diff --git a/website/src/content/docs/learning-hub/installing-and-using-plugins.md b/website/src/content/docs/learning-hub/installing-and-using-plugins.md index 02cf0345..2d6da784 100644 --- a/website/src/content/docs/learning-hub/installing-and-using-plugins.md +++ b/website/src/content/docs/learning-hub/installing-and-using-plugins.md @@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ title: 'Installing and Using Plugins' description: 'Learn how to find, install, and manage plugins that extend GitHub Copilot CLI with reusable agents, skills, hooks, and integrations.' authors: - GitHub Copilot Learning Hub Team -lastUpdated: 2026-07-28 +lastUpdated: 2026-08-01 estimatedReadingTime: '8 minutes' tags: - plugins @@ -248,6 +248,18 @@ When you install a plugin, its components become available to Copilot CLI automa You don't need to do any additional configuration after installing — the plugin's components integrate seamlessly into your workflow. Plugins take effect immediately after installation without requiring a Copilot CLI restart. +### Enabling and Disabling Plugin Components + +You can enable or disable individual components of an installed plugin without uninstalling it. Open the `/plugins` panel in an interactive Copilot CLI session to see all installed plugins and toggle their agents, instructions, skills, LSP servers, and hooks independently: + +``` +/plugins +``` + +This is useful when you want to temporarily disable a hook or agent from a plugin without removing the entire plugin, or when debugging which plugin component is affecting your session. + +> **Tip**: Changes made in `/plugins` take effect immediately in the current session and are remembered for future sessions. + ## Plugins from This Repository This repository (`awesome-copilot`) serves as both a collection of individual resources _and_ a plugin marketplace. You can use it in two ways: diff --git a/website/src/content/docs/learning-hub/using-copilot-coding-agent.md b/website/src/content/docs/learning-hub/using-copilot-coding-agent.md index 4ff5a344..a8ebbfff 100644 --- a/website/src/content/docs/learning-hub/using-copilot-coding-agent.md +++ b/website/src/content/docs/learning-hub/using-copilot-coding-agent.md @@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ title: 'Using the Copilot Coding Agent' description: 'Learn how to use GitHub Copilot coding agent to autonomously work on issues, generate pull requests, and automate development tasks.' authors: - GitHub Copilot Learning Hub Team -lastUpdated: 2026-05-13 +lastUpdated: 2026-08-01 estimatedReadingTime: '12 minutes' tags: - coding-agent @@ -334,6 +334,36 @@ This repository provides a curated collection of agents, skills, and hooks desig > **Example workflow**: Combine a `test-specialist` agent with a `database-migrations` skill and a linting hook. Assign an issue to the coding agent using the test-specialist agent — it will automatically pick up the migrations skill when relevant, and the hook ensures all code is formatted before completion. +## Controlling Approval Modes + +By default, Copilot CLI asks for your approval before executing tools like shell commands and file writes. You can change this behavior with the `/permissions` command: + +``` +/permissions +``` + +This opens a dialog where you can switch between approval modes: + +| Mode | Behavior | +|------|----------| +| **Interactive** | Asks for approval before each sensitive action (default) | +| **Autopilot** | Executes actions autonomously without per-action prompts | +| **Plan** | Produces a plan for your review before taking any actions | + +Switching to **autopilot** mode lets the agent work without interruption — useful for well-defined tasks where you trust the agent's judgment. Autopilot mode now stays active after a task completes; if you prefer to return to interactive mode after each task, set `stayInAutopilot: false` in your Copilot settings. + +> **Note**: When unconditional autopilot approval is enabled and sandbox bypass is allowed, the sandbox is disabled for the current session. + +### Estimating AI Credit Usage + +Before running a long task, you can ask Copilot to predict how many AI credits the session might consume based on similar past sessions: + +``` +/limits predict +``` + +This helps avoid unexpected credit exhaustion on long autonomous tasks. + ## Remote Control You can connect to and steer a running coding agent session from a local Copilot CLI terminal using **remote control**. This lets you observe the agent's progress, send follow-up prompts, and redirect its work in real time — without waiting for it to open a PR first. @@ -377,6 +407,16 @@ Since v1.0.47, `--resume` also surfaces **cloud agent sessions that haven't yet > **Note**: Remote control replaces the earlier "steering" feature. If you see references to steering in older documentation, remote control is the updated equivalent. +### Managing Multiple Concurrent Sessions (Experimental) + +If you regularly run several coding agent tasks in parallel from the CLI, you can enable the **Sessions sidebar** to manage them all from one terminal window: + +``` +/experimental on +``` + +Once enabled, the sidebar lets you switch between active sessions, spawn new ones, and see each session's status at a glance — without opening separate terminal windows. This is an experimental feature and the interface may change in future releases. + ## Hooks and the Coding Agent Hooks are especially valuable with the coding agent because they provide deterministic guardrails for autonomous work: @@ -422,6 +462,28 @@ It's less suited for: - Use hooks to enforce security scanning on every commit - Scope repository permissions appropriately +#### Enterprise Sandbox Enforcement + +Enterprise administrators can enforce a **managed sandbox policy** using macOS and Windows native MDM (Mobile Device Management) settings. When a managed policy is in effect: + +- The managed settings **tighten** (but never loosen) the user's sandbox policy +- The `/sandbox` dialog shows the org-configured managed values with locked fields +- Managed filesystem paths are clearly identified as admin-controlled + +This lets organizations ensure that all Copilot CLI sessions on managed machines operate within approved sandbox boundaries, regardless of individual user settings. + +#### Sandbox Toolchain Cache Access + +The `allowDevToolCaches` sandbox setting (on by default) grants sandboxed builds access to toolchain caches, package manager registries, and local installs — so builds work without extra configuration in most cases. Set it to `false` in your Copilot settings to opt out if you need stricter isolation: + +```json +{ + "sandbox": { + "allowDevToolCaches": false + } +} +``` + ## Common Questions **Q: How long does the coding agent take?**