Claude Copilot Setup Guide

Claude Copilot Setup Guide

Quick Start (Recommended)

Zero-Config Install

The fastest way to get started is with the zero-config installer:

# Install globally with automatic dependency fixing
npx claude-copilot install --global --auto-fix

This single command will:

• Check for Node.js, Git, and build tools
• Auto-install missing dependencies (macOS: via Homebrew, Linux: via apt/dnf/pacman)
• Clone the repository to ~/.claude/copilot
• Build MCP servers (Memory; Skills optional)
• Install the tc CLI (Task Copilot)
• Install global commands (/setup-project, /update-project, /knowledge-copilot)

For project setup after global install:

cd your-project
npx claude-copilot install --project .

Check dependencies without installing:

npx claude-copilot check --verbose

Alternative: Interactive Setup

If you prefer interactive setup or already have the repository cloned:

Step 1: Clone the Repository

mkdir -p ~/.claude
cd ~/.claude
git clone https://github.com/Everyone-Needs-A-Copilot/claude-copilot.git copilot

Step 2: Open Claude Code in the Copilot Directory

cd ~/.claude/copilot
claude

Step 3: Run Machine Setup

/setup

The setup wizard will:

• Check prerequisites (Node.js, build tools)
• Build the MCP servers (Memory; Skills optional)
• Install the tc CLI (Task Copilot)
• Install global commands (/setup-project, /update-project, /knowledge-copilot)

Note: Skills Copilot MCP is optional. For local skills, use native @include directives.

Step 4: Set Up Projects

Open Claude Code in any project and run:

/setup-project

Step 5: Update Projects (When Needed)

After updating Claude Copilot, refresh your projects:

/update-project

Step 6: (Optional) Set Up Shared Knowledge

/knowledge-copilot

This creates a knowledge repository for company/product information that's shared across all projects.

Commands Overview

What Gets Installed

Machine Level (~/.claude/copilot/)

Skills Note: For local skills (.claude/skills/), use native @include directives. Only build Skills Copilot MCP if you need SkillsMP marketplace (25K+ skills) or private database storage.

User Level (~/.claude/commands/)

Project Level

Machine Level (Optional)

Manual Setup (Alternative)

If you prefer to run setup steps manually instead of using /setup:

Prerequisites

Install build tools (macOS):

xcode-select --install

Build MCP Servers

Required components:

# Memory server (required)
cd ~/.claude/copilot/mcp-servers/copilot-memory
npm install
npm run build

# tc CLI - Task Copilot (required)
pip install -e ~/.claude/copilot/tools/tc

Optional - Skills Copilot (only if you need marketplace/database):

# Skills server (optional - skip if using native @include)
cd ~/.claude/copilot/mcp-servers/skills-copilot
npm install
npm run build

Install Global Commands

mkdir -p ~/.claude/commands
cp ~/.claude/copilot/.claude/commands/setup-project.md ~/.claude/commands/
cp ~/.claude/copilot/.claude/commands/update-project.md ~/.claude/commands/
cp ~/.claude/copilot/.claude/commands/update-copilot.md ~/.claude/commands/
cp ~/.claude/copilot/.claude/commands/knowledge-copilot.md ~/.claude/commands/

Project Setup

1. Create directories:

   mkdir -p .claude/commands .claude/agents .claude/skills
   

2. Copy project commands and agents:

   cp ~/.claude/copilot/.claude/commands/protocol.md .claude/commands/
   cp ~/.claude/copilot/.claude/commands/continue.md .claude/commands/
   cp ~/.claude/copilot/.claude/agents/*.md .claude/agents/
   

3. Create .mcp.json (replace /Users/yourname with actual path):

   Minimal (native @include for skills):

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "copilot-memory": {
         "command": "node",
         "args": ["/Users/yourname/.claude/copilot/mcp-servers/copilot-memory/dist/index.js"],
         "env": {
           "MEMORY_PATH": "/Users/yourname/.claude/memory",
           "WORKSPACE_ID": "your-project-name"
         }
       }
     }
   }
   

   Note: Task management is handled by the tc CLI tool, not an MCP server. Install it with pip install -e ~/.claude/copilot/tools/tc.

   Optional - Add Skills Copilot (if you need marketplace/database):

       "skills-copilot": {
         "command": "node",
         "args": ["/Users/yourname/.claude/copilot/mcp-servers/skills-copilot/dist/index.js"],
         "env": {
           "LOCAL_SKILLS_PATH": "./.claude/skills"
         }
       }
   

4. Create CLAUDE.md from template at ~/.claude/copilot/templates/CLAUDE.template.md

5. Restart Claude Code

Verification

After setup, run /mcp in Claude Code. You should see at minimum:

● copilot-memory

Optional (if configured):

● skills-copilot

Also verify the tc CLI is installed:

tc version

Using Skills:

• Local skills: Use @include .claude/skills/NAME/SKILL.md in prompts
• Marketplace skills: Install Skills Copilot MCP, then use skill_search()

Then try:

• /protocol - Start working
• /continue - Resume previous work

Troubleshooting

Build Fails

Native module errors:

xcode-select --install  # macOS
cd ~/.claude/copilot/mcp-servers/copilot-memory
npm rebuild better-sqlite3
npm run build

MCP Servers Not Connecting

1. Check .mcp.json uses absolute paths (not ~)
2. Verify the dist/index.js files exist
3. Restart Claude Code

Commands Not Found

• For /setup-project or /update-project: Run machine setup first
• For /protocol or /continue: Run /setup-project in your project

Environment Variables

Memory Copilot

Skills Copilot (OPTIONAL)

Note: Only needed if using Skills Copilot MCP. For local skills, use native @include directives.

tc CLI (Task Copilot)

Knowledge Repository

Claude Copilot supports shared knowledge that's available across all projects.

Quick Setup

Run /knowledge-copilot for guided setup that:

1. Creates a Git repository for your knowledge
2. Guides you through documenting company/voice/products/standards
3. Helps you push to GitHub for team sharing
4. Links to ~/.claude/knowledge for automatic access

Manual Setup

# Create and link
mkdir -p ~/my-company-knowledge
ln -sf ~/my-company-knowledge ~/.claude/knowledge

# Create manifest (required)
echo '{"version":"1.0","name":"my-company","description":"Company knowledge"}' > ~/.claude/knowledge/knowledge-manifest.json

Team Members

# Clone team knowledge repo
git clone git@github.com:org/company-knowledge.git ~/company-knowledge

# Link it
ln -sf ~/company-knowledge ~/.claude/knowledge

Next Steps

After setup:

1. Start working: /protocol
2. Resume work: /continue
3. Set up knowledge: /knowledge-copilot (optional but recommended)