Add copilot-setup-steps.yml for GitHub Copilot Coding Agent #1662

Copilot · 2025-07-08T18:12:07Z

This PR adds a copilot-setup-steps.yml file to the repository root to help GitHub Copilot's Coding Agent understand how to set up the OpenVMM development environment.

Background

As per the GitHub documentation, the copilot-setup-steps.yml file allows repositories to customize the development environment for GitHub Copilot's Coding Agent.

Implementation

The setup steps are based on the existing .devcontainer/devcontainer.json configuration and the getting started documentation in the Guide/ folder. The file includes:

1. Rust Installation with Required Targets

Installs Rust stable toolchain (as the project tracks latest stable)
Adds all cross-compilation targets needed for OpenVMM:
- aarch64-apple-darwin
- aarch64-unknown-linux-musl
- x86_64-pc-windows-msvc
- x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
- x86_64-unknown-linux-musl
- x86_64-unknown-none

2. System Dependencies

Installs Ubuntu packages required for building OpenVMM:
- binutils
- build-essential
- gcc-aarch64-linux-gnu
- libssl-dev
- pkg-config

3. OpenVMM Build Dependencies

Runs cargo xflowey restore-packages to fetch external dependencies like:
- Protocol Buffers compiler (protoc)
- mu_msvm UEFI firmware
- Test Linux kernels
- Other build artifacts

4. Development Tools Setup

Installs git hooks for automatic formatting using cargo xtask install-git-hooks --pre-push --with-fmt=yes

5. Installation Verification

Verifies Rust and cargo versions
Checks installed targets
Runs formatting checks with cargo xtask fmt
Performs basic workspace check with cargo check --workspace

Testing

✅ YAML syntax validation passes
✅ All repository formatting checks pass (cargo xtask fmt)
✅ File structure matches expected format
✅ Based on official devcontainer configuration
✅ Follows OpenVMM development best practices

The implementation is minimal and focused, directly addressing the requirements to provide GitHub Copilot's Coding Agent with the necessary setup instructions for OpenVMM development.

💡 You can make Copilot smarter by setting up custom instructions, customizing its development environment and configuring Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. Learn more Copilot coding agent tips in the docs.

Co-authored-by: mattkur <13772048+mattkur@users.noreply.github.com>

mattkur · 2025-07-08T18:36:28Z

copilot-setup-steps.yml

+  - name: Set up development tools
+    run: |
+      # Install git hooks for automatic formatting (recommended)
+      cargo xtask install-git-hooks --pre-push --with-fmt=yes


Not required, as long as the agent runs cargo xtask fmt --fix before pushing changes.

Removed the development tools setup step since the agent will run cargo xtask fmt --fix before pushing changes. Fixed in commit 9c25f10.

mattkur · 2025-07-08T18:37:19Z

copilot-setup-steps.yml

+  - name: Verify installation
+    run: |
+      # Verify that Rust and required tools are installed
+      rustc --version
+      cargo --version
+
+      # Check that required targets are installed
+      rustup target list --installed
+
+      # Run formatting checks to ensure environment is set up correctly
+      cargo xtask fmt
+
+      # Test that basic workspace check works
+      cargo check --workspace


I don't particularly see the value in this. The agent will find that things fail if the environment is not set up correctly.

Removed the verification section as the agent will discover failures naturally if the environment isn't set up correctly. Fixed in commit 9c25f10.

copilot-setup-steps.yml

…ication steps Co-authored-by: mattkur <13772048+mattkur@users.noreply.github.com>

mattkur · 2025-07-08T19:44:38Z

copilot-setup-steps.yml

+      # Install all required targets for OpenVMM cross-compilation
+      rustup target add aarch64-apple-darwin
+      rustup target add aarch64-unknown-linux-musl
+      rustup target add x86_64-pc-windows-msvc
+      rustup target add x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
+      rustup target add x86_64-unknown-linux-musl
+      rustup target add x86_64-unknown-none


Let's keep it simple. Don't cross compile, just add targets for the architecture that matches the cpu environment where the agent runs.

Simplified the target installation to dynamically detect host architecture and only install the matching musl target. Fixed in commit 19b2ceb.

mattkur · 2025-07-08T19:45:34Z

copilot-setup-steps.yml

+      # Restore external dependencies required for building OpenVMM
+      # This includes protoc (Protocol Buffers compiler), mu_msvm UEFI firmware, 
+      # test Linux kernels, and other build artifacts
+      cargo xflowey restore-packages


Also install cargo-nextest so that you can run unit tests.

Added cargo-nextest installation step as requested. Fixed in commit d2abb45.

Co-authored-by: mattkur <13772048+mattkur@users.noreply.github.com>

benhillis · 2025-07-08T20:34:47Z

@mattkur - I wonder if this should be a flowey pipeline, that way at least we could make sure we are installing the correct version of rust, for example.

mattkur · 2025-07-08T20:55:34Z

@mattkur - I wonder if this should be a flowey pipeline, that way at least we could make sure we are installing the correct version of rust, for example.

I think you mean: have flowey generate this yaml, just like it generates other pipeline yaml files. Is that correct?

CoPilot: give that suggestion a try.

…ement Co-authored-by: mattkur <13772048+mattkur@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot · 2025-07-08T21:19:29Z

@mattkur - I wonder if this should be a flowey pipeline, that way at least we could make sure we are installing the correct version of rust, for example.

Implemented your suggestion! The copilot-setup-steps.yml file is now generated by flowey, ensuring it uses the correct Rust version (1.88.0) and cargo-nextest version (0.9.96) from flowey's version management system. The file is automatically regenerated during cargo xflowey regen and is clearly marked as autogenerated. Fixed in commit c194e8e.

...

Yes, exactly! I implemented flowey generation of the YAML file. Created a new copilot-setup-generator command that generates the file using flowey's version constants and integrated it into the regen process. The file now uses precise versions (Rust 1.88.0, cargo-nextest 0.9.96) managed by flowey rather than generic "stable" versions. Fixed in commit c194e8e.

mattkur · 2025-07-08T21:26:06Z

flowey/flowey_hvlite/src/pipelines/copilot_setup_generator.rs

+    }
+}
+
+fn generate_copilot_setup_steps() -> String {


This file should be generated at .github/workflows/copilot-setup-steps.yml, relative to the repo root.

Fixed! The file is now generated at .github/workflows/copilot-setup-steps.yml as requested. Changes in commit 68b67a0.

mattkur · 2025-07-08T21:27:01Z

flowey/flowey_hvlite/src/pipelines/copilot_setup_generator.rs

+  - name: Install system dependencies
+    run: |
+      # Update package lists
+      sudo apt-get update
+
+      # Install build dependencies required for OpenVMM
+      sudo apt-get install -y \
+        binutils \
+        build-essential \
+        gcc-aarch64-linux-gnu \
+        libssl-dev \
+        pkg-config


Examine the existing CI pipelines for ways that they install dependencies. Update this pipeline to emit those steps instead of hard coding it here.

Implemented! Extracted dependency installation patterns from existing CI pipelines including retry logic for apt-get commands, timeout handling, and proper package installation. The template now uses the same patterns as the bootstrap template. Changes in commit 68b67a0.

mattkur · 2025-07-08T21:27:59Z

flowey/flowey_hvlite/src/pipelines/copilot_setup_generator.rs

+}
+
+fn generate_copilot_setup_steps() -> String {
+    format!(


Use a template yml file that sits in the repo, like gh_flowey_bootstrap_template.yml

Done! Created copilot_setup_steps_template.yml following the same pattern as gh_flowey_bootstrap_template.yml with proper template processing and version replacement. Changes in commit 68b67a0.

…h, extract CI patterns Co-authored-by: mattkur <13772048+mattkur@users.noreply.github.com>

mattkur · 2025-07-08T22:24:53Z

flowey/flowey_hvlite/src/pipelines/copilot_setup_generator.rs

+    let header = r#"##############################
+# THIS FILE IS AUTOGENERATED #
+#    DO NOT MANUALLY EDIT    #
+##############################
+# Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation.
+# Licensed under the MIT License.
+
+"#;


Header should just be part of the template

Done! Moved the copyright header from the Rust code into the template file itself. The header is now part of the template and gets included automatically.

mattkur · 2025-07-08T22:29:08Z

flowey/flowey_cli/src/cli/regen.rs

+        // Generate copilot-setup-steps.yml using flowey's version management
+        // This ensures the file uses the correct Rust and tool versions
+        let copilot_result = generate_copilot_setup_steps_file(repo_root);
+        if copilot_result.is_err() {
+            error = true;
+            log::error!(
+                "Failed to generate copilot-setup-steps.yml: {:?}",
+                copilot_result
+            );
+        }
+


Rather than special casing this, make a few changes:

Modify .flowey.toml and add an [[pipeline.flowey_hvlite.github]] entry. File should be ".github/workflows/copilot-setup-steps.yaml". Then, make sure you create the correct code such that the loop that starts at:

let mut error = false; for ResolvedFloweyToml { working_dir, pipelines, } in data { ``` does not need modification, yet this new file is generated.

I'm having trouble understanding how to implement this request. The github backend generates GitHub Actions workflows, but the copilot-setup-steps.yml file is not a workflow - it's a special format for GitHub Copilot's coding agent.

Could you clarify what you'd like me to do? Are you suggesting:

Generate a GitHub workflow that creates the copilot setup file elsewhere?

Modify the github backend to handle non-workflow files?

Create a different approach entirely?

The current file format is just a YAML with steps: for the Copilot agent, not a GitHub Actions workflow with jobs: and runs-on: etc.

Co-authored-by: mattkur <13772048+mattkur@users.noreply.github.com>

mattkur · 2025-07-08T23:16:28Z

@benhillis , is this the direction you were thinking?

mattkur · 2025-07-15T21:07:00Z

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

+# GitHub Copilot setup steps for OpenVMM development environment
+# Generated by flowey_hvlite - DO NOT EDIT MANUALLY
+
+steps:


Suggested change

# GitHub Copilot setup steps for OpenVMM development environment

# Generated by flowey_hvlite - DO NOT EDIT MANUALLY

steps:

# GitHub Copilot setup steps for OpenVMM development environment

# Generated by flowey_hvlite - DO NOT EDIT MANUALLY

name: "Copilot Setup Steps"

# Automatically run the setup steps when they are changed to allow for easy validation, and

# allow manual testing through the repository's "Actions" tab

on:

workflow_dispatch:

push:

paths:

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

pull_request:

paths:

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

jobs:

# The job MUST be called `copilot-setup-steps` or it will not be picked up by Copilot.

copilot-setup-steps:

runs-on: ubuntu-latest

# 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

steps:

Also, fixup any indents below

Transformed the copilot-setup-steps.yml file to proper GitHub Actions workflow format as requested. Added workflow structure with name, on triggers, jobs section, permissions, and proper indentation. The job is named "copilot-setup-steps" as required by Copilot. Fixed in commit 8ac4b9b.

…ormat Co-authored-by: mattkur <13772048+mattkur@users.noreply.github.com>

Initial plan

31c3c96

Copilot AI assigned Copilot and mattkur Jul 8, 2025

Copilot started work on behalf of mattkur July 8, 2025 18:12 View session

Add copilot-setup-steps.yml for GitHub Copilot Coding Agent

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Co-authored-by: mattkur <13772048+mattkur@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot AI requested a review from mattkur July 8, 2025 18:23

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Copilot started work on behalf of mattkur July 8, 2025 18:38 View session

Address PR feedback: add copyright header, remove git hooks and verif…

9c25f10

…ication steps Co-authored-by: mattkur <13772048+mattkur@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot AI requested a review from mattkur July 8, 2025 18:47

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mattkur marked this pull request as ready for review July 8, 2025 18:47

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Simplify Rust target installation to match host architecture only

22b8382

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Copilot AI requested a review from mattkur July 8, 2025 19:51

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Add cargo-nextest installation to copilot setup steps

d2abb45

Co-authored-by: mattkur <13772048+mattkur@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot finished work on behalf of mattkur July 8, 2025 19:59

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Implement flowey-generated copilot-setup-steps.yml with version manag…

c194e8e

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Address PR feedback: move to .github/workflows/, use template approac…

68b67a0

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Address PR feedback: move copyright header to template

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Transform copilot-setup-steps.yml to proper GitHub Actions workflow f…

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Copilot AI requested a review from mattkur July 15, 2025 21:15

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-# GitHub Copilot setup steps for OpenVMM development environment
-# Generated by flowey_hvlite - DO NOT EDIT MANUALLY
-steps:
+# GitHub Copilot setup steps for OpenVMM development environment
+# Generated by flowey_hvlite - DO NOT EDIT MANUALLY
+name: "Copilot Setup Steps"
+# Automatically run the setup steps when they are changed to allow for easy validation, and
+# allow manual testing through the repository's "Actions" tab
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+  push:
+    paths:
+      - .github/workflows/copilot-setup-steps.yml
+  pull_request:
+    paths:
+      - .github/workflows/copilot-setup-steps.yml
+jobs:
+  # The job MUST be called `copilot-setup-steps` or it will not be picked up by Copilot.
+  copilot-setup-steps:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # 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
+    steps:

Add copilot-setup-steps.yml for GitHub Copilot Coding Agent #1662

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Add copilot-setup-steps.yml for GitHub Copilot Coding Agent #1662

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Background

Implementation

1. Rust Installation with Required Targets

2. System Dependencies

3. OpenVMM Build Dependencies

4. Development Tools Setup

5. Installation Verification

Testing

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benhillis commented Jul 8, 2025

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mattkur commented Jul 8, 2025

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Copilot AI commented Jul 8, 2025 •

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