References

All technical claims in this workshop are grounded in the primary sources below. Where the product is evolving, prefer the live commands (/help, /model, copilot help <topic>) over any value frozen in a document.

Primary sources — GitHub official documentation

Document	What it covers
About GitHub Copilot CLI	Concepts: modes, context management, customization, security, model usage, sandboxes, ACP
Using GitHub Copilot CLI	How-to: sessions, tips, custom instructions/agents/skills, MCP, context commands
Best practices for GitHub Copilot CLI	Models, plan mode, infinite sessions, delegate, workflows, advanced patterns, team guidance
Installing GitHub Copilot CLI	Install paths and prerequisites
GitHub Copilot features	The assistive / agentic / customization / admin taxonomy across surfaces
Adding custom instructions for GitHub Copilot CLI	Instruction file locations and precedence
Adding agent skills for GitHub Copilot CLI	Authoring `SKILL.md` skills
About agent skills	Skill concepts
Creating custom agents	Agent-profile schema
About the rubber duck agent	Cross-model "second opinion" critique used by `/rubber-duck`
Running tasks in parallel with `/fleet`	Parallel subagent execution and `/tasks` monitoring
Allowing Copilot CLI to work autonomously (autopilot)	How autopilot iterates (plan → act → test → verify) until done
About GitHub Copilot plugins	Plugin marketplaces and `/plugin` management
About hooks for GitHub Copilot	Lifecycle hooks
About GitHub Copilot Memory	Persistent repo memories
About Model Context Protocol (MCP)	MCP concepts
Configure MCP servers (JSON structure)	`mcp-config.json` schema
About GitHub Copilot code review	Automated code review
About cloud and local sandboxes	Sandboxing model: local vs cloud, session lifecycle, auth, billing
Configuring local sandbox settings	The `/sandbox` UI: General / Filesystem / Network settings and platform limits
Enabling or disabling cloud sandboxes for your organization	Org policy: Cloud Sandbox access
Billing for cloud and local sandboxes	Compute / Memory / Storage meters for cloud sandboxes
Models and pricing for GitHub Copilot	Premium requests, model costs
Copilot CLI command reference	Full command & flag list
Copilot CLI configuration directory	`~/.copilot` settings reference
Copilot CLI ACP server	Agent Client Protocol
Customization cheat sheet	When to use which customization feature
Plans for GitHub Copilot	Plan comparison & pricing

Primary sources — GitHub repositories & packages

Resource	Notes
github/copilot-cli	Official repo: README, `changelog.md`, install script, issues, discussions
`@github/copilot` on npm	The npm distribution
Homebrew cask `copilot-cli`	macOS/Linux install

Change watchlist

Check these sources before each workshop run. Copilot CLI changes quickly enough that static workshop material should be treated as a snapshot, not a contract.

Area to watch	Primary source	Why it matters
CLI releases and command behavior	`github/copilot-cli` changelog	Tracks CLI versions, new slash commands (`/settings`, `/security-review`, `/worktree`), prompt-mode behavior, MCP config loading, hooks, permissions, and bug fixes
Copilot-wide product announcements	GitHub Blog Changelog — Copilot label	Tracks model releases/deprecations, public previews, plan changes, code review updates, sandboxes, BYOK, and usage metrics
Model availability and deprecations	Supported models, GitHub Blog Changelog — Copilot	Model names and plan eligibility change frequently; examples should instruct learners to use `/model` rather than copy fixed names
BYOK / external provider models	Using your own LLM models in GitHub Copilot CLI, Using your LLM provider API keys with Copilot	Separates client-side BYOK from enterprise-admin configured external-provider models
Sandboxes	About cloud and local sandboxes, GitHub Blog sandbox announcement	Public-preview behavior, pricing, platform support, and policy controls may change
MCP and agent discovery	MCP management, `github/copilot-cli` changelog	MCP config locations, registry behavior, `deferTools`, and Agent finder are actively evolving
Code review behavior	About GitHub Copilot code review, AGENTS.md support announcement	Review instructions, draft PR review UX, and timeline behavior affect Demo 2
Usage and billing signals	Copilot usage metrics API, AI credits usage API announcement	Workshop owners need to explain AI credit consumption and admin reporting accurately

Recent changes reflected in this workshop

Date	Change	Source
2026-06-29	Claude Opus 4.8 (fast mode) entered preview across Copilot surfaces including Copilot CLI (admin policy off by default)	GitHub Blog Changelog
2026-06-26	MAI-Code-1-Flash reached general availability for Copilot Business and Copilot Enterprise	GitHub Blog Changelog
2026-06-25	Copilot code review now uses the CLI/SDK `grep`/`rg`/`glob`/`view` file tools (~20% lower review cost) and adds org-level default Medium analysis depth	GitHub Blog Changelog
2026-06-24	Free and Student plans default to Copilot auto model selection only; `(Preview)` label retired from Microsoft-released models	GitHub Blog Changelog
2026-06-24	`/security-review` available to all users without `--experimental` (CLI 1.0.64)	copilot-cli changelog 1.0.64
2026-06-23	New Copilot CLI terminal interface GA: tabbed Session/Gists/Issues/Pull requests layout, `/mcp search` GitHub MCP Registry install, and `/theme` color modes	GitHub Blog Changelog
2026-06-19	`ai_credits_used` added to user-level Copilot usage metrics API reports	GitHub Blog Changelog
2026-06-18	Generated release notes now credit the developer alongside `@copilot` for Copilot cloud-agent PRs	GitHub Blog Changelog
2026-06-18	Copilot code review reads repository-root `AGENTS.md`	GitHub Blog Changelog
2026-06-17	Enterprise-admin configured external-provider models appear in Copilot CLI `/model`	GitHub Blog Changelog
2026-06-11	`/settings` provides a unified, schema-driven settings UI and inline setting changes	GitHub Blog Changelog
2026-06-10	`/security-review` added as an experimental public-preview CLI command	GitHub Blog Changelog
2026-06-04	1M-token context windows and configurable reasoning levels available on supported models	GitHub Blog Changelog
2026-06-02	Rubber duck and voice input generally available; prompt scheduling and new terminal UI under `/experimental`	GitHub Blog Changelog
2026-06-02	Cloud and local sandboxes entered public preview	GitHub Blog Changelog
2026-06-02 / 2026-06-05 / 2026-06-18	GPT-4.1, GPT-5.2/GPT-5.2-Codex, and Opus 4.6 (fast) deprecation notices	GitHub Blog Changelog

Hands-on practice

Resource	Notes
Creating applications with Copilot CLI (GitHub Skills)	Official guided exercise: issue → app → tests → PR
github/awesome-copilot (gh.io/awesome-copilot)	Community collection of instructions, agents, skills, hooks, and plugins. Pre-registered as a Copilot plugin marketplace, so you can `copilot plugin install <name>@awesome-copilot` (or `/plugin marketplace add github/awesome-copilot`). Featured in the Mona Mayhem video below

Talks & demos

The three videos below are from the official GitHub YouTube channel and pair directly with this workshop. They are the primary inspiration for the inline "Watch it" callouts in Getting Started, Feature Deep Dive, and Demo Scenarios.

Resource	Maps to	What it covers
Ultimate GitHub Copilot CLI tutorial for beginners	Parts 0–2	The official Copilot CLI for beginners series in one video: install & `/login`, first requests, interactive vs. non-interactive modes, a slash-command tour (`/model`, `/context`, `/compact`, `/clear`, `/resume`, `/diff`, `/cwd`, `/reset-allowed-tools`), the plan → delegate → review loop (`/plan`, `/delegate`, `/review`), MCP (`/mcp add`, Playwright/Svelte), and instructions/agents/skills (`/init`, `.instructions.md`, `.github/skills`, `.github/agents`)
Build with the Copilot CLI — Mona Mayhem	Part 3 (Demos)	A GitHub Dev Days hands-on workshop that builds a retro-arcade app end to end: context engineering with `/init`, plan mode, autopilot vs. YOLO mode, iterative UI debugging by pasting screenshots, the `/plugin marketplace` + awesome-copilot, `/fleet` parallel agents, and `/delegate` to the cloud agent
Less // TODO: more done with GitHub Copilot CLI	Parts 0–2 + SDK	A Dev Days deep dive into the three interaction modes (non-interactive/headless for CI, interactive, server mode), `/login` & `/user`, `/env`, Auto model selection, built-in agents (research, plan, autopilot), `/review`, `/rubber-duck` cross-model validation, `/fleet` + `/tasks`, Copilot Memory, and driving the CLI from an app via the Copilot SDK
GitHub Copilot Anywhere: From Remote Control CLIs to Cloud Sandboxes (DEM305)	Sandboxing	Microsoft Developer demo. Inspiration for the Copilot Anywhere narrative: remote-controlling the CLI (prompt mode, ACP, `/delegate`) and offloading work to cloud sandboxes you can resume from any device

Document	Relationship
Copilot SDK Tutorial	The programmable surface — same runtime, embedded in your code
Copilot SDK · Architecture	How the SDK, CLI server, and Copilot API interact
Copilot SDK · CLI Server Mode	Running the CLI as a server

Note on workshop source decks

This workshop was informed by internal Microsoft/GitHub enablement decks provided as reference material. Those decks contain forward-looking or templated content (for example, speculative future model names and dated context-window figures) that is deliberately not reproduced here. Every factual claim in this workshop is instead tied to the GitHub primary sources above. Three of the supplied reference files were rights-protected (encrypted) and could not be opened; none of their content is represented here.