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GitHub Copilot Integration

Overview​

GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered code completion tool that helps developers write code faster by suggesting relevant code snippets in real-time. The MCP Gearbox CLI provides seamless integration with GitHub Copilot, enabling you to easily configure and manage Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers for use with GitHub Copilot.

Key Features​

  • Direct Integration: Configure MCP servers specifically for GitHub Copilot
  • Global Configuration: Set up MCP servers for GitHub Copilot across your entire system
  • Project-Specific Setup: Configure MCP servers for individual projects using GitHub Copilot
  • Cross-Platform Support: Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux

Prerequisites​

Before configuring MCP servers for GitHub Copilot, ensure you have:

  1. Installed GitHub Copilot extension in your IDE
  2. Activated your GitHub Copilot subscription
  3. Installed the MCP Gearbox CLI

Configuration​

Global Configuration​

To configure MCP servers for GitHub Copilot globally:

mcp init -a copilot

This command will:

  1. Detect your GitHub Copilot installation
  2. Present an interactive menu of available MCP servers
  3. Generate the appropriate configuration files for GitHub Copilot

Project-Specific Configuration​

To configure MCP servers for GitHub Copilot in a specific project:

mcp init . -a copilot

Or for a new project directory:

mcp init my-project -a copilot

Direct Server Configuration​

To directly configure specific MCP servers for GitHub Copilot without interactive selection:

# Using space-separated server names
mcp init -a copilot --servers "git filesystem"

# Using multiple option flags
mcp init -a copilot -s git -s filesystem

Managing Configurations​

Listing Configured Servers​

To list MCP servers configured for GitHub Copilot:

# List global configuration
mcp list -a copilot

# List project-specific configuration
mcp list -a copilot -p .

# List with JSON output
mcp list -a copilot --json

Removing Configurations​

To remove MCP servers configured for GitHub Copilot:

# Interactive removal
mcp rm -a copilot

# Remove specific servers
mcp rm git filesystem -a copilot

# Remove all servers
mcp rm --all -a copilot

# Force removal without confirmation
mcp rm git filesystem -a copilot --force

Usage Notes​

  1. Configuration Location: MCP configurations for GitHub Copilot are stored in the standard GitHub Copilot configuration directory
  2. Project-Level Support: GitHub Copilot supports both global and project-level MCP configurations
  3. Server Compatibility: Not all MCP servers may be compatible with GitHub Copilot; check individual server documentation for compatibility information

Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

  1. Agent Not Detected: If the CLI reports that GitHub Copilot is not installed, ensure you have:

    • Installed GitHub Copilot extension in your IDE
    • Activated your GitHub Copilot subscription
    • Logged in to GitHub Copilot

  2. Configuration Not Applied: If your MCP configuration doesn't seem to be working:

    • Verify the configuration was created successfully with mcp list -a copilot
    • Restart your IDE to ensure it picks up the new configuration
    • Check that the MCP servers you've configured are compatible with GitHub Copilot

Checking Installation​

To verify that GitHub Copilot is properly detected by MCP Gearbox:

mcp check -a copilot

This command will show whether GitHub Copilot is installed and accessible to the MCP Gearbox CLI.