Mount gh CLI binary in agentic-workflows MCP server container by Copilot · Pull Request #13948 · github/gh-aw

Copilot · 2026-02-05T16:10:13Z

Solution: Add gh binary mount to agentic-workflows MCP server configuration

Problem ✅ FIXED

The agentic-workflows MCP server runs in an Alpine container and needs access to the gh CLI binary to execute commands like gh aw status. The error was:

[2026-02-05T15:39:10Z] [INFO] [backend] [docker stderr] ✗ failed to run status command: exec: "gh": executable file not found in $PATH

Solution Implemented

Added gh binary mount - Mount for the gh binary from the host system (/usr/bin/gh) to the Alpine container in read-only mode
Added gh version logging - Log gh CLI version on mcp-server startup for troubleshooting
Use workflow.ExecGH helper - Updated to use the standard gh CLI helper for proper token configuration

Changes Made

Added constant DefaultGhBinaryMount = "/usr/bin/gh:/usr/bin/gh:ro" in pkg/constants/constants.go
Updated JSON format in renderAgenticWorkflowsMCPConfigWithOptions() to include gh binary mount
Updated TOML format in renderAgenticWorkflowsMCPConfigTOML() to include gh binary mount
Updated tests to verify gh binary mount is included in both JSON and TOML formats
Recompiled all workflows - 22 workflow lock files updated with the new mount configuration
Added gh version check - checkAndLogGHVersion() function logs gh CLI version on startup and warns if missing
Updated to use helper - Changed to use workflow.ExecGH() helper instead of direct exec.Command() call

Testing

✅ All unit tests pass
✅ Code formatting validated (make fmt)
✅ Build successful (make build)
✅ Workflows recompiled successfully (145/145 workflows)
✅ Verified gh binary mount present in compiled workflows
✅ Tested mcp-server command with gh version logging

Example Output

When gh is available:

ℹ gh CLI: gh version 2.86.0 (2026-01-21)
✓ ✅ Configuration validated successfully

When gh is missing:

⚠ gh CLI not found in PATH - some MCP server operations may fail

All requirements completed successfully! ✅

Original prompt

The compiler needs to mount the "gh" tool (ro) in the agentic-workflows configuration so that the gh-aw binary can run gh commands. See error:
[2026-02-05T15:39:10Z] [INFO] [backend] [docker stderr] ✗ failed to run status command: exec: "gh": executable file not found in $PATH

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Changeset

Type: patch
Description: Log the host gh CLI when the MCP server starts and mount the host gh binary for agentic workflows so containerized tools can invoke gh commands.

Generated by Changeset Generator

- Add DefaultGhBinaryMount constant for /usr/bin/gh mount path - Update renderAgenticWorkflowsMCPConfigWithOptions to include gh binary mount - Update renderAgenticWorkflowsMCPConfigTOML to include gh binary mount - Update tests to verify gh binary mount is included - Recompile all workflow files with updated agentic-workflows configuration This fixes the error "exec: 'gh': executable file not found in $PATH" by making the gh CLI binary available inside the Alpine container where the agentic-workflows MCP server runs. Co-authored-by: pelikhan <4175913+pelikhan@users.noreply.github.com>

github-actions · 2026-02-05T16:26:40Z

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github-actions · 2026-02-05T16:26:40Z

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github-actions · 2026-02-05T16:26:42Z

📰 BREAKING: Smoke Copilot is now investigating this pull request. Sources say the story is developing...

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github-actions · 2026-02-05T16:29:21Z

Agent Container Tool Check

Tool	Status	Version
bash	✅	GNU bash 5.2.21
sh	✅	available
git	✅	2.52.0
jq	✅	jq-1.7
yq	✅	v4.50.1
curl	✅	8.5.0
gh	✅	2.86.0
node	✅	v20.20.0
python3	✅	3.12.3
go	✅	1.24.12
java	✅	21.0.10 (Temurin-Hotspot)
dotnet	❌	not found

Result: 11/12 tools available ⚠️

Note: .NET runtime (dotnet) is not available in the container. All other development tools are present and functional.

AI generated by Agent Container Smoke Test

github-actions · 2026-02-05T16:30:51Z

🧪 Smoke test results:

Status: ✅ PASS

@pelikhan @Copilot

AI generated by Smoke Copilot

github-actions · 2026-02-05T16:31:10Z

📰 VERDICT: Smoke Copilot has concluded. All systems operational. This is a developing story. 🎤

github-actions · 2026-02-05T16:31:53Z

✅ Smoke Test PASSED - Claude Engine

Results:

✅ GitHub MCP
✅ Safe Inputs GH CLI
✅ Serena MCP
✅ Make Build
✅ Playwright
✅ Tavily Search
✅ File Operations
✅ Discussion Interaction
✅ Agentic Workflows MCP

§21719572202

AI generated by Smoke Claude

pelikhan · 2026-02-05T16:37:56Z

@copilot the mcp-server command should run "gh version" to log the current github cli version and report if it is missing

- Add checkAndLogGHVersion() function to check gh CLI availability - Log gh version on mcp-server startup for troubleshooting - Show warning if gh CLI is not found in PATH - Addresses feedback to log gh version and report if missing Co-authored-by: pelikhan <4175913+pelikhan@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot · 2026-02-05T16:46:56Z

@copilot the mcp-server command should run "gh version" to log the current github cli version and report if it is missing

Implemented in commit 3cf00a8. The mcp-server command now logs the gh CLI version on startup and displays a warning if gh is not found in PATH.

Example output when gh is available:

ℹ gh CLI: gh version 2.86.0 (2026-01-21)

When gh is missing:

⚠ gh CLI not found in PATH - some MCP server operations may fail

pelikhan · 2026-02-05T16:52:23Z

pkg/cli/mcp_server.go


+// checkAndLogGHVersion checks if gh CLI is available and logs its version
+func checkAndLogGHVersion() {
+	cmd := exec.Command("gh", "version")


@copilot use helper to run gh

Updated in commit 0eab03f to use workflow.ExecGH() helper instead of direct exec.Command() call.

- Replace direct exec.Command call with workflow.ExecGH helper - Ensures proper token configuration and environment setup - Follows established pattern for gh CLI execution in the codebase Co-authored-by: pelikhan <4175913+pelikhan@users.noreply.github.com>

github-actions · 2026-02-05T17:07:54Z

📰 BREAKING: Smoke Copilot is now investigating this pull request. Sources say the story is developing...

github-actions · 2026-02-05T17:07:55Z

✅ Changeset Generator completed successfully!

github-actions · 2026-02-05T17:07:59Z

🌑 The shadows whisper... Smoke Codex failed. The oracle requires further meditation...

github-actions · 2026-02-05T17:08:08Z

🎬 THE END — Smoke Claude MISSION: ACCOMPLISHED! The hero saves the day! ✨

github-actions · 2026-02-05T17:10:59Z

Agent Container Tool Check

Tool	Status	Version
bash	✅	5.2.21
sh	✅	available
git	✅	2.52.0
jq	✅	1.7
yq	✅	4.50.1
curl	✅	8.5.0
gh	✅	2.86.0
node	✅	20.20.0
python3	✅	3.12.3
go	✅	1.24.12
java	❌	Executable issues (renamed to bash)
dotnet	❌	Executable issues (renamed to bash)

Result: 10/12 tools available ⚠️

Note: Java and .NET executables appear to have been modified/renamed to bash in the container environment. This may indicate a security restriction or environment configuration issue.

AI generated by Agent Container Smoke Test

github-actions · 2026-02-05T17:12:23Z

✅ Smoke Test PASS - Run 21720995330

PR Titles:

Add serena container to predownload list when enabled #13956: Add serena container image to predownload list
Mount gh CLI binary in agentic-workflows MCP server container #13948: Mount gh CLI binary in agentic-workflows MCP server container

@Copilot @pelikhan

AI generated by Smoke Copilot

github-actions · 2026-02-05T17:12:40Z

📰 VERDICT: Smoke Copilot has concluded. All systems operational. This is a developing story. 🎤

Copilot

Pull request overview

This PR resolves an issue where the agentic-workflows MCP server running in an Alpine container could not execute gh CLI commands because the binary was not accessible within the container. The solution mounts the host's gh binary into the container and adds version checking during MCP server startup.

Changes:

Adds /usr/bin/gh binary mount configuration for containerized MCP servers
Implements gh CLI version logging on MCP server startup for troubleshooting
Updates all 22 compiled workflow lock files with the new mount configuration

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 27 out of 27 changed files in this pull request and generated 1 comment.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
pkg/constants/constants.go	Adds `DefaultGhBinaryMount` constant defining the read-only mount path for gh CLI binary
pkg/workflow/mcp_config_builtin.go	Updates JSON and TOML config generators to include gh binary mount in the mounts array
pkg/workflow/mcp_config_refactor_test.go	Adds test assertions to verify gh binary mount is present in both JSON and TOML formats
pkg/cli/mcp_server.go	Implements `checkAndLogGHVersion()` function to validate and log gh CLI availability at startup
.changeset/patch-log-gh-cli-version.md	Documents the changeset for this patch release
.github/workflows/*.lock.yml	22 workflow lock files updated with the new gh binary mount configuration

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Copilot · 2026-02-05T17:22:48Z

pkg/constants/constants.go

+// DefaultGhBinaryMount is the mount path for the gh CLI binary in containerized MCP servers
+// The gh CLI is required for agentic-workflows MCP server to run gh commands


The hardcoded path /usr/bin/gh assumes the GitHub CLI is installed at this specific location. While this is the standard location on Ubuntu (which is used for GitHub Actions runners per the PR context), this assumption may break if:

The gh CLI is installed via a different method (e.g., Homebrew, manual download) which places it elsewhere

The host system has gh in a non-standard location

Future changes to GitHub Actions runner images change the installation location

Consider documenting this assumption clearly in the constant's comment, or exploring a more robust approach such as:

Using which gh or command -v gh to dynamically determine the gh binary location during workflow setup

Providing a way to override this mount path via configuration

Adding validation in the MCP server startup to warn users if gh is not found at the expected location

Note that the PR does add gh version checking in checkAndLogGHVersion() which will warn if gh is missing, but this happens after the mount is configured and may not provide clear guidance about the mount path issue.

Suggested change

// DefaultGhBinaryMount is the mount path for the gh CLI binary in containerized MCP servers

// The gh CLI is required for agentic-workflows MCP server to run gh commands

// DefaultGhBinaryMount is the default mount path for the gh CLI binary in containerized MCP servers.

// This assumes that gh is installed at /usr/bin/gh on both the host and in the container,

// which is true for GitHub Actions Ubuntu runners but may not hold for all environments

// (e.g., Homebrew installations, custom host images, or non-Ubuntu systems).

// Callers should override this mount when gh is installed in a different location.

// The gh CLI is required for agentic-workflows MCP server to run gh commands.

Initial plan

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Copilot AI changed the title ~~[WIP] Add gh tool mount in agentic-workflows configuration~~ Mount gh CLI binary in agentic-workflows MCP server container Feb 5, 2026

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Merge branch 'main' into copilot/add-gh-tool-mount

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This was referenced Feb 5, 2026

Smoke Test: Copilot - 21722230812 #13968

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[WIP] Fix failing GitHub Actions workflow test #13966

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chore: bump AWF to v0.13.7 #13970

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Smoke Test: Copilot - 21723712906 #13972

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Smoke Test: Copilot - 21724483593 #13975

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		// DefaultGhBinaryMount is the mount path for the gh CLI binary in containerized MCP servers
		// The gh CLI is required for agentic-workflows MCP server to run gh commands

-// DefaultGhBinaryMount is the mount path for the gh CLI binary in containerized MCP servers
-// The gh CLI is required for agentic-workflows MCP server to run gh commands
+// DefaultGhBinaryMount is the default mount path for the gh CLI binary in containerized MCP servers.
+// This assumes that gh is installed at /usr/bin/gh on both the host and in the container,
+// which is true for GitHub Actions Ubuntu runners but may not hold for all environments
+// (e.g., Homebrew installations, custom host images, or non-Ubuntu systems).
+// Callers should override this mount when gh is installed in a different location.
+// The gh CLI is required for agentic-workflows MCP server to run gh commands.

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Solution: Add gh binary mount to agentic-workflows MCP server configuration

Problem ✅ FIXED

Solution Implemented

Changes Made

Testing

Example Output

Changeset

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