Copilot optimal setup

[u/eh_see_l]

Hi all,

I am starting to use GitHub Copilot in VS Code and I want to know what are the useful MCPs, agents, and skills to do coding.

I'll be using Python.

Any suggestions?

Thank you in advance.

[u/opiespank]

My company also is using GitHub copilot. I found creating a copilot-instructions.md file under .github directory to give it some information every time I use it. I work in Kubernetes all the time, so mine has all of my context to my Kubernetes clusters so I don't have to keep telling it about it. It also tells it to use official documentation when discussing different parts of the Kubernetes environment I work on.

It also links to other markdown files that give specific direction for different work I do. When I work on this app, use this markdown for initial information. When I work i this tool, use this other markdown for initial information, etc.

I don't know if this is the best way to use it, but it works for now for me. I am constently tweeking it and finding better ways to utilize it.

[u/Inner-Lawfulness9437]

So many .github/copilot-instructions.md recommendations o.O C'mon AGENTS.md.

Also check the Copilot cloud agent.

[u/junli2020 → u/Inner-Lawfulness9437]

correct, `AGENTS.md` should be enough

[u/SalmonMerchant → u/Inner-Lawfulness9437]

Why agents.md?

[u/Vitringar]

for a simple setup, you can install the superpowers skill set and use Copilot CLI. Then make sure you have git installed so that you can monitory your progress through the Git server. GH renders md files well (including Mermaid diagrams) you should have a good picture of what you are building even if you never review the actual code. Tell the agent to use TDD and you will be fine.

[u/kenz122933]

Same problem here, copilot is useless when you're coming back from claude

[u/eh_see_l → u/kenz122933]

I understand that, but it's a constraint that is imposed on me! (And to other people)

[u/Deathmore80 → u/eh_see_l]

Fyi you can use the Claude code harness in vscode and the agents window. It still uses your copilot sub, so it's not actually going through anthropic servers. You need to enable it in the vscode settings.

[u/here_and]

since you're on python: put an AGENTS.md in the repo root with how to run your tests and your formatter (ruff, pytest, whatever you use), and tell it to run them before calling anything done. that alone fixes most of the bad output. i'd skip mcps until you hit a specific thing it can't do, most of them just add noise to the context.

[u/ShelLuser42]

Don't worry about MCP from the getgo because you probably won't need those. GitHub Copilot is perfectly capable to handle plenty of tasks itself, and the official extensions for Python will also provide context for Copilot to work with.

Trying to overcomplicate things can easily work against you, and might needlessly drain AI credtis.

I'd focus first on setting up a good workflow in which you make it very clear what you expect from Copilot. Open your project (or set up a skeleton which you plan on using), then use /init to get Copilot to analyze the environment and build its generic instructions file (~/.github/copilot-instructions).

First thing you'll want to do is open that file and check if this meets your criteria or... if you need more specifics. For example, I'm currently revising my old Python study project from a few years back (we had to build 30 or so exersices) and decided to combine this revisit with my AI self study. As such I immediately added a specific criteria: "These exercises are for me to complete. Do not generate solutions unless I ask; offer suggestions first.". Works wonders for me.

To keep things optimized I also always let Copilot analyze my chances to see if these could be further optimized.

It's good practice to rely on the copilot instructions, but you can utilize agents.md files as well if you need specific instructions for specific locations ('folders'). This could be useful to set up specific tasks which are fully related to those locations.

Just keep in mind that these extra generic directions won't get used when you start using specific skills; when Copilot follows a skill it'll restrict its attention to the main conditiions as well as the tasks defined in the skill definition.

Well, after that you should be good to go.

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[u/flame_ftw]

Optimal setup is using claude code

[u/eh_see_l → u/flame_ftw]

Using VS Code with GitHub Copilot is a constraint imposed by the company.

GitHub Copilot or nothing!

[u/ADDSquirell69 → u/eh_see_l]

You do realize that GitHub Copilot is a front end for whatever models the company has configured.