Add Copilot coding agent subagents for shell instrumentation, tests, actions, packaging, and dependencies

[Copilot]

Summary

Adds 7 specialized Copilot coding agent skills in .github/skills/ that the Copilot coding agent can invoke when working on issues and pull requests.

The original 5 agents in .github/agents/ were re-evaluated and all converted to skills, plus 2 new skills were added.

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Skills vs Agents/Subagents — What is the difference?

	Skill (.github/skills/)	Agent / Subagent (.github/agents/)
What it is	Domain knowledge, conventions, checklists, and patterns that the main agent applies while doing its work	An autonomous entity that can be delegated a complete, self-contained task
How it works	The main agent invokes the skill to gain specialized knowledge, then does the work itself	The main agent hands off an entire task to the sub-agent, which operates independently
Analogy	A reference manual or checklist the developer consults	A junior developer you delegate a task to
Best for	Coding conventions, framework patterns, multi-file sync checklists, troubleshooting guides	Complex, multi-step tasks that can be fully delegated (e.g., "migrate the database schema")
Context	Augments the main agent's context with focused knowledge	Runs in a separate context window with its own tools

Why all 5 were converted to skills

All 5 original entries were domain knowledge that the agent applies inline during tasks, not autonomous delegatable work:

• Shell instrumentation knowledge → The agent needs these conventions while writing code, not as a separate delegated task
• Test-writing patterns → Tests are written alongside code changes, using the skill for framework knowledge
• GitHub Actions conventions → Applied when editing workflows, not a standalone task
• Packaging checklists → A sync checklist the agent follows when touching dependencies
• Dependency update procedures → A multi-file checklist, not an autonomous task (Renovate handles automated updates)

When would an agent be appropriate?

An agent would be justified if the repository had tasks that are: (1) fully self-contained, (2) complex enough to benefit from a separate context, and (3) frequently delegated. For this repository, tasks tend to be cross-cutting (code + tests + packaging), making skills the better fit.

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Skills (7 total)

Transformed from agents (5)

Skill	File	Purpose
Shell Instrumentation	shell-instrumentation.md	POSIX compliance, alias-based instrumentation, backslash prefix convention, _otel_/otel_ naming
Writing Tests	writing-tests.md	assert.sh framework, resolve_span/resolve_log, SDK vs auto test patterns, $TEST_SHELL usage
GitHub Actions	github-actions.md	Workflow architecture, action version tags, permissions, observability_workflow.yml allowlist
Packaging	packaging.md	Three-format sync (deb/rpm/apk), dependency categories, package naming differences
Updating Dependencies	updating-dependencies.md	Multi-ecosystem update checklists (Python/Node/Java/system), cross-format synchronization

New skills (2)

Skill	File	Purpose
CI Troubleshooting	ci-troubleshooting.md	CI pipeline architecture, common failure patterns with causes and fixes, test environment details
Version and Release	version-release.md	VERSION file mechanics, publish pipeline, auto-versioning, release branch workflow

How to test

These are documentation-only files. No build or runtime validation needed.

[plengauer]

Hello, thanks for contributing for the first time!

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

Note

Copilot was unable to run its full agentic suite in this review.

Adds documentation “skills” that the Copilot coding agent can invoke, consolidating prior agent guidance into reusable checklists and adding new release/CI troubleshooting references.

Changes:

• Adds 7 new skill docs under .github/skills/ covering shell instrumentation, tests, Actions, packaging, dependencies, CI troubleshooting, and version/release process.
• Documents repository-specific conventions (POSIX shell constraints, test runner behavior, workflow architecture, dependency sync requirements).
• Captures release/version automation rules and CI failure triage playbooks.

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 7 out of 7 changed files in this pull request and generated 5 comments.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
.github/skills/writing-tests.md	Documents test layout, assert.sh usage, and conventions for span/log validation.
.github/skills/version-release.md	Describes VERSION-driven releases, workflows, and branching/tagging conventions.
.github/skills/updating-dependencies.md	Provides multi-ecosystem dependency update checklist and package metadata sync guidance.
.github/skills/shell-instrumentation.md	Specifies POSIX instrumentation rules (alias recursion avoidance, naming, dependency declarations).
.github/skills/packaging.md	Documents deb/rpm/apk synchronization rules and CI validation workflows.
.github/skills/github-actions.md	Documents workflow/action conventions, permissions, pinning, and instrumentation architecture.
.github/skills/ci-troubleshooting.md	Provides CI pipeline overview, common failures, and investigation steps.