From a42347a7d9213a78a456be488316576001130ee0 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "github-actions[bot]" <41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com> Date: Mon, 24 Aug 2026 11:53:17 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] docs: add Aug 2026 Copilot CLI updates to course content Document the following beginner-relevant features from recent releases: - Chapter 01: Add Ctrl+Space shortcut for toggling voice dictation (/voice) - Chapter 01: Add session restore tip (automatic recovery after crash/restart) - Chapter 01: Add defaultMode setting tip (set preferred startup mode) - Chapter 01: Add copilot app terminal command to Help and Feedback section - Chapter 05: Add --add-dir as a skill/agent discovery location Sources: - v1.0.81-8 (2026-08-23): Skills and custom agents discovered from --add-dir - v1.0.81-7 (2026-08-21): Session restore, copilot app command, Ctrl+Space voice - v1.0.81-6 (2026-08-20): defaultMode and defaultPermissionMode settings Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> --- 01-setup-and-first-steps/README.md | 8 +++++++- 05-skills/README.md | 3 +++ 2 files changed, 10 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/01-setup-and-first-steps/README.md b/01-setup-and-first-steps/README.md index 13afdafe..f9359f21 100644 --- a/01-setup-and-first-steps/README.md +++ b/01-setup-and-first-steps/README.md @@ -411,6 +411,8 @@ That's it for getting started! As you become comfortable, you can explore additi | `/init` | Initialize Copilot instructions for your repository | | `/mcp` | Manage MCP server configuration | | `/settings` | Open an interactive dialog to browse and edit all user settings in one place | + +> 💡 **Set your default startup mode**: In `/settings`, you can configure `defaultMode` to automatically launch in your preferred mode every time you start Copilot CLI — for example, always starting in **Plan** mode instead of Interactive. This saves you from typing `/plan` at the start of every session. | `/skills` | Manage skills for enhanced capabilities | > 💡 Agents are covered in [Chapter 04](../04-agents-custom-instructions/README.md), skills are covered in [Chapter 05](../05-skills/README.md), and MCP servers are covered in [Chapter 06](../06-mcp-servers/README.md). @@ -457,6 +459,8 @@ That's it for getting started! As you become comfortable, you can explore additi | `/memory [on\|off\|show]` | Enable, disable, or view persistent memory — facts and preferences remembered across all sessions | | `/new` | Ends the current session (saving it to history for search/resume) and starts a fresh conversation. | | `/resume` | Switch to a different session (optionally specify session ID or name) | + +> 💡 **Session restore**: If Copilot CLI closes unexpectedly (e.g., your terminal crashes or your machine restarts), the next time you run `copilot` it will offer to **restore your open sessions** automatically. You won't lose your work — just pick a session from the list and continue where you left off. | `/rename` | Rename the current session (omit the name to auto-generate one) | | `/rewind` | Open a timeline picker to roll back to any earlier point in the conversation | | `/usage` | Display session usage metrics and statistics, including quota progress bars | @@ -471,7 +475,7 @@ That's it for getting started! As you become comfortable, you can explore additi |---------|--------------| | `/statusline` (or `/footer`) | Customize which items appear in the status bar at the bottom of the session (directory, branch, effort, context window, quota) | | `/theme` | View or set terminal theme | -| `/voice` | Dictate your prompt using local speech-to-text — speak naturally instead of typing | +| `/voice` | Dictate your prompt using local speech-to-text — speak naturally instead of typing. You can also press **Ctrl+Space** anywhere during a session to toggle voice dictation on or off. | ### Help and Feedback @@ -482,6 +486,8 @@ That's it for getting started! As you become comfortable, you can explore additi | `/feedback` | Submit feedback to GitHub | | `/help` | Show all available commands | +> 💡 **`copilot app` from the terminal**: You can also run `copilot app` directly from your terminal (before starting a session) to open the GitHub Copilot app for the current directory. This is handy for quickly jumping to GitHub from the command line without opening a full interactive session. + ### Quick Shell Commands Run shell commands directly without AI by prefixing with `!`: diff --git a/05-skills/README.md b/05-skills/README.md index 80e5bad0..f021b4c1 100644 --- a/05-skills/README.md +++ b/05-skills/README.md @@ -304,6 +304,9 @@ Copilot automatically scans these locations for skills: |----------|-------| | `.github/skills/` | Project-specific (shared with team via git) | | `~/.copilot/skills/` | User-specific (your personal skills) | +| Any directory added with `--add-dir` | Extra directories you allow Copilot to access | + +> 💡 **Skills from extra directories**: When you add a directory to Copilot's allowed list using `/add-dir ` (or the `--add-dir` flag when starting `copilot`), Copilot will also discover and load any skills and custom agents stored there. This is useful for sharing a skills library across multiple projects without copying files everywhere. ### Skill Structure