feat: Add GitHub Copilot Agent Environment feature for preinstalling tools and dependencies

[Copilot]

Overview

This PR implements a new devcontainer feature copilot-agent-env that addresses the GitHub documentation requirements for preinstalling tools and dependencies in GitHub Copilot agent environments. The feature provides a comprehensive setup for optimal Copilot agent performance by installing essential development tools, language servers, package managers, and VS Code configurations.

What's New

New Devcontainer Feature: copilot-agent-env

A complete devcontainer feature located in src/copilot-agent-env/ that includes:

• Development Tools Installation: curl, git, jq, tree, ripgrep, fd for code analysis and file operations
• Language Server Support: TypeScript, Python, Rust, and Go language servers for enhanced code understanding
• Package Manager Setup: npm, pip, cargo, and composer for dependency management
• VS Code Integration: Pre-configured extensions including GitHub Copilot and language support
• Environment Configuration: Optimized PATH setup, development aliases, and shell configurations

Key Features

Flexible Configuration Options:

• languageServers: Customize which language servers to install (default: "typescript python rust go")
• developmentTools: Select development tools to include (default: "curl git jq tree ripgrep fd")
• packageManagers: Choose package managers to set up (default: "npm pip cargo")
• enableLanguageSupport: Toggle language-specific tooling installation (default: true)

Robust Error Handling:

• Graceful fallback when common utilities are unavailable
• Cross-platform package installation support (apt-get, apk, yum)
• Conditional installation based on available tools

VS Code Optimizations:

• 9 pre-configured extensions for enhanced development experience
• Optimized editor settings for Copilot workflows
• Terminal and file association configurations

Usage

{
  "features": {
    "ghcr.io/tomgrv/devcontainer-features/copilot-agent-env:1": {
      "languageServers": "typescript python",
      "developmentTools": "curl git jq tree",
      "packageManagers": "npm pip",
      "enableLanguageSupport": true
    }
  }
}

For basic installation with default settings:

{
  "features": {
    "ghcr.io/tomgrv/devcontainer-features/copilot-agent-env:1": {}
  }
}

Implementation Details

The feature follows the established devcontainer feature pattern with:

• Standard devcontainer-feature.json configuration
• Multiple installation scripts for different components
• Configuration script for post-installation setup
• Comprehensive README with usage examples
• Integration with the existing common-utils framework

Testing

• Manual validation of individual installation scripts
• Verified package manager detection and language server installation
• Confirmed cross-platform compatibility and error handling
• Validated JSON structure and devcontainer format compliance

This feature enables developers to create Copilot-optimized development environments with a single configuration entry, ensuring GitHub Copilot agents have access to all necessary tools for effective code analysis and assistance.

Original prompt

https://docs.github.com/en/enterprise-cloud@latest/copilot/how-tos/use-copilot-agents/coding-agent/customize-the-agent-environment#preinstalling-tools-or-dependencies-in-copilots-environment

---

💬 Share your feedback on Copilot coding agent for the chance to win a $200 gift card! Click here to start the survey.

[tomgrv]

@copilot proceed