Clarify startup message "No copilot-instructions.md found" to specify it means the repo-scoped file
Nadie ha tomado este issue todavía.
- Lenguaje dominante
- Shell
- Estrellas
- 11.2k
- Forks
- 1.9k
- Merge medio
- 14 h 16 min
- PR fusionados (30 d)
- 6
Descripción
Describe the feature or problem you'd like to solve
On session start, the CLI prints "No copilot-instructions.md found." This wording is ambiguous.
Proposed solution
On session start, the CLI prints "No copilot-instructions.md found." This wording is ambiguous — it reads as though NO custom instructions were loaded at all, when in fact it only means the repository-scoped file (.github/copilot-instructions.md in the git root/cwd) is absent.
A user-scope file at $HOME/.copilot/copilot-instructions.md (and other supported sources like AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, $HOME/.copilot/instructions/**) may still be fully loaded and active. The current message caused me to believe none of my instructions were in effect, when my user-scope instructions actually were loaded.
Requested change / proposed solution: reword the message to name the specific missing file/scope, e.g. "No repository-scoped .github/copilot-instructions.md found" — and ideally note that user-scope or other instruction sources may still be active.
Benefits to GitHub Copilot CLI and its users:
- Removes a misleading signal that makes users think their instructions aren't loaded.
- Reduces confusion and wasted time spent debugging a non-issue.
- Sets accurate expectations about which instruction scope is missing vs. active.
- Encourages correct use of layered instruction sources (repo-scoped vs. user-scoped).
Example prompts or workflows
- User has a populated $HOME/.copilot/copilot-instructions.md with personal workflows.
- User starts a session in a repo that has no .github/copilot-instructions.md.
- CLI prints "No copilot-instructions.md found."
- User reasonably concludes NONE of their instructions loaded — but the user-scope file is active.
- Running /env confirms the user-scope instructions ARE loaded, contradicting the startup message.
Suggested improved message:
"No repository-scoped .github/copilot-instructions.md found. (User-scope and other instruction sources, if present, are still active — see /env or /instructions.)"
Additional context
Guía de contribución
Primeros pasos
- Lee el issue completo y luego la guía de contribución del proyecto.
- Comenta en el issue que vas a ocuparte — evita que dos personas hagan lo mismo.
- Haz un fork del repositorio y trabaja en una rama.
- Abre un pull request que haga referencia al número del issue.
Línea de trabajo
Empieza en la ruta de inicio de sesión de la CLI que emite "No copilot-instructions.md found." y sigue cómo se comprueban las instrucciones con ámbito de repositorio. Actualiza el texto para identificar el archivo con ámbito de repositorio que falta, preservando el comportamiento del ámbito de usuario y de las demás fuentes de instrucciones; verifica el resultado durante el inicio y con /env o /instructions.
Escrito por el modelo de indexación a partir del texto del issue.
Evaluación
- Stack tecnológico
- shell
- Área
- cli
- Tipo de issue
- Nueva funcionalidad
- Dificultad
- 1/5
- Tiempo estimado
- 1-3 horas
- Estado de actividad
- Tranquilo
- Claridad
- Bastante claro
- Aptitud para principiantes
- 72/100