AI / GitHub Copilot CLI Fundamentals Interview Questions
What are common Copilot CLI troubleshooting steps and how do you debug issues?
When Copilot CLI behaves unexpectedly - authentication errors, tool failures, or unexpected responses - a structured set of checks resolves most issues.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| 'Not authenticated' error | No valid token found | Run copilot and complete /login, or set COPILOT_GITHUB_TOKEN |
| 'Organisation policy' error | CLI not enabled for your org | Ask org admin to enable Copilot CLI in org settings |
| Classic PAT rejected | ghp_ tokens are not supported | Use a fine-grained PAT with Copilot Requests permission |
| Copilot ignores project context | No copilot-instructions.md | Run /init to generate the file |
| Session crashes on large repo | Context window exceeded | Use targeted prompts; guide Copilot to specific files |
| Trust prompt on every launch | 'Yes for this session' selected | Reselect 'Yes, remember this folder' to persist trust |
| /mcp server not connecting | MCP server config incorrect | Check /mcp and review server connection settings |
| Outdated model / responses seem off | Old version of Copilot CLI | npm update -g @github/copilot |
# Common diagnostic commands copilot --version # check installed version copilot -p "hello" -s # quick test of auth + model # Update Copilot CLI npm update -g @github/copilot # Re-authenticate copilot /logout /login # Check which token is being used echo $COPILOT_GITHUB_TOKEN echo $GH_TOKEN
For persistent issues, GitHub's Copilot CLI documentation includes a dedicated troubleshooting section, and you can open GitHub Support tickets for plan or policy-related authentication failures.
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