Skills

Use HVE Core to rehearse a workflow inside Copilot

For teams that want to combine agents, prompts, and skills with Copilot. Treat it as a source of patterns, not a stable production dependency.

Official source · HVE Core

Install

Install the HVE Core extension from the VS Code Marketplace.

Who it's for

This fits teams that want GitHub Copilot to gather dedicated agents, reusable prompts, coding notes, and verified skills into one workflow. The official repository is

https://github.com/microsoft/hve-core

It writes HVE Core helps teams ship faster with GitHub Copilot. It also stresses that it is a highly opinionated, rapidly evolving agentic SDLC framework, best treated as patterns and learning, not a stable platform, foundation, or production dependency. So it fits copying patterns and rehearsal, not binding the repository as a production base.

The main path in the material is the VS Code Marketplace extension, then picking RPI Agent in Copilot Chat or running /rpi. It does not write company size, language scope, or other agent products; do not invent a list.

First try in 3 minutes

Follow the official three steps. Do not switch to an installer that never appears:

  1. Install the HVE Core extension from the VS Code Marketplace.
  2. Open any project and launch GitHub Copilot Chat (shortcut Ctrl+Alt+I).
  3. Select RPI Agent from the agent picker or run /rpi, then describe the task.

Prerequisite: you can already open VS Code and Copilot Chat, and the current project may receive config writes from the extension. The material does not write an account plan or other required extensions. Installing the extension changes the editor environment. After install, open any project first, confirm you can see RPI Agent or /rpi, then continue.

Low-risk task: with /rpi describe only a read-only check, for example ask what reusable coding notes the current repository still lacks. Say clearly: do not change production dependencies, do not batch-edit files. Success signal: RPI Agent is selected and gives notes for the current project, instead of already calling HVE Core a stable platform. If the UI asks for a secret that never appears in the material, stop at once.

The material also writes copilot plugin marketplace add microsoft/hve-core and copilot plugin install hve-core@hve-core; that is another entry. Do not mix it with the Marketplace extension on the first try.

Use cases

Case 1: Take a task with RPI Agent in any project. This matches Open any project and launch GitHub Copilot Chat, and Select RPI Agent or /rpi. This fits people who can already open Copilot Chat and only want to verify the workflow connects. The material does not write a full RPI capability table; the checkable fact is: select that agent first, then describe the task. Do not write case 1 as already delivering a production feature.

Case 2: Use HVE Builder to turn patterns into a flow you can maintain. This matches The HVE Builder skill (use with /hve-builder) and GitHub Copilot can help you adapt or copy relevant patterns into an agentic SDLC that you own and maintain independently. This fits people who accept “patterns only.” The material does not write which directories will be generated; the checkable fact is that you should maintain the result independently, not stay bound to HVE Core. Preview suggestions first, then decide whether to write them into the repository.

Boundaries

Official text says not to treat it as a stable platform or production dependency; versions move fast, and today's agent, prompt, or skill may change. The main path is the Marketplace extension; the CLI plugin commands are another path. Do not splice them into one compound install. The material does not write uninstall, compatible versions, or org policy. /hve-builder adapts patterns; it is not a hosted SDLC service. Do not replace an existing production delivery chain with HVE Core on the first try.