github / github/copilot-cli

Feature request: local web interface (like `opencode web`)

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area:non-interactive
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Shell
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Description

## Motivation

OpenCode ([opencode.ai](https://opencode.ai)) recently shipped `opencode web` — a command that starts a **local HTTP server and serves a browser-based UI** for the AI coding agent. This is a killer feature that Copilot CLI currently lacks.

Copilot CLI is terminal-only (TUI), which limits the experience to one dimension.

## What `opencode web` does

```
$ opencode web

█▀▀█ █▀▀█ █▀▀█ █▀▀▄ █▀▀▀ █▀▀█ █▀▀█ █▀▀█
█ █ █ █ █▀▀▀ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █▀▀▀
▀▀▀▀ █▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀

Web interface: http://127.0.0.1:4096/
```

Key capabilities:
- **Local HTTP server** bound to `127.0.0.1` with a configurable port (`--port`)
- **Full browser UI** — chat, file tree, diff viewer, session management
- **TUI attach** — `opencode attach http://localhost:4096` lets you connect a terminal session to the same server, sharing state/sessions
- **Auth** — optional HTTP basic auth via `OPENCODE_SERVER_PASSWORD`
- **mDNS discovery** — `--mdns` for LAN access
- **CORS support** — `--cors` for custom domains

## Proposed feature: `copilot web`

```bash
$ copilot web
# Starts a local HTTP server and opens the browser
# equivalent to: copilot --acp + web UI frontend
```

### Benefits over terminal-only

| Feature | Terminal (TUI) | Web interface |
|---|---|---|
| Syntax-highlighted diffs | Basic | Rich, side-by-side |
| File tree navigation | Manual `@` mentions | Clickable tree |
| Multi-session management | `/resume` | Session tabs |
| Code review UX | Scroll through text | Inline comments, annotations |
| Mobile/tablet use | Not practical | Fully usable |
| Accessibility | Screen-reader flag | Native browser a11y |
| Sharing | `--share-gist` | URL sharing, screenshots |

### Implementation notes

- Copilot CLI already has the `--acp` (Agent Client Protocol) server mode — the web UI could be a thin client on top of that
- Could be implemented as a built-in plugin or separate package
- The `--remote` flag already enables GitHub web control — but that is cloud-dependent; a local web server is simpler, faster, and works offline

## References

- OpenCode web docs: https://opencode.ai/docs/cli#web
- OpenCode repo: https://github.com/anomalyco/opencode

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start by reading the existing --acp server mode and --remote entry points, then determine how a local web server and browser UI would fit the CLI. Done would mean a documented copilot web command that serves the proposed local interface with the described session and terminal integration.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
shell
Domain
backend, cli, web-dev
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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