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GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot is GitHub’s AI coding assistant, available in VS Code, JetBrains, and other IDEs. This guide shows how to route Copilot’s MCP connections through Maybe Don’t.

Prerequisites

Configure Copilot

Copilot reads MCP server configuration from .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace. Create this file:

{
  "servers": {
    "maybe-dont": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://localhost:8080/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "X-GitHub-Token": "${input:github-token}"
      }
    }
  },
  "inputs": [
    {
      "type": "promptString",
      "id": "github-token",
      "description": "GitHub Personal Access Token",
      "password": true
    }
  ]
}

VS Code will prompt you for the token when the server starts. The password: true flag masks the input.

Using Environment Variables

If you prefer environment variables over interactive prompts:

{
  "servers": {
    "maybe-dont": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://localhost:8080/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "X-GitHub-Token": "${env:GITHUB_TOKEN}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Set the variable before launching VS Code:

export GITHUB_TOKEN="ghp_your_token_here"

Start the Server

After saving .vscode/mcp.json, VS Code shows a Start button above the server configuration. Click it to connect, or use the command palette: MCP: List Servers.

Verify the Connection

In Copilot Chat, you should see GitHub tools available. The tools will be prefixed with github__:

  • github__create_issue
  • github__search_code
  • github__list_repos
  • etc.

You can also check the MCP servers panel in VS Code to confirm the connection status.

What’s Happening

When Copilot calls a tool:

  1. Copilot sends the request to localhost:8080/mcp with X-GitHub-Token header
  2. The gateway validates the request using CEL and AI policies
  3. If allowed, the gateway forwards to GitHub with Authorization: Bearer <token>
  4. The response flows back through the gateway to Copilot
  5. Everything is logged to the audit log

Troubleshooting

Tools not appearing

  • Check the MCP servers panel in VS Code for connection errors
  • Verify the gateway is running on port 8080
  • Ensure .vscode/mcp.json has valid JSON syntax

“Connection refused” 

curl http://localhost:8080/mcp -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "X-GitHub-Token: $GITHUB_TOKEN" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"tools/list","id":1}'

Authentication errors

  • Verify your GitHub token is valid and has appropriate scopes
  • Check the gateway’s logs for pass-through auth issues
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