GitHub Copilot Agent Configuration

This repository contains my personal configuration for GitHub Copilot Agent in VS Code.
It can serve as a useful starting point for those new to GitHub Copilot in VS Code.
These instructions are designed to help achieve effective responses to zero-shot prompting during typical development tasks.

Environment

• VS Code: Version 1.114
• Required MCP commands: npx, docker, uvx
• Tested models: Claude Sonnet 4.6

Note: Behavior may vary depending on the model. Each model interprets instructions and context differently.

Overview

• .agents
  • .agents/skills: Agent Skills
• .github
  • .github/agents: Custom Agents
  • .github/instructions: Custom Instructions
  • .github/copilot-instructions.md: Workspace-optimized instructions
• .vscode
  • .vscode/mcp.json: Default MCP server configuration
  • .vscode/settings.json: Default VS Code settings

Configuration Files

Custom Instructions

• copilot-agent.instructions.md: Single Source of Truth (SSOT) for agent behavior — enforces sequential-thinking on every response, skill gate evaluation, and subagent delegation for all I/O and implementation work
• subagent-templates.instructions.md: Context Package contract, sequential vs. parallel decision guide, and prompt templates for dispatching research and implementation subagents

Agent Skills

Skill	Source	Description
documentation	mcollina/skills	Creates and structures technical docs following the Diátaxis framework
init	mcollina/skills	Creates/optimizes AGENTS.md with minimal, high-signal agent instructions
karpathy-guidelines	forrestchang/andrej-karpathy-skills	Behavioral guidelines to reduce common LLM coding mistakes
linting-neostandard-eslint9	mcollina/skills	Configures ESLint v9 flat config and neostandard for JS/TS projects
node	mcollina/skills	Node.js best practices with native TypeScript, async patterns, and more
skill-optimizer	mcollina/skills	Optimizes AI skill files for activation, clarity, and cross-model reliability
typescript-magician	mcollina/skills	Designs complex generic types, removes any, creates type guards

npx skills add forrestchang/andrej-karpathy-skills
npx skills add mcollina/skills

Custom Agents

• critical-thinking.agent.md: Question assumptions and guide toward optimal solutions
• mentor.agent.md: Support engineer growth through critical questioning and mentorship

VS Code Documentation

• Custom Instructions
• Custom Agents
• Prompt Files
• Agent Skills
• Agent Hooks
• Agent Plugins

Links

• Awesome GitHub Copilot
• GitHub Copilot plugins
• GitHub Copilot CLI
• GitHub Agentic Workflows