https://github.com/abhi-singhs/copilot-cli-claude-code-compat
Claude Code compatibility layer for GitHub Copilot CLI — use familiar Claude Code syntax with Copilot CLI. Includes a flag-translation wrapper (cpc), a /claude-help reference skill, and config-sync setup scripts for macOS, Linux, and Windows.
https://github.com/abhi-singhs/copilot-cli-claude-code-compat
claude-code cli-compatibility command-line copilot-cli copilot-plugin developer-tools github-copilot migration powershell python
Last synced: 7 days ago
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Claude Code compatibility layer for GitHub Copilot CLI — use familiar Claude Code syntax with Copilot CLI. Includes a flag-translation wrapper (cpc), a /claude-help reference skill, and config-sync setup scripts for macOS, Linux, and Windows.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/abhi-singhs/copilot-cli-claude-code-compat
- Owner: abhi-singhs
- Created: 2026-04-02T13:12:32.000Z (25 days ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-04-20T06:10:07.000Z (8 days ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-04-20T08:11:15.352Z (7 days ago)
- Topics: claude-code, cli-compatibility, command-line, copilot-cli, copilot-plugin, developer-tools, github-copilot, migration, powershell, python
- Language: Python
- Size: 123 KB
- Stars: 0
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
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README
# claude-compat — Claude Code Compatibility for Copilot CLI
A **Copilot CLI plugin** + companion wrapper script that lets you use Claude Code CLI syntax with GitHub Copilot CLI, without shadowing your real `claude` binary.
## What's Included
| Component | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| `plugin.json` | Plugin manifest | Registers this as a Copilot CLI plugin |
| `skills/claude-compat/SKILL.md` | Plugin skill | `/claude-help` — full mapping reference inside Copilot sessions |
| `hooks.json` | Plugin hook | Shows a reminder on session start |
| `cpc` | Companion script | Translates Claude Code CLI flags → Copilot CLI flags |
| `setup-claude-copilot-compat.sh` | Setup script (bash) | Symlinks config dirs + installs the plugin |
| `setup-claude-copilot-compat.ps1` | Setup script (PowerShell) | Same as above, for Windows/PowerShell |
| `cpc.ps1` | PowerShell wrapper | Invokes the `cpc` Python script from PowerShell |
| `cpc.cmd` | CMD wrapper | Invokes the `cpc` Python script from cmd.exe |
## Prerequisites
- [GitHub Copilot CLI](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/set-up/install-copilot-cli) installed (`copilot --version`)
- Python 3.6+ (ships with macOS; install from python.org on Windows)
## Installation
### Option A: Plugin only (no `cpc` wrapper)
If you just want the `/claude-help` reference skill inside Copilot CLI:
```bash
copilot plugin install ./
```
### Option B: Full setup (plugin + wrapper + config sync)
**macOS / Linux (bash):**
```bash
# 1. Make scripts executable
chmod +x cpc setup-claude-copilot-compat.sh
# 2. Put cpc on your PATH (pick one)
cp cpc /usr/local/bin/
# or: ln -s "$(pwd)/cpc" ~/bin/cpc
# or: add this directory to PATH
# 3. Run setup (installs plugin + symlinks config dirs)
./setup-claude-copilot-compat.sh
```
**Windows (PowerShell):**
```powershell
# 1. Put cpc on your PATH (pick one)
Copy-Item cpc, cpc.ps1, cpc.cmd -Destination "$env:USERPROFILE\bin\"
# or: add this directory to your PATH
# 2. Run setup (installs plugin + symlinks config dirs)
# Note: Run as Administrator if symlink creation requires elevated privileges.
.\setup-claude-copilot-compat.ps1
```
### Option C: Install from a GitHub repo
```bash
copilot plugin install abhi-singhs/copilot-cli-claude-code-compat
```
## Usage Examples
```bash
# Start interactive session
cpc # → copilot
# Start with a prompt
cpc "explain this project" # → copilot -i "explain this project"
# Non-interactive mode
cpc -p "summarize README.md" # → copilot -p "summarize README.md"
# Continue last conversation
cpc -c # → copilot --continue
# Resume a session
cpc -r my-session "keep going" # → copilot --resume=my-session -i "keep going"
# Auth
cpc auth login # → copilot login
cpc auth logout # → copilot logout
# Update
cpc update # → copilot update
# MCP server management
cpc mcp # → copilot mcp
# Skip permissions
cpc --dangerously-skip-permissions # → copilot --allow-all
# Tool permissions (syntax is auto-converted)
cpc --allowedTools "Bash(git log *)" "Bash(npm test)" -p "check history"
# → copilot --allow-tool=shell(git log *) --allow-tool=shell(npm test) -p "check history"
# Limit turns
cpc --max-turns 5 -p "fix all lint errors"
# → copilot --max-autopilot-continues=5 -p "fix all lint errors"
# MCP config
cpc --mcp-config ./my-servers.json # → copilot --additional-mcp-config=@./my-servers.json
# Tool availability
cpc --tools "Bash,Edit,Read" -p "q" # → copilot --available-tools=bash,edit,view -p "q"
# Enable remote access (like Claude Code --remote)
cpc --remote
# → copilot --remote
# Delegate to cloud (like Claude Code --remote "task")
cpc --remote "Fix the login bug"
# → copilot -i "/delegate Fix the login bug"
# Resume a cloud session locally (like Claude Code --teleport)
cpc --teleport
# → copilot --resume
# Select model
cpc --model sonnet "fix the bug" # → copilot --model sonnet -i "fix the bug"
# Plan mode
cpc --permission-mode plan # → copilot --plan
```
## Debugging
Use `--dry-run` to see what `copilot` command would be executed:
```bash
cpc --dry-run --dangerously-skip-permissions --max-turns 3 -p "fix tests"
# Output: copilot --allow-all --max-autopilot-continues=3 -p fix tests
```
## Interactive Slash Commands
Slash commands are in-session only and can't be aliased externally. Type `/claude-help` inside a Copilot CLI session to see the full mapping table.
Quick reference for the most common ones:
| Claude Code | Copilot CLI | Same? |
|---|---|---|
| `/clear` | `/clear` | ✅ |
| `/compact` | `/compact` | ✅ |
| `/context` | `/context` | ✅ |
| `/diff` | `/diff` | ✅ |
| `/model` | `/model` | ✅ |
| `/plan` | `/plan` | ✅ |
| `/resume` | `/resume` | ✅ |
| `/review` | `/review` | ✅ |
| `/tasks` | `/tasks` | ✅ |
| `/agents` | `/agent` | ⚠️ Renamed |
| `/cost` | `/usage` | ⚠️ Renamed |
| `/export` | `/share` | ⚠️ Renamed |
| `/remote-control` | `/remote` | ⚠️ Renamed |
| `/memory` | — | ❌ Not available |
| `/autofix-pr` | — | ❌ Not available |
| `/web-setup` | — | ❌ Not available |
| `/team-onboarding` | — | ❌ Not available |
| `/loop` (`/proactive`) | — | ❌ Not available |
| — | `/research TOPIC` | 🆕 Copilot CLI only |
| — | `/update` | 🆕 Copilot CLI only |
| — | `/version` | 🆕 Copilot CLI only |
## Config Sharing
The setup script symlinks these directories so both tools share the same files:
| Directory | Shared? |
|---|---|
| `agents/` | ✅ Symlinked between `~/.claude/` and `~/.copilot/` |
| `skills/` | ✅ Symlinked (Copilot also reads `~/.claude/skills/` natively) |
| `commands/` | ✅ Copilot reads `.claude/commands/` natively |
| `AGENTS.md` | ✅ Copilot reads natively |
| Settings (`settings.json` / `config.json`) | ❌ Different schemas |
| MCP config | ❌ Different formats |
## Limitations
- **Slash commands** can't be aliased — use `/claude-help` for the reference
- **System prompts** (`--system-prompt`, `--append-system-prompt`) don't exist in Copilot CLI — use `.github/copilot-instructions.md` or `.instructions.md` files
- **MCP configs** have different JSON schemas — migrate manually
- **Settings** (`~/.claude/settings.json` vs `~/.copilot/config.json`) have different formats
- **Worktree mode** (`-w`) isn't available — use `git worktree` directly
- **Windows symlinks** may require running PowerShell as Administrator or enabling Developer Mode
- **Budget limits** (`--max-budget-usd`) aren't available in Copilot CLI
- **`/team-onboarding`** is a Claude Code–only command (generates team onboarding guides from session history) — no Copilot CLI equivalent
- **`/loop`** (`/proactive`) is a Claude Code–only command (runs a prompt repeatedly while the session stays open) — no Copilot CLI equivalent
- **`/tui`**, **`/focus`**, **`/heapdump`**, **`/recap`** are Claude Code–only UI/debugging commands — no Copilot CLI equivalents
- **`/ultrareview [PR]`** is a Claude Code–only command (deep cloud-based code review) — use `/review` in Copilot CLI for local reviews
- **`/keep-alive`** is a Copilot CLI-only slash command (prevent machine sleep) — no Claude Code equivalent
- **`/research`**, **`/update`**, **`/version`** are Copilot CLI-only slash commands — no Claude Code equivalents
- **`--mode=MODE`** and **`--plan`** are Copilot CLI-only flags — `cpc` maps `--permission-mode plan` → `--plan`
- **`COPILOT_SUBAGENT_MAX_DEPTH`** and **`COPILOT_SUBAGENT_MAX_CONCURRENT`** are Copilot CLI-only environment variables for tuning subagent behavior
## Architecture
This project has two parts:
### Copilot CLI Plugin (`plugin.json`)
Installed via `copilot plugin install`. Provides:
- **`/claude-help` skill** — type it in any Copilot session for the full mapping reference
- **sessionStart hook** — shows a reminder that the plugin is active
### `cpc` Companion Wrapper
A standalone Python script (not part of the plugin — plugins can't intercept CLI invocation). It:
1. Checks for subcommands (`update`, `auth login`, `plugin`, etc.)
2. Translates flags that differ between the two CLIs
3. Warns on flags with no Copilot equivalent
4. Passes through all unknown/matching flags unchanged
5. On Unix, calls `os.execvp("copilot", ...)` to replace the process — TTY, stdin, and signals are inherited transparently. On Windows, uses `subprocess.run()` and forwards the exit code
**Why can't `cpc` be a plugin?** Copilot CLI plugins can provide skills, agents, hooks, and MCP servers — but they cannot intercept or modify how `copilot` itself is invoked from the shell. Flag translation must happen *before* copilot starts, which only an external wrapper can do.