uv-devcontainer-template

A minimal dev container template for running GitHub Copilot and GitHub Copilot Chat safely inside a container. This lets you try Copilot features without installing them directly on your host machine.

---

✅ Quick start

1. Prerequisites

   • Docker (Docker Desktop) running on macOS
   • Visual Studio Code with the Dev Containers (or Remote - Containers) extension installed
   • A GitHub account (Copilot / Copilot Chat requires signing in and may require a Copilot subscription)

2. Clone the repo

git clone https://github.com/epthewizard/uv-devcontainer-template.git
cd uv-devcontainer-template

3. Open in VS Code and reopen in container

   • Open the folder in VS Code
   • Click the green "Reopen in Container" button (bottom-left) or run Command Palette → Dev Containers: Reopen in Container

4. Build & initialization

   • The container image builds from .devcontainer/Dockerfile and the postCreateCommand runs bootstrap.sh automatically.
   • bootstrap.sh initializes a small uv project and installs dev tooling (uv add ruff --dev) and runs uv sync.

5. Use Copilot and Copilot Chat

   • The devcontainer enables the following extensions by default: GitHub.copilot and GitHub.copilot-chat.
   • When prompted, sign in to GitHub from VS Code (look for the account notification or run Command Palette → GitHub: Sign in).
   • If Copilot Chat needs special permissions or a subscription, follow the sign-in flow and accept the prompts.

---

🔧 Common commands

• Rebuild container (after changing Dockerfile or extensions): Command Palette → Dev Containers: Rebuild Container
• Re-run the bootstrap script (inside the container):

bash bootstrap.sh

• Run uv commands inside container (example):

uv init       # (if needed)
uv add <pkg>  # add tooling
uv sync       # sync environment

---

⚠️ Troubleshooting

• Container build hangs or fails:

  • Ensure Docker Desktop is running and has sufficient resources (CPU / RAM).
  • Check the build logs in the Dev Containers output panel.

• Copilot / Copilot Chat isn't working:

  • Confirm you're signed in to GitHub in the container instance of VS Code (account prompts may show in the remote window).
  • Open Output → GitHub Copilot or Help → Toggle Developer Tools for error messages.
  • Copilot may require an active subscription or trial for advanced features.

• Network issues during curl or installs:

  • Some CI networks or VPNs block outbound traffic. Try disabling VPN or verify network connectivity.

---

🔐 Security & privacy

• The Copilot extensions send data to GitHub's service for completions and chat. Do not open or send secrets you don't want shared.
• This devcontainer helps isolate the tooling from your host, but you still mount your project files into the container by design.

---

📚 Further reading

• VS Code Dev Containers docs: Search for "Dev Containers" in the VS Code docs
• GitHub Copilot docs: Sign-in and subscription details appear in the GitHub Copilot docs and the VS Code extension description

---

Contributing

PRs welcome. Keep changes focused on useful DX improvements.

---

💬 Copilot Chat walkthrough

1. Open the Copilot Chat panel: press F1 (Command Palette) and run Copilot: Open Chat, or click the Copilot Chat icon in the Activity Bar.
2. If prompted to sign in, sign in to your GitHub account from the remote VS Code window (look for the account notification in the bottom-left or run Command Palette → GitHub: Sign in).
3. Try a sample prompt, for example:

Help me write a unit test for a Python function that reverses a string.

4. Review the response in the chat pane and copy the suggested code into a new file to run and iterate.
5. If you don't see responses, check Output → GitHub Copilot and Help → Toggle Developer Tools for errors. Ensure the Copilot extension is enabled in the remote window.

---

If you'd like, I can also add an automated troubleshooting script to collect Copilot logs and environment info (helpful if sign-in or extension issues appear). Say 'yes' and I'll add it. ✨