GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot is an optional personal model connection. It is separate from the GitHub App used for source repositories. Each user authorizes their own Copilot subscription.

Compatibility limitation

GitHub documents the OAuth device flow used for authorization, but it does not publish a supported Copilot inference API for this integration. dx currently uses compatibility endpoints and headers observed in GitHub’s developer tools. GitHub can change or block that behavior. Treat Copilot as optional and keep a documented model route through a supported provider.

Register an OAuth App

Create an operator-owned GitHub OAuth App. Do not copy a client ID from another application. Follow GitHub’s OAuth App registration guide.

1. Open Settings → Developer settings → OAuth apps → New OAuth App.
2. Set the application name and homepage URL. Use <deployment-origin> for the homepage.
3. Set the authorization callback URL to <deployment-origin>/. GitHub requires this registration field, although device authorization does not redirect to it.
4. Enable Device Flow.
5. Keep expiring user access tokens enabled, then register the app.
6. Copy the OAuth App’s client ID. dx does not need or accept its client secret.

GitHub’s device flow reference documents the endpoints, polling interval, code expiry, and token refresh flow.

For dxcode.dev, both homepage and callback use https://dxcode.dev, with a trailing slash accepted for the callback field.

DX_GITHUB_COPILOT_CLIENT_ID is this OAuth App client ID. During device authorization, dx requests the documented read:user scope from https://github.com/login/device/code, directs the user to https://github.com/login/device, and polls https://github.com/login/oauth/access_token.

Configure the deployment

Run pnpm dx:deploy, answer Yes to Configure GitHub Copilot sign-in, and enter the client ID at GitHub Copilot OAuth client ID. This value is an identifier, not a secret. Noninteractive runs set githubCopilotClientId in deploy.selfhost.json.

Without a nonempty client ID, Copilot authorization endpoints return unavailable and users cannot start the connection flow. Other model providers continue to work.

Connect and verify

1. Confirm the GitHub account has an active Copilot subscription.
2. Open Personal Settings → Model Routing in dx, choose Add → GitHub Copilot, then Connect.
3. Open the displayed https://github.com/login/device link and enter the one-time code.
4. Return to dx and wait for the connection to complete.
5. Pick a Copilot model in the model picker and run a small prompt.

dx encrypts the resulting personal OAuth credential. Check Access rechecks the GitHub identity, subscription access, and model catalog.

Rotate or disconnect

To replace the OAuth App, update githubCopilotClientId in deploy.selfhost.json and rerun pnpm dx:deploy. Ask users to disconnect and authorize through the replacement app, then delete the old OAuth App after verification. A user disconnects from Personal Settings → Model Routing. They can also revoke the grant in GitHub’s application settings.

Troubleshooting

• Connect is unavailable: set a nonempty githubCopilotClientId and rerun the deployment.
• Device code fails: confirm Device Flow is enabled on the same OAuth App whose client ID was deployed, then start a new code. Codes expire and cannot be reused.
• GitHub authorizes but no models appear: confirm the signed-in account has Copilot access. Organization policy can restrict models.
• Inference fails after a successful connection: the compatibility API may have changed or rejected the client. Use another configured provider; a successful OAuth grant does not prove Copilot inference compatibility.