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Welcome to our hands-on guide showing how to turbocharge your terminal with AI-driven suggestions. GitHub Copilot brings context-aware command completions, explanations, and chat directly into your shell—boosting productivity on macOS, Linux, and Windows.

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Getting Started

You can activate Copilot in your terminal using one of two methods:
MethodRequirementsKey Commands
GitHub CLIGitHub Copilot subscription, GitHub CLI installedbrew install gh
gh extension install github/gh-copilot
Windows Terminal CanaryWindows Terminal Canary buildConfigure Copilot in Terminal settings

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1. GitHub CLI Method

A GitHub Copilot subscription is required (free for eligible users).
The image is a flowchart titled "Getting Started" that outlines the steps for using the GitHub CLI method, requiring a GitHub Copilot subscription. It includes steps to install the GitHub CLI and Copilot extension, and to authenticate to start.
  1. Install GitHub CLI 
    # macOS (Homebrew)
brew install gh

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt update && sudo apt install gh
  2. Authenticate to GitHub 
    gh auth login
  3. Install Copilot extension 
    gh extension install github/gh-copilot
  4. Verify setup 
    gh copilot --help

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2. Windows Terminal Canary Method

The image is a flowchart titled "Getting Started" for the "Windows Terminal Method," requiring a Windows Terminal Canary for native integration. It includes steps to configure settings for authentication and link a GitHub account to the terminal.
  1. Install Windows Terminal Canary from the Microsoft Store.
  2. Open Settings → Copilot and Sign in with GitHub.
  3. Restart the terminal to enable AI suggestions natively.

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Context & Prompting

Copilot’s prompt is the code and comments around your cursor. Better context means smarter suggestions. Copilot now:
  • Extracts nearby code, open tabs, and imports
  • Scans project files for relevant patterns
  • Achieves a ~35% acceptance rate on prompts (vs. ~20% at preview)
Experiment by including clear comments or function signatures before your cursor to get precise completions.

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Command-Line Features

  • Explain: Summarize commands in plain English.
  • Suggest: Generate ready-to-use commands.
  • Chat: Interactive Q&A via gh copilot chat.

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Shell Aliases

Save keystrokes by defining shortcuts in your shell config:
The image illustrates how to set up aliases in Bash, PowerShell, and Zsh, specifying the respective configuration files: .bashrc, Profile script, and .zshrc.
ShellConfig FileAlias Example
Bash~/.bashrcalias ghcs="gh copilot suggest"
Zsh~/.zshrcalias ghce="gh copilot explain"
PowerShellProfile scriptSet-Alias ghcs gh copilot suggest
Reload your shell (source ~/.bashrc or restart) to apply.

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Practical Use Cases

The image outlines practical use cases for Git operations, system administration, and error resolution, highlighting tasks like managing branches, file operations, and troubleshooting errors.
  1. Git Workflows: Branch creation, commit messages, conflict resolution.
  2. SysAdmin Tasks: File ops, permissions, process control.
  3. Error Debugging: Convert cryptic errors into actionable fixes.

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VS Code Integration

Copilot extends into VS Code’s integrated terminal and chat:
  • Inline Chat: Run “GitHub Copilot: Open Copilot Chat” from the Command Palette.
  • @Terminal Agent: Prefix prompts with @Terminal to target shell commands.
The image shows instructions for integrating with VS Code, highlighting terminal integration and workflow enhancement features, including keyboard shortcuts for activating inline chat on Windows and Mac.

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Best Practices

  • Provide clear prompts and context (project name, file paths).
  • Review suggestions carefully—especially for destructive commands.
  • Rate responses to help Copilot improve over time.
Always inspect AI-generated commands before executing in production environments.

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Command-Line Demo

Try these hands-on examples:
  1. Authenticate 
    gh auth login
  2. Install 
    gh extension install github/gh-copilot
  3. Explain a Command 
    gh copilot explain "chmod 777 /test"
  4. Explain a Pipeline 
    gh copilot explain "find . -type f -name '*.js' | xargs grep 'function'"
  5. Suggest a Git Command 
    gh copilot suggest "delete a git branch"
    Copilot proposes: 
    git branch -d <branch>
git push origin --delete <branch>

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