GitHub Copilot CLI Integration

Complete guide for using Bob the Fixer with GitHub Copilot CLI.

Overview

GitHub Copilot CLI is an AI-powered terminal assistant that acts as your terminal's sidekick. It's an agent that understands your GitHub repositories, issues, and pull requests directly within your terminal.

Key Features:

Codebase exploration and file editing
Command execution with explicit user approval
GitHub context integration (issues, PRs)
MCP server support for custom tools

How it differs from other AI CLIs:

Uses GitHub authentication (not separate API keys)
Agent-based architecture with approval workflows
Included with Copilot Pro, Pro+, Business, and Enterprise plans

Prerequisites

Node.js 18+ and npm
GitHub account with Copilot subscription (Pro, Pro+, Business, or Enterprise)
Bob the Fixer installed
SonarQube running

Installation

Step 1: Install GitHub Copilot CLI

npm install -g @github/copilot

Step 2: Create Configuration Directory

mkdir -p ~/.copilot

Step 3: Configure Bob the Fixer

Option A: Run Bob the Fixer Installer

If GitHub Copilot is detected, the installer configures it automatically:

cd /path/to/bob-the-fixer
./install.sh

Option B: Manual Configuration

Create or edit ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bob-the-fixer": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": "node",
      "tools": ["*"],
      "args": [
        "/path/to/bob-the-fixer/packages/core/dist/universal-mcp-server.js"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SONAR_URL": "http://localhost:9000",
        "SONAR_TOKEN": "your-token-here",
        "LOG_LEVEL": "info",
        "LOG_FILE_PATH": "./logs/mcp-server.log"
      }
    }
  }
}

Important

Replace /path/to/bob-the-fixer with your actual installation path.

Authentication

GitHub Copilot CLI uses your GitHub credentials automatically. Unlike Claude or Gemini, you don't need to configure separate API keys.

Requirements:

Active GitHub account
Copilot subscription (Pro, Pro+, Business, or Enterprise)
GitHub CLI authenticated (gh auth login) or browser-based login

Configuration File

Location

~/.copilot/mcp-config.json

Structure

Field	Type	Description
`type`	string	Must be `"local"` for local MCP servers
`command`	string	The command to run (`node`)
`tools`	array	Tool permissions (`["*"]` for all)
`args`	array	Arguments (path to MCP server)
`env`	object	Environment variables

Environment Variables

Variable	Required	Default	Description
`SONAR_URL`	Yes	-	SonarQube server URL
`SONAR_TOKEN`	Yes	-	SonarQube authentication token
`LOG_LEVEL`	No	`info`	Logging verbosity
`LOG_FILE_PATH`	No	-	Log file location
`ENCRYPTION_KEY`	No	-	Token encryption key

Adding to Existing Config

If you already have other MCP servers configured, use jq to merge:

MCP_SERVER_PATH="/path/to/bob-the-fixer/packages/core/dist/universal-mcp-server.js"
SONAR_TOKEN="your-token"

jq --arg path "$MCP_SERVER_PATH" \
   --arg token "$SONAR_TOKEN" \
   '.mcpServers["bob-the-fixer"] = {
     "type": "local",
     "command": "node",
     "tools": ["*"],
     "args": [$path],
     "env": {
       "SONAR_URL": "http://localhost:9000",
       "SONAR_TOKEN": $token,
       "LOG_LEVEL": "info"
     }
   }' ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json > /tmp/mcp-config.json

mv /tmp/mcp-config.json ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json

Verify Installation

Check the configuration exists:

cat ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json | jq '.mcpServers["bob-the-fixer"]'

Expected output:

{
  "type": "local",
  "command": "node",
  "tools": ["*"],
  "args": ["/path/to/bob-the-fixer/packages/core/dist/universal-mcp-server.js"],
  "env": {
    "SONAR_URL": "http://localhost:9000",
    "SONAR_TOKEN": "squ_...",
    "LOG_LEVEL": "info"
  }
}

Usage

Starting Copilot CLI

GitHub Copilot CLI runs as an agent in your terminal. Refer to the official documentation for the latest invocation method.

Example Prompts

Once running, interact with code quality tools using natural language:

Scan this project for code issues

What security vulnerabilities exist in this codebase?

Fix the critical bugs found by SonarQube

Available Commands

Task	Example Prompt
First scan	"Set up SonarQube and analyze this project"
View issues	"Show me all critical issues"
Get details	"Explain the SQL injection issue"
Fix issue	"Fix the null pointer bug in user.ts"
Check quality	"Did we pass the quality gate?"
Generate report	"Create a quality summary report"

Approval Workflow

GitHub Copilot CLI requires explicit approval before:

Editing files
Executing commands
Making changes to your system

This provides an extra layer of safety when fixing code issues.

Available Tools

All 20 Bob the Fixer MCP tools are available:

Scanning: sonar_scan_project, sonar_auto_setup
Analysis: sonar_get_issue_details, sonar_analyze_patterns, sonar_get_security_hotspots, sonar_get_security_hotspot_details
Metrics: sonar_get_project_metrics, sonar_get_quality_gate, sonar_get_technical_debt, sonar_get_coverage_gaps
Duplication: sonar_get_duplication_summary, sonar_get_duplication_details
Reporting: sonar_generate_report
Management: sonar_project_discovery, sonar_config_manager, and more

Troubleshooting

"MCP server not responding"

Check the config file exists:
```
ls -la ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json
```
Verify JSON is valid:
```
cat ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json | jq .
```

Check the MCP server file exists:

ls -la /path/to/bob-the-fixer/packages/core/dist/universal-mcp-server.js

If missing, rebuild:
```
cd /path/to/bob-the-fixer
npm run build
```

"SonarQube connection failed"

Verify SonarQube is running:

curl http://localhost:9000/api/system/status

Check token is valid:

curl -u "your-token:" http://localhost:9000/api/authentication/validate

"Config file not found"

Create the directory and initialize the file:

mkdir -p ~/.copilot
echo '{"mcpServers":{}}' > ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json

Then add the Bob the Fixer configuration.

"Invalid JSON syntax"

Validate and fix JSON:

# Check for errors
cat ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json | jq .

# Common issues:
# - Missing commas between entries
# - Trailing commas after last entry
# - Unescaped quotes in strings

Check Bob the Fixer Status

Use the built-in diagnostic:

Check if Bob the Fixer is properly configured

This runs sonar_diagnose_permissions to verify connectivity and permissions.

Removing Bob the Fixer

Using jq

jq 'del(.mcpServers["bob-the-fixer"])' ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json > /tmp/mcp-config.json
mv /tmp/mcp-config.json ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json

Manual

Edit ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json and remove the bob-the-fixer entry.

Using Uninstaller

cd /path/to/bob-the-fixer
./uninstall.sh

This automatically removes Bob the Fixer from all configured AI CLIs.

Supported Platforms

GitHub Copilot CLI supports:

macOS
Linux
Windows (via WSL)

Pricing

GitHub Copilot CLI is included with:

Copilot Pro
Copilot Pro+
Copilot Business
Copilot Enterprise

Each interaction uses your plan's request quota.

Next Steps

Quick Start Guide - First scan tutorial
MCP Tools Reference - All available tools
Configuration Guide - Advanced settings
Troubleshooting - Common issues

Overview​

Prerequisites​

Installation​

Step 1: Install GitHub Copilot CLI​

Step 2: Create Configuration Directory​

Step 3: Configure Bob the Fixer​

Authentication​

Configuration File​

Location​

Structure​

Environment Variables​

Adding to Existing Config​

Verify Installation​

Usage​

Starting Copilot CLI​

Example Prompts​

Available Commands​

Approval Workflow​

Available Tools​

Troubleshooting​

"MCP server not responding"​

"SonarQube connection failed"​

"Config file not found"​

"Invalid JSON syntax"​

Check Bob the Fixer Status​

Removing Bob the Fixer​

Using jq​

Manual​

Using Uninstaller​

Supported Platforms​

Pricing​

Next Steps​