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Module 01 — Getting Started

Estimated time: 30–45 minutes

In this module, you will install GitHub Copilot CLI, authenticate it with your account, and run your first commands. By the end, you will have a working setup and a basic understanding of how the tool works.

What Is GitHub Copilot CLI?

First Copilot Experience

GitHub Copilot CLI is a command-line interface that brings GitHub Copilot into your terminal. Instead of relying only on editor completions, you can ask Copilot to explain commands, suggest shell scripts, and help with development tasks without leaving your terminal session.

It works as an extension to the GitHub CLI (gh) and communicates with GitHub's Copilot backend using your existing subscription.

Step 1 — Install the GitHub CLI

Copilot CLI runs as a gh extension, so you need the GitHub CLI installed first.

macOS:

brew install gh

Ubuntu / Debian:

sudo apt install gh

Windows:

winget install GitHub.cli

Verify the installation:

gh --version

You should see output like gh version 2.x.x.

Step 2 — Authenticate with GitHub

Log in to your GitHub account using:

gh auth login

Follow the prompts. When asked which protocol to use, select HTTPS. When asked how to authenticate, select Login with a web browser, and complete the process in your browser.

To confirm you are logged in:

gh auth status

The output should show your username and that you are authenticated.

Step 3 — Install the Copilot CLI Extension

gh extension install github/gh-copilot

After installation, confirm it is available:

gh copilot --help

You should see a list of available subcommands.

Step 4 — Understanding the Two Main Commands

GitHub Copilot CLI has two primary commands:

gh copilot explain

Use this to understand what a shell command does. This is especially useful when you encounter an unfamiliar command in documentation or a script.

gh copilot explain "tar -xzf archive.tar.gz"

Copilot will give you a plain-language explanation of the command and each flag.

Here is what that looks like in practice:

Explain Code Demo

gh copilot suggest

Use this when you know what you want to do but are not sure of the exact command.

gh copilot suggest "list all files larger than 100MB"

Copilot will suggest a command that does what you described.

Generate Code Demo

Step 5 — Interactive Mode

When you run gh copilot suggest without a specific request, it enters an interactive session where you can have a back-and-forth conversation.

gh copilot suggest

Think of it like asking a knowledgeable colleague a question. The more clearly you describe your situation, the more useful the answer will be.

You can describe your goal in natural language and ask follow-up questions. Type exit to leave the session.

Seeing It in Action

Here is a short demo of Copilot CLI responding to a first prompt:

Hello Demo

Keeping Copilot CLI Updated

Run the following command periodically to stay on the latest version:

gh extension upgrade gh-copilot

Exercises

Try the following on your own before moving to the next module.

Exercise 1.1 Install the GitHub CLI and Copilot extension, then run:

gh copilot --version

Note the version number. Take a screenshot — you will need this for your submission.

Exercise 1.2 Use gh copilot explain to understand this command:

gh copilot explain "ps aux | grep python"

Read the explanation. Does it match what you expected?

Exercise 1.3 Use gh copilot suggest to get a command for the following task:

Find all .log files in the current directory that were modified in the last 7 days

Run the suggested command in a test directory.

Summary

In this module you:

  • Installed the GitHub CLI and authenticated with your account
  • Installed the GitHub Copilot CLI extension
  • Ran your first explain and suggest commands
  • Learned about interactive mode

Continue to Module 02 — Core Commands and Context.