Add GitHub Actions workflow for automated Copilot setup steps #20

Copilot · 2025-09-29T20:44:38Z

This PR adds a comprehensive GitHub Actions workflow to enable automated setup steps for GitHub Copilot integration with the repository. The workflow ensures proper environment configuration before Copilot agents begin working on issues.

Key Changes

Created .github/workflows/copilot-setup-steps.yml with the following capabilities:

Environment Setup

Node.js 20 Configuration: Uses actions/setup-node@v4 to set up Node.js 20 with npm caching enabled for faster subsequent runs
Dependency Management: Automatically detects package.json and installs dependencies using npm ci when present
Environment Verification: Confirms Node.js and npm versions are properly installed and accessible

Automated Triggers

Push Events: Triggers on pushes to main branch when relevant files change (.github/**, **.md, package*.json)
Pull Request Events: Triggers on pull requests to main branch for the same file patterns
Manual Execution: Supports workflow_dispatch with configurable options:
- full: Complete setup with all validations and dependency installation
- validation-only: Repository structure and file validation only
- dependencies-only: Focus on dependency installation

Repository Validation

Instruction File Validation: Verifies presence of essential GitHub Copilot instruction files including .github/copilot-instructions.md and agent-specific guides
Structure Verification: Checks for .github/instructions/ directory and lists available instruction files
Markdown Syntax Validation: Uses markdownlint-cli to validate syntax across all instruction and documentation files

Security Best Practices

Minimal Permissions: Uses contents: read (minimal required permissions)
Fork Protection: Prevents execution on repository forks to avoid resource abuse
Secure Checkout: Configured with minimal fetch depth for security
Environment Security: Production environment configuration for npm operations

Comprehensive Reporting

Setup Summary: Generates detailed GitHub Actions step summary with component status table
Agent Guidance: Provides specific instructions for GitHub Copilot agents about environment availability
Always-Run Summary: Generates feedback even if some steps fail, ensuring agents get status information

Benefits for GitHub Copilot Agents

This workflow enables coding agents to:

Have a pre-configured Node.js 20 environment ready for JavaScript/TypeScript development
Access validated repository structure with confirmed instruction file availability
Understand project setup through automated validation results
Install dependencies efficiently when needed using npm ci
Get clear environment status through generated summaries

The workflow has been thoroughly tested locally and passes YAML validation, ensuring reliable execution in the GitHub Actions environment.

Original prompt

This section details on the original issue you should resolve

<issue_title>## Pull Request Overview</issue_title>
<issue_description>## Pull Request Overview

This PR adds a GitHub Actions workflow to enable automated setup steps for GitHub Copilot integration with the Onchain Test Kit repository. The workflow ensures proper environment configuration before Copilot agents begin working on issues.

Key changes:

Created the .github/workflows/copilot-setup-steps.yml workflow file with Node.js 20 setup and dependency installation

Added automated triggers for workflow validation and manual execution capability

Configured minimal security permissions following GitHub Actions best practices

Originally posted by @copilot-pull-request-reviewer in MunyayLLC/https-github.com-joe10832-onchaintestkit#77 (review)</issue_description>

Comments on the Issue (you are @copilot in this section)

Fixes #19

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Co-authored-by: joe10832 <[email protected]>

Copilot

Pull Request Overview

This PR introduces a GitHub Actions workflow to automate environment setup for GitHub Copilot integration, ensuring proper configuration before Copilot agents begin working on repository issues.

Automated Node.js 20 environment setup with npm dependency management
Repository structure validation for Copilot instruction files
Markdown syntax validation for documentation files

.github/workflows/copilot-setup-steps.yml

Copilot · 2025-09-29T20:56:22Z

.github/workflows/copilot-setup-steps.yml

+            echo "❌ .github/copilot-instructions.md missing"
+            exit 1


The script exits with code 1 when the file is missing, which will fail the entire workflow. However, the subsequent steps check for the same file and handle it gracefully. This creates inconsistent behavior where missing files cause hard failures in some places but warnings in others.

Suggested change

echo "❌ .github/copilot-instructions.md missing"

exit 1

echo "⚠️ .github/copilot-instructions.md missing"

/opt/hostedtoolcache/node/20.19.5/x64/bin/npm config get cache

Update .github/workflows/ copilot-setup-steps.yml @copilot

Copilot · 2025-09-29T20:56:23Z

.github/workflows/copilot-setup-steps.yml

+          if ! command -v markdownlint &> /dev/null; then
+            echo "Installing markdownlint for validation..."
+            npm install -g markdownlint-cli
+          fi


Installing markdownlint-cli globally every time the command is not found is inefficient. Consider using npx markdownlint-cli to run it without global installation, or add it as a project dependency to leverage npm caching.

@copilot-setup-steps

/opt/hostedtoolcache/node/20.19.5/x64/bin/npm config get cache # Set the permissions to the lowest permissions possible needed for your steps.

Copilot will be given its own token for its operations.

permissions:

If you want to clone the repository as part of your setup steps, for example to install dependencies, you'll need the contents: read permission. If you don't clone the repository in your setup steps, Copilot will do this for you automatically after the steps complete.

contents: read

You can define any steps you want, and they will run before the agent starts.

If you do not check out your code, Copilot will do this for you.

steps:

name: Checkout code
uses: actions/checkout@v5

name: Set up Node.js
uses: actions/setup-node@v4
with:
node-version: "20"
cache: "npm"

name: Install JavaScript dependencies
run: npm ci

steps:

name: Checkout code
uses: actions/checkout@v5

name: Set up Node.js
uses: actions/setup-node@v4
with:
node-version: "20"
cache: "npm"

name: Install JavaScript dependencies
run: npm ci @copilot

/opt/hostedtoolcache/node/20.19.5/x64/bin/npm config get cache
/home/runner/.npm @Copilot

Update .github/workflows/ copilot-setup-steps.yml @copilot

Co-authored-by: Copilot <[email protected]>

joe10832

@copilot

joe10832

@copilot

joe10832 · 2025-09-29T21:31:35Z

@copilot

joe10832 · 2025-09-29T21:38:43Z

/opt/hostedtoolcache/node/20.19.5/x64/bin/npm config get cache
/home/runner/.npm@copilot

Initial plan

7273129

Copilot AI assigned Copilot and joe10832 Sep 29, 2025

Copilot started work on behalf of joe10832 September 29, 2025 20:44 View session

Add GitHub Actions workflow for Copilot setup steps

50fbcb1

Co-authored-by: joe10832 <[email protected]>

Copilot AI changed the title ~~[WIP] ## Pull Request Overview~~ Add GitHub Actions workflow for automated Copilot setup steps Sep 29, 2025

Copilot AI requested a review from joe10832 September 29, 2025 20:54

Copilot finished work on behalf of joe10832 September 29, 2025 20:54

joe10832 marked this pull request as ready for review September 29, 2025 20:55

Copilot AI review requested due to automatic review settings September 29, 2025 20:55

Copilot AI reviewed Sep 29, 2025

View reviewed changes

joe10832 and others added 3 commits September 29, 2025 16:58

Update .github/workflows/copilot-setup-steps.yml

29e48aa

Co-authored-by: Copilot <[email protected]>

Update .github/workflows/copilot-setup-steps.yml

1e284f6

Co-authored-by: Copilot <[email protected]>

Update .github/workflows/copilot-setup-steps.yml

d9ed36a

Co-authored-by: Copilot <[email protected]>

Copilot started work on behalf of joe10832 September 29, 2025 21:00 View session

joe10832 approved these changes Sep 29, 2025

View reviewed changes

Copilot AI requested a review from joe10832 September 29, 2025 21:01

Copilot finished work on behalf of joe10832 September 29, 2025 21:01

joe10832 approved these changes Sep 29, 2025

View reviewed changes

joe10832 merged commit 5aadce9 into main Sep 29, 2025
1 of 2 checks passed

joe10832 removed their assignment Sep 29, 2025

joe10832 linked an issue Oct 6, 2025 that may be closed by this pull request

> Coding agent has begun work on **Implementation of Blank Lines Around Lists for MD032 Fix** and will replace this description as work progresses. #44

Open

	echo "❌ .github/copilot-instructions.md missing"
	exit 1
	echo "⚠️ .github/copilot-instructions.md missing"

Add GitHub Actions workflow for automated Copilot setup steps #20

Add GitHub Actions workflow for automated Copilot setup steps #20

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Key Changes

Environment Setup

Automated Triggers

Repository Validation

Security Best Practices

Comprehensive Reporting

Benefits for GitHub Copilot Agents

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Pull Request Overview

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Copilot will be given its own token for its operations.

If you want to clone the repository as part of your setup steps, for example to install dependencies, you'll need the contents: read permission. If you don't clone the repository in your setup steps, Copilot will do this for you automatically after the steps complete.

You can define any steps you want, and they will run before the agent starts.

If you do not check out your code, Copilot will do this for you.

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joe10832 commented Sep 29, 2025

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Copilot AI commented Sep 29, 2025 •

edited

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If you want to clone the repository as part of your setup steps, for example to install dependencies, you'll need the `contents: read` permission. If you don't clone the repository in your setup steps, Copilot will do this for you automatically after the steps complete.