Prepare for the workshop
Complete this checklist before Friday. Copilot app, Copilot CLI, and Copilot SDK work on Windows, macOS, or Linux. Visual Studio 2026 requires Windows.
Accounts and access
Section titled “Accounts and access”- A personal GitHub account (preferred)
- GitHub Copilot Free or a paid Copilot plan
- Permission to create repositories and pull requests in your account, if you plan to use the repository-backed exercises
- Git configured with your GitHub identity
- If you use Copilot Business or Enterprise, confirmation from your administrator that the required Copilot policies are enabled
Required tools
Section titled “Required tools”| Tool | Required for | Verify |
|---|---|---|
| Git | All labs | git --version |
| GitHub Copilot app | Copilot app | Open the app and sign in |
| Node.js 22 or 24 | Copilot app, CLI, and SDK | node --version |
| GitHub Copilot CLI | CLI and SDK | copilot --version |
| Visual Studio Code or Visual Studio Code Insiders | CLI and SDK | code --version or code-insiders --version |
| .NET 10 SDK | Labs 3 and 4 | dotnet --version |
| Visual Studio 2026 | Lab 3 | Open Visual Studio |
| Edge or Chrome | Browser-based verification | Open the browser once |
Visual Studio 2026 setup
Section titled “Visual Studio 2026 setup”On Windows, open the Visual Studio Installer and confirm the ASP.NET and web development workload is installed. Sign in to GitHub Copilot inside Visual Studio before the workshop.
Run workshop doctor
Section titled “Run workshop doctor”Download the preflight script for your operating system, inspect it if desired, then run it. It does not install software or read credentials. Its final check takes up to a minute and shows a waiting indicator while sending a one-line Auto-model prompt to verify that you are signed in and can receive a response; this uses one small Copilot request.
Invoke-WebRequest https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jamesmontemagno/vslive-github-copilot-workshop/main/scripts/workshop-doctor.ps1 -OutFile .\workshop-doctor.ps1.\workshop-doctor.ps1curl -fsSLO https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jamesmontemagno/vslive-github-copilot-workshop/main/scripts/workshop-doctor.shbash ./workshop-doctor.shThe report lists readiness for each lab and summarizes your compatible workshop path. On macOS and Linux, it reports Visual Studio as Windows-only rather than as a failed check.
Enterprise authentication and policy setup
Section titled “Enterprise authentication and policy setup”For the interactive CLI lab, sign in ahead of time:
copilot loginComplete the browser device flow. For GitHub Enterprise Cloud with data residency, use copilot login --host HOSTNAME. If your organization uses SAML SSO, select Authorize next to the organization during the GitHub authorization step.
Copilot Business and Enterprise users need the relevant organization or enterprise policies enabled before the workshop:
- The Copilot CLI policy is required for the CLI and SDK labs.
- The GitHub Copilot app policy is separately required for the Copilot app lab.
If a policy, SSO authorization, or model is unavailable, contact your administrator or a facilitator before the workshop. Do not use tokens or accounts you are not authorized to use.
Clone the project for each lab
Section titled “Clone the project for each lab”Clone only the project for the lab you are starting. Use Visual Studio Code for the CLI and SDK labs, and Visual Studio for the Visual Studio lab:
| Lab | Clone and open |
|---|---|
| Copilot app | Create a repository from the Tailspin Toys template, then open it in the Copilot app |
| Copilot CLI | git clone https://github.com/jamesmontemagno/workshop-mona-mayhem.git then cd workshop-mona-mayhem and run copilot |
| Visual Studio 2026 | git clone https://github.com/jamesmontemagno/workshop-tinyshop.git, then open workshop-tinyshop/src/TinyShop.sln |
| Copilot SDK | git clone https://github.com/jamesmontemagno/workshop-accessibility-agent.git then cd workshop-accessibility-agent and run code . |
Each standalone repository has its workshop starter on main and a completed branch for reference.
When to fork instead
Section titled “When to fork instead”Direct cloning is enough for all local exercises. Fork the individual project only when a lesson needs you to push changes, create an issue or pull request, or delegate work to a cloud agent. If an enterprise-managed account prevents forking, remain on a direct clone and complete the local exercises; the repository-backed actions will be unavailable.
Tailspin Toys intentionally uses its template flow because its Copilot app lessons depend on pre-seeded issues, branches, and pull requests.
Quick preflight
Section titled “Quick preflight”Before arriving, confirm:
workshop doctorreports the labs you plan to attend as ready.- You can authenticate with GitHub and Copilot.
- Visual Studio 2026 opens
workshop-tinyshop/src/TinyShop.slnif you are attending that Windows-only lab. - You can access the separate Tailspin Toys template repository.
When everything is ready, begin with the Copilot app lab.