GitHub Copilot CLIGitHub Copilot CLI

模型与开放条件Model & openness

多厂商模型，可在 CLI 内切换。

官方 README 原文：

官方原文："By default, copilot utilizes Claude Sonnet 4.5. Run the /model slash command to choose from other available models, including Claude Sonnet 4 and GPT-5"

官方 changelog 写 GA 时的表述是：

官方原文："Choose from the latest models from Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google"

注意官方两页对默认模型的表述不同：

• README 写 Claude Sonnet 4.5
• about 页写「The default model used by GitHub Copilot CLI is Claude Sonnet 4. GitHub reserves the right to change this model」

具体可用模型清单随套餐变化，完整清单见 Copilot 模型页（与 IDE 条目 同一套账号体系）。

第三方 agent 委派沿用 Copilot 平台能力（Preview）。

Multi-vendor models, switchable inside the CLI.

Official README wording:

Official wording: "By default, copilot utilizes Claude Sonnet 4.5. Run the /model slash command to choose from other available models, including Claude Sonnet 4 and GPT-5"

The official changelog's GA wording was:

Official wording: "Choose from the latest models from Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google"

Note the two official pages describe the default model differently:

• the README says Claude Sonnet 4.5
• the about page says "The default model used by GitHub Copilot CLI is Claude Sonnet 4. GitHub reserves the right to change this model"

The exact list of available models varies by plan; the full list is on the Copilot models page (same account system as the IDE entry).

Third-party agent delegation follows Copilot platform capabilities (Preview).

运行位置Where it runs

本地终端进程，生命周期绑定终端会话。

官方支持的系统：

• Linux
• macOS
• Windows：走 Powershell 或 Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

官方原文写支持：

官方原文："Linux / macOS / Windows from within Powershell and Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)"

about 页另注：

官方原文："Native Windows support in Powershell is available, but experimental"

另有一条云端运行面。 copilot --cloud 可在隔离的云托管环境里起会话 （官方文档写 Cloud sandboxes「in public preview」，其策略「inherit from Copilot cloud agent policies」，可跨机器续会话、并行跑任务）。

这与本地终端会话是两个运行面，不要混为一谈。

A local terminal process, lifecycle bound to the terminal session.

Officially supported systems:

• Linux
• macOS
• Windows: via Powershell or Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

Official wording on support:

Official wording: "Linux / macOS / Windows from within Powershell and Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)"

The about page adds:

Official wording: "Native Windows support in Powershell is available, but experimental"

There is also a cloud execution surface. copilot --cloud starts a session in an isolated cloud-hosted environment (official docs say cloud sandboxes are "in public preview", their policies "inherit from Copilot cloud agent policies", sessions can continue across machines and run tasks in parallel).

These are two execution surfaces — the local terminal session and the cloud one; do not conflate them.

本地文件Local files

以「信任目录」为界。 启动会话时，官方要求你确认信任「confirm that you trust the files in, and below, the directory from which you launched the CLI」。

这个受托目录控制 "where Copilot CLI can read, modify, and execute files"。

关键限定：官方明写

官方原文："Scoping of permissions is heuristic and GitHub does not guarantee that all files outside trusted directories will be protected"

别把信任目录当成强沙箱。

想要更硬的边界，可开本地沙箱：官方原文："run /sandbox enable inside a session"， 用以限制文件系统、网络与系统能力。或者用 copilot --cloud 把整个会话放进云隔离环境。

Bounded by "trusted directories". When starting a session, the official docs require you to "confirm that you trust the files in, and below, the directory from which you launched the CLI".

This trusted directory controls "where Copilot CLI can read, modify, and execute files".

Key caveat: the official docs state plainly

Official wording: "Scoping of permissions is heuristic and GitHub does not guarantee that all files outside trusted directories will be protected"

Do not treat trusted directories as a hard sandbox.

For a harder boundary, enable the local sandbox: Official wording: "run /sandbox enable inside a session", which restricts filesystem, network and system capabilities. Or use copilot --cloud to put the whole session in a cloud-isolated environment.

关机后的任务Tasks after shutdown

有明确的后台委派与云端会话。 官方 changelog 原文：

官方原文："Prefix any prompt with & to delegate work to the Copilot coding agent in the cloud, freeing your terminal for other tasks. Use /resume to switch between local and remote coding agent sessions seamlessly"

也就是说，在终端里把任务甩给云端 coding agent，终端继续干别的。

云沙箱（public preview）另支持：

官方原文："keep a session's state between uses, continue a session from a different machine, or run multiple tasks in parallel"

本地会话本身仍是随终端结束的。 它是客户端常驻型，真后台来自上面这条云端通道。

There is explicit background delegation and cloud sessions. Official changelog wording:

Official wording: "Prefix any prompt with & to delegate work to the Copilot coding agent in the cloud, freeing your terminal for other tasks. Use /resume to switch between local and remote coding agent sessions seamlessly"

That is, in the terminal you hand the task to the cloud coding agent and keep using the terminal for other things.

Cloud sandboxes (public preview) additionally support:

Official wording: "keep a session's state between uses, continue a session from a different machine, or run multiple tasks in parallel"

The local session itself still ends with the terminal. It is a client-resident type; the real background comes from the cloud channel above.

工具与扩展Tools & extensions

MCP 是默认带的能力。 官方 README 原文：

官方原文："the coding agent ships with GitHub's MCP server by default and supports custom MCP servers"

添加方式：/mcp add 交互式添加；/mcp search 浏览 GitHub MCP Registry 直接安装（2026-06-23 changelog）。

官方文档另列的扩展面：

• Custom instructions
• Custom agents —— 含内置 Explore / Task / Code Review / Plan 等专职 agent，可并行
• Hooks
• Skills
• Plugins

还有 LSP：需自行装 language server，配 ~/.copilot/lsp-config.json 或 .github/lsp.json。

支持 ACP 接入（官方概念页有「Use Copilot CLI via ACP」小节，changelog 提到 ACP 的 closeSession）。

local 会话在 macOS / Windows 还可开 computer use 操作桌面应用。

MCP is a default capability. Official README wording:

Official wording: "the coding agent ships with GitHub's MCP server by default and supports custom MCP servers"

How to add: /mcp add for interactive adding; /mcp search browses the GitHub MCP Registry for direct install (2026-06-23 changelog).

Other extension surfaces listed in official docs:

• Custom instructions
• Custom agents — including built-in Explore / Task / Code Review / Plan specialist agents, runnable in parallel
• Hooks
• Skills
• Plugins

There is also LSP: you install language servers yourself, configured via ~/.copilot/lsp-config.json or .github/lsp.json.

ACP integration is supported (the official concepts page has a "Use Copilot CLI via ACP" section; the changelog mentions ACP closeSession).

On macOS / Windows, local sessions can additionally enable computer use to operate desktop apps.

上下文与记忆Context & memory

自动压缩 + 会话管理 + 仓库记忆三件套。

自动压缩：官方原文写会话接近 95% token 上限时「Copilot automatically compresses your history in the background」，以实现「virtually infinite sessions」。

手动操作：/compact 手动压缩；/context 查看 token 占用。

回滚用 /rewind。changelog 写它

官方原文："no longer requires git and restores only the files Copilot changed, skipping any file whose contents no longer match what Copilot last wrote"

并可选 官方原文："conversation-only 或 conversation + files"。

跨会话记忆沿用 Copilot Memory（与本分区 IDE 条目 同一功能，存仓库级约定与偏好）。

The trio: auto-compaction + session management + repository memory.

Auto-compaction: official docs say when a session nears the 95% token limit, "Copilot automatically compresses your history in the background", enabling "virtually infinite sessions".

Manual operations: /compact compacts manually; /context shows token usage.

Rollback uses /rewind. The changelog says it

Official wording: "no longer requires git and restores only the files Copilot changed, skipping any file whose contents no longer match what Copilot last wrote"

and optionally Official wording: "conversation-only or conversation + files".

Cross-session memory follows Copilot Memory (the same feature as the IDE entry in this section, storing repo-level conventions and preferences).

权限与限制Permissions & limits

审批是本条目最值得记的一维，颗粒度比 IDE 形态更细。

首次使用可写 / 可执行工具时，官方给三个选项：

• 1. Yes
• 2. Yes, and approve TOOL for the rest of the running session
• 3. No, and tell Copilot what to do differently (Esc)

官方原文：

官方原文（审批提示的三个选项）："1. Yes" / "2. Yes, and approve TOOL for the rest of the running session" / "3. No, and tell Copilot what to do differently (Esc)"

选项 2 的含义是本会话内该类命令全部放行。 官方举例：批准 rm ./this-file.txt 后，本会话可跑任意 rm。

程序化 / 无人值守模式有三个开关：

• --allow-all-tools —— 任何工具都不问
• --allow-tool —— 放行指定工具
• --deny-tool —— 禁止指定工具，优先级最高

取值支持「shell(COMMAND)、write、MCP_SERVER_NAME」，且 --deny-tool 优先于 --allow-tool / --allow-all-tools。

官方对自动批准的警告值得原样记住：

官方原文："Copilot has the same access as you do to files on your computer, and can run any shell commands that you can run, without getting your prior approval"

官方并建议在 VM / 容器 / 无网环境里用自动批准，以限制影响面。

内容排除方面，Business / Enterprise 用户的 CLI：

官方原文："respects content exclusion policies configured at the enterprise, organization, and repository levels"

企业与组织策略可整体禁用 CLI。

Approval is the axis most worth remembering in this entry, with finer granularity than the IDE form.

On first use of write / executable tools, the official docs give three options:

• 1. Yes
• 2. Yes, and approve TOOL for the rest of the running session
• 3. No, and tell Copilot what to do differently (Esc)

Official wording:

Official wording (the three approval-prompt options): "1. Yes" / "2. Yes, and approve TOOL for the rest of the running session" / "3. No, and tell Copilot what to do differently (Esc)"

Option 2 means all commands of that tool class are allowed for this session. Official example: after approving rm ./this-file.txt, any rm can run in the session.

Programmatic / unattended mode has three switches:

• --allow-all-tools — never ask for any tool
• --allow-tool — allow specified tools
• --deny-tool — forbid specified tools, highest priority

Values support "shell(COMMAND), write, MCP_SERVER_NAME", and --deny-tool takes precedence over --allow-tool / --allow-all-tools.

The official warning about auto-approval is worth remembering verbatim:

Official wording: "Copilot has the same access as you do to files on your computer, and can run any shell commands that you can run, without getting your prior approval"

The official docs also recommend using auto-approval inside VMs / containers / offline environments to limit blast radius.

For content exclusion, the CLI for Business / Enterprise users:

Official wording: "respects content exclusion policies configured at the enterprise, organization, and repository levels"

Enterprise and organization policies can disable the CLI entirely.

适合什么任务Best for

适合三类人：

• 已在 GitHub 生态、想在终端把「读仓库 / 改代码 / 跑测试 / 开 PR / 管 Issue」走完的人。官方用例直接给了「create a pull request on GitHub.com」这类任务
• 需要脚本化 / headless 的人（copilot -p 配合审批选项，可进 CI）
• 需要 MCP / 插件 / 自定义 agent 生态的人

不适合两类人：

• 不想付 Copilot 订阅的人 —— CLI 随订阅，不能单独买
• 想要「全自动又零风险」的人 —— 自动批准要与隔离环境配套，官方明确提示风险

Fits three kinds of people:

• those already in the GitHub ecosystem who want to finish "read the repo / edit code / run tests / open PRs / manage issues" from the terminal — the official use cases literally include tasks like "create a pull request on GitHub.com"
• those who need scripting / headless (copilot -p with approval options can run in CI)
• those who need the MCP / plugins / custom-agent ecosystem

Not a fit for two kinds of people:

• those unwilling to pay for a Copilot subscription — the CLI comes with the subscription and cannot be bought separately
• those wanting "fully automatic yet zero risk" — auto-approval must be paired with an isolated environment; the official docs flag the risk explicitly

npm install -g @github/copilot

npm install -g @github/copilot

1. Yes
2. Yes, and approve TOOL for the rest of the running session
3. No, and tell Copilot what to do differently (Esc)

1. Yes
2. Yes, and approve TOOL for the rest of the running session
3. No, and tell Copilot what to do differently (Esc)

本页由This page is generated from the ai-handbook 数据层生成（CC BY 4.0）。data layer (CC BY 4.0). 方法论与坐标系定义见仓库内For the methodology and coordinate definitions, see METHODOLOGY.md.