your current folder
  • Content you paste or reference directly

With the built-in GitHub MCP server and extra MCP connectors (Part 3), it can also reach:

  • Your Microsoft 365 email, calendar, Teams
  • GitHub issues and pull requests
  • Databases, APIs, and more

🎯 Hands-On Practice

Time to put it to work! Make sure you're inside the copilot-workshop folder you created in Part 1 (or any folder with a few files in it). Then run:

copilot

Try each of these tasks — just type them naturally, like sending a message:

Task 1: Explore Your Current Folder

Ask Copilot to look around and tell you what's here:

look at the files in this folder and tell me what this project seems to be about

Copilot will list your files and give you a summary. Try a follow-up:

which of these files is most recently modified?

Task 2: Create a File

Ask Copilot to create something for you:

create a file called action-items.txt with 5 example action items from a fictional project kickoff meeting — use a team working on a new Microsoft 365 integration

Then verify it was created:

show me what you wrote in action-items.txt

Task 3: Research Something

Ask Copilot a knowledge question — no files needed, just curiosity:

what's the difference between GitHub Copilot in VS Code and GitHub Copilot CLI? when would I use each one?

Then go deeper:

which one is better for someone who doesn't write code?

Task 4: Work With an Existing File

Ask Copilot to improve what it just created:

read action-items.txt and add two more items to it — one about scheduling a follow-up meeting and one about sharing the meeting notes with stakeholders

Confirm the changes:

read back the full updated file

💡 Pro tip: You don't need special commands. Copilot understands plain English — just describe what you want, like you're asking a colleague.

Quick Reference: Key Slash Commands

Command What It Does
/help Show all available commands
/model Switch between AI models
/plan Enter planning mode before executing
/diff Review file changes before approving
/context See what Copilot knows about your session
/reset-allowed-tools Clear any auto-approved tool permissions
Ctrl+C Exit the current session

✅ Part 2 Complete

You now have:

  • Copilot CLI installed and authenticated
  • Asked Copilot to explore your folder
  • Asked Copilot to create a file
  • Asked Copilot to research a topic
  • A feel for the interactive interface and key slash commands

→ Part 3: Configure MCP Servers