There are two different Copilot CLI tools available, and both can be installed and run simultaneously on the same machine.
| Command | What it is | Installation |
|---|---|---|
gh copilot |
A GitHub CLI extension. It integrates with your gh authentication and provides commands like suggest and explain for terminal help. |
gh extension install github/gh-copilot |
copilot |
A standalone CLI for terminal use. Can be used independently of VS Code for AI-assisted command-line interactions. | brew install copilot |
- For
gh copilot: You need the GitHub CLI installed first (brew install gh) and be authenticated (gh auth login) - For
copilot: Just Homebrew and a GitHub Copilot subscription
Both options can be run simultaneously on the same machine without conflicts. They use separate authentication mechanisms and serve slightly different use cases, so having both installed gives you flexibility in how you interact with GitHub Copilot from the command line.