Cannot install: `Cannot find package 'node-pty'` in VS Code Insiders

[bstee615]

Describe the bug

I get an error message when I try to launch copilot CLI inside VS Code Insiders terminal. I installed nodejs using NVM, as directed here. When I run the CLI outside of Insiders, it seems to launch fine.

Transcript:

$ npm install -g @github/copilot

added 33 packages in 3s

23 packages are looking for funding
  run `npm fund` for details
$ copilot
node:internal/modules/package_json_reader:266
  throw new ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND(packageName, fileURLToPath(base), null);
        ^

Error [ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND]: Cannot find package 'node-pty' imported from /home/bensteenhoek/.vscode-server-insiders/extensions/github.copilot-chat-0.33.2025101401/node_modules/@github/copilot/index.js
    at Object.getPackageJSONURL (node:internal/modules/package_json_reader:266:9)
    at packageResolve (node:internal/modules/esm/resolve:767:81)
    at moduleResolve (node:internal/modules/esm/resolve:853:18)
    at defaultResolve (node:internal/modules/esm/resolve:983:11)
    at #cachedDefaultResolve (node:internal/modules/esm/loader:731:20)
    at ModuleLoader.resolve (node:internal/modules/esm/loader:708:38)
    at ModuleLoader.getModuleJobForImport (node:internal/modules/esm/loader:310:38)
    at ModuleJob._link (node:internal/modules/esm/module_job:183:49) {
  code: 'ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND'
}

$ npm --version
11.6.1
$ node --version
v22.20.0
$ which node
/home/bensteenhoek/.nvm/versions/node/v22.20.0/bin/node
$ which npm
/home/bensteenhoek/.nvm/versions/node/v22.20.0/bin/npm

Affected version

@github/copilot@0.0.340

Steps to reproduce the behavior

1. Install
2. Run copilot in VS Code Insiders integrated terminal
3. Crashes with error

Expected behavior

Expected the intro banner to pop up.

Additional context

• OS: WSL on Windows 11
• Terminal: VS Code Insiders integrated terminal
• Shell: Bash

[rebornix]

The new integration with CLI doesn't handle the remote scenario properly. Will fix and have a new prerelease to fix this.

[rebornix]

Hey @bstee615 can you please update copilot chat extension to the very latest prerelease version. the issue should be gone with the new version, thanks in advance!

[cboettig]

@rebornix thanks much for the quick fix. I can confirm after doing

pnpm install -g @github/copilot@prerelease

I no longer get this error (when running in a remote docker container).

[RyanHecht]

Thank you @rebornix for the fix!