More Stable Local Installation of Plugins with Lock

[Anselmoo]

Describe the feature or problem you'd like to solve

Currently the the local and web Installation of Plugins is unstable

Proposed solution

• Improved support when managing root directories for plugin destinations.
• Generally, possessing a lock file facilitates easier switching between locally and globally installed files.
  • This could also prove beneficial when using codex, claude, gemini destinations.
• I believe that the long default JSON file for Claude under ~/.claude/ provides more transparent tracking of this information.

Idea Locking File
https://github.com/Anselmoo/copilot-plugin-manager/blob/main/cpm.lock

Details

version = 1
generated = "2026-04-07T19:51:40.433214Z"

[[mcp]]
name = "serena"
rev = "946fdd558f7153c88cd648dd611f95ebb63951e5"
resolved = "2026-04-07T19:51:40.433214Z"
hash = "sha256:86c1ae3fa6ebad47abb0991c958dd7a4bce12840280dfab013638909bc4656a2"
scope = "local"
groups = ["default"]
transport = "uvx"
package = "git+https://github.com/oraios/serena"
entrypoint = "serena"
args = ["start-mcp-server"]
tools = ["*"]

Idea Input File
https://github.com/Anselmoo/copilot-plugin-manager/blob/main/cpm.toml

Details

[package]
name = "copilot-plugin-manager"
version = "0.1.0"

[settings]
default_scope = "local"

[plugins]

[skills]

[agents]

[mcps]
serena = { rev = "946fdd558f7153c88cd648dd611f95ebb63951e5", type = "stdio", runner = "uvx", package = "git+https://github.com/oraios/serena", entrypoint = "serena", args = [
"start-mcp-server",
], tools = [
"*",
] }

[hooks]

[workflows]

[instructions]

Example prompts or workflows

Commands:
  init      Initialise a new cpm project in the current directory
  add       Add an asset to cpm.toml and resolve it
  sync      Install everything recorded in cpm.lock
  remove    Remove an asset
  promote   Promote an asset from local → global scope
  demote    Demote an asset from global → local scope
  update    Update one or all assets to their latest versions
  run       Fetch and run an asset without installing it
  overview  Show a consolidated view of managed and installed assets
  list      List installed assets
  show      Show full details of a single asset
  tree      Show the dependency tree
  doctor    Verify all installed file hashes match the lockfile
  status    Show drift between manifest, lockfile, and disk
  lock      Resolve without installing (CI use)
  reset     Reset installed assets and/or manifest state
  cache     Manage the cpm cache
  auth      Manage authentication tokens
  scope     Get or set the default scope
  help      Print this message or the help of the given subcommand(s)

Options:
  -v, --verbose  Print additional strategy details for delegated vs native operations
  -h, --help     Print help
  -V, --version  Print version

Getting started:
  init      Create a new cpm.toml + cpm.lock in the current directory
  add       Add an asset to the manifest and resolve it
  sync      Install everything recorded in cpm.lock

Manage assets:
  remove    Remove a managed asset
  promote   Move an asset from local to global scope
  demote    Move an asset from global to local scope
  update    Update one or all assets
  run       Fetch and run an asset without installing it

Inspect & diagnose:
  overview  See the combined manifest, lockfile, and disk view
  list      List installed assets
  show      Show details for one asset
  tree      Show the dependency tree
  doctor    Verify installed file hashes
  status    Show manifest/lockfile/disk drift

Maintenance:
  lock      Resolve without installing
  reset     Remove managed state and installed assets
  cache     Inspect or clean the download cache
  auth      Manage authentication tokens
  scope     Get or set the default install scope

and also extend this for agent, skill, and hook installations based on the classical copilot --help interface

Additional context

• That's my current approach: https://github.com/Anselmoo/copilot-plugin-manager for lock files and updating inspired by uv

• bash -c "copilot plugin install

• https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/copilot-cli/customize-copilot/plugins-finding-installing#install-from-a-local-path