github-integration

Original：🇺🇸 English

Translated

Enable the GitHub CLI (`gh`) in Claude Code cloud sessions and GitHub Copilot coding agent environments. Use this skill when: (1) setting up a project so cloud AI agents can use `gh` for PRs, issues, and releases, (2) configuring setup scripts or SessionStart hooks for `gh` installation, (3) adding `copilot-setup-steps.yml` for GitHub Copilot agents, (4) troubleshooting `gh` auth failures in cloud sessions, or (5) configuring `GH_TOKEN` for headless environments. Triggers on: "enable gh", "github integration", "Claude Code cloud setup", "copilot setup steps", "gh auth in cloud", "gh not working in cloud", "setup script", or any request involving GitHub CLI access from cloud-based AI coding agents.

4installs

Sourceonsager-ai/dev-skills

Added on2026-05-20

NPX Install

npx skill4agent add onsager-ai/dev-skills github-integration

SKILL.md Content

View Translation Comparison →

GitHub Integration

Enable

gh

CLI access in Claude Code cloud and GitHub Copilot coding agent environments so agents can create PRs, manage issues, and interact with GitHub APIs.

When to Use This Skill

Activate when:

User wants cloud AI agents to use
```
gh
```
(PRs, issues, releases, API calls)
User needs to install
```
gh
```
in Claude Code cloud sessions
User wants to add
```
copilot-setup-steps.yml
```
for GitHub Copilot agents
```
gh
```
commands fail with auth or "not found" errors in a cloud session
User wants to enable GitHub integration for any cloud-based AI coding agent

Decision Tree

Which cloud environment?

Claude Code cloud (claude.ai/code)?
  → gh is NOT pre-installed in the default image
  → Install via setup script: apt update && apt install -y gh
  → Set GH_TOKEN as environment variable in environment settings
  → For repo-portable setup, use SessionStart hook instead
  → Use -R owner/repo flag with gh due to sandbox proxy

GitHub Copilot coding agent?
  → Add .github/copilot-setup-steps.yml to the repo
  → gh IS pre-installed; just configure GH_TOKEN
  → Commit and push — agent sessions pick it up automatically

gh commands failing?
  → "command not found" → gh not installed; add to setup script
  → HTTP 401 → GH_TOKEN not set; add to environment variables
  → HTTP 403 → Token lacks required scope; check permissions
  → "could not determine repo" → Use -R owner/repo flag
  → See references/cloud-auth.md for more

Need gh in local dev too?
  → Run: gh auth login (interactive, browser-based)
  → Or set GH_TOKEN env var for headless/CI use

Two Environments, Two Approaches

Claude Code Cloud (claude.ai/code)

Claude Code cloud runs sessions in Anthropic-managed VMs. The

gh

CLI is not pre-installed. You need two things:

Setup script — installs
```
gh
```
when the session starts
GH_TOKEN
env var — authenticates
```
gh
```
with your GitHub PAT

Quick Start: Setup Script

In the Claude Code web UI: Environment Settings → Setup script:

bash

#!/bin/bash
apt update && apt install -y gh

Then add

GH_TOKEN

as an environment variable with your GitHub Personal Access Token (needs

repo

scope).

Alternative: SessionStart Hook (repo-portable)

Add to

.claude/settings.json

in your repo:

json

{
  "hooks": {
    "SessionStart": [
      {
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "if [ \"$CLAUDE_CODE_REMOTE\" = \"true\" ]; then apt update && apt install -y gh; fi",
            "timeout": 120
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

The

CLAUDE_CODE_REMOTE

check ensures it only runs in cloud sessions.

Important: The

-R

Flag

Due to the sandbox proxy,

gh

may not auto-detect the repo. Use the

-R owner/repo

flag:

bash

gh pr create -R codervisor/myrepo --title "..." --body "..."
gh issue list -R codervisor/myrepo

GitHub Copilot Coding Agent

Copilot coding agents use

.github/copilot-setup-steps.yml

. The

gh

CLI is pre-installed; you just need to authenticate it.

Add this file at

.github/copilot-setup-steps.yml

:

yaml

name: "Copilot Setup Steps"

on: repository_dispatch

jobs:
  copilot-setup-steps:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Authenticate gh CLI
        run: gh auth status
        env:
          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

See

templates/copilot-setup-steps.yml

for a full template with dependency installation.

Setup Scripts vs SessionStart Hooks vs copilot-setup-steps

	Setup scripts	SessionStart hooks	copilot-setup-steps.yml
Platform	Claude Code cloud only	Claude Code (local + cloud)	GitHub Copilot agents only
Configured in	Environment settings UI	`.claude/settings.json` in repo	`.github/copilot-setup-steps.yml`
Runs	Before Claude launches	After Claude launches	Before Copilot agent launches
Runs on resume	No (new sessions only)	Yes (every session)	Yes
Network	Needs registry access	Needs registry access	Full GitHub Actions network

Common gh Commands for Agents

bash

# PRs (use -R in Claude Code cloud)
gh pr create -R owner/repo --title "..." --body "..."
gh pr list -R owner/repo
gh pr view -R owner/repo
gh pr merge -R owner/repo --squash --delete-branch

# Issues
gh issue list -R owner/repo
gh issue view 42 -R owner/repo
gh issue create -R owner/repo --title "..." --body "..."

# API (for anything not covered by subcommands)
gh api repos/owner/repo/actions/runs

Pitfalls

Symptom	Cause	Fix
`gh: command not found`	Not installed (Claude Code cloud)	Add `apt install -y gh` to setup script
`HTTP 401` / auth error	`GH_TOKEN` not set	Add to environment variables in settings UI
`HTTP 403` on push	Token lacks `repo` scope	Regenerate PAT with `repo` scope
`could not determine repo`	Sandbox proxy hides git remote	Use `-R owner/repo` flag
`gh pr create` fails	No upstream branch	Push with `git push -u origin <branch>` first
Setup script fails	No network access	Set network to "Limited" (default) or "Full"

References

```
references/cloud-auth.md
```
— Token auth, scopes, proxy details, troubleshooting
```
references/copilot-setup-steps.md
```
— Full guide to customizing the Copilot setup workflow

Setup & Activation

bash

npx skills add -g onsager-ai/dev-skills --skill github-integration -a claude-code -y

Auto-activates when: user mentions "gh in cloud", "github integration", "setup script", "copilot setup steps", or

gh

auth failures in cloud environments.

github-integration

NPX Install

Tags

SKILL.md Content

GitHub Integration

When to Use This Skill

Decision Tree

Two Environments, Two Approaches

Claude Code Cloud (claude.ai/code)

Quick Start: Setup Script

Alternative: SessionStart Hook (repo-portable)

Important: The
`-R`
Flag

GitHub Copilot Coding Agent

Setup Scripts vs SessionStart Hooks vs copilot-setup-steps

Common gh Commands for Agents

Pitfalls

References

Setup & Activation