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Copilot no longer explains terminal commands before approval #325456

Description

  • Copilot Chat Extension Version: 2 months ago
  • VS Code Version: 1.128.0 (User Setup)
  • OS Version: Windows 10 x64 (10.0.19045)
  • Feature (e.g. agent/edit/ask mode): Agent mode
  • Selected model (e.g. GPT 4.1, Claude 3.7 Sonnet): Auto
  • Logs: N/A

Description

After updating to VS Code 1.128.0, Copilot Agent no longer displays a brief explanation of terminal commands before requesting approval to execute them.

Previously, when Copilot proposed a terminal command, the approval prompt included a concise explanation describing what the command would do and why it was needed. This provided useful context before approving execution and helped users understand unfamiliar commands.

Now, the approval prompt only displays the command itself, without any explanation or rationale.

I'm not sure whether this is an intentional UX change or a regression, but I preferred the previous behavior because it improved transparency and confidence before executing commands.

Steps to Reproduce

  1. Open a workspace in VS Code with GitHub Copilot Chat.
  2. Switch Copilot Chat to Agent mode.
  3. Ask Copilot to perform a task that requires running one or more terminal commands (for example, installing a dependency or running a build command).
  4. Wait for the terminal approval prompt.

Expected Result

The terminal approval prompt includes a brief explanation describing:

  • what the command does,
  • why Copilot wants to run it,
  • and, when applicable, its expected effect on the workspace.

Actual Result

The terminal approval prompt only shows the command to be executed, without any explanatory text.

Additional Context

The previous experience made it easier to verify commands before approving them and also served as a helpful learning aid. If this behavior was intentionally changed, it would be helpful to know whether there is a setting to restore the explanatory text.

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