git-ignored.md

title	Git-Ignored Folder Installation
description	Install HVE-Core in a git-ignored folder for devcontainer environments
author	Microsoft
ms.date	2025-12-03
ms.topic	how-to
keywords	git-ignored installation github copilot devcontainer
estimated_reading_time	6

Git-Ignored Folder installation places HVE-Core inside your project in a .hve-core/ folder that's excluded from version control. This is ideal for solo developers using devcontainers who want a self-contained setup.

When to Use This Method

✅ Use this when:

• You use local devcontainers (Docker Desktop)
• You're working solo
• You want HVE-Core auto-updated with container rebuilds
• You want a self-contained project (no external dependencies)

❌ Consider alternatives when:

• Your team needs version control → Submodule
• You use Codespaces → GitHub Codespaces
• You want to share HVE-Core across projects → Mounted Directory
• You need paths that work everywhere → Multi-Root Workspace

How It Works

HVE-Core is cloned into a .hve-core/ folder inside your project. The folder is added to .gitignore so it doesn't pollute your repository.

my-project/
├── .devcontainer/
│   └── devcontainer.json    # postCreateCommand clones HVE-Core
├── .hve-core/               # Git-ignored, contains HVE-Core
│   └── .github/
│       ├── agents/
│       ├── prompts/
│       └── instructions/
├── .gitignore               # Includes .hve-core/
├── .vscode/
│   └── settings.json        # Points to .hve-core paths
└── src/

Quick Start

Use the hve-core-installer agent:

1. Open GitHub Copilot Chat (Ctrl+Alt+I)
2. Select hve-core-installer from the agent picker
3. Say: "Install HVE-Core using git-ignored folder"
4. Follow the guided setup

Manual Setup

Step 1: Update .gitignore

Add the HVE-Core folder to your .gitignore:

# HVE-Core installation (local only)
.hve-core/

Step 2: Clone HVE-Core

PowerShell:

# Create folder and clone
$hveCoreFolder = ".hve-core"
if (-not (Test-Path $hveCoreFolder)) {
    git clone https://github.com/microsoft/hve-core.git $hveCoreFolder
    Write-Host "✅ Cloned HVE-Core to $hveCoreFolder"
}

Bash:

HVE_CORE_FOLDER=".hve-core"

if [ ! -d "$HVE_CORE_FOLDER" ]; then
    git clone https://github.com/microsoft/hve-core.git "$HVE_CORE_FOLDER"
    echo "✅ Cloned HVE-Core to $HVE_CORE_FOLDER"
fi

Step 3: Update VS Code Settings

Create or update .vscode/settings.json:

{
  "chat.agentFilesLocations": {
    ".hve-core/.github/agents/ado": true,
    ".hve-core/.github/agents/data-science": true,
    ".hve-core/.github/agents/design-thinking": true,
    ".hve-core/.github/agents/github": true,
    ".hve-core/.github/agents/installer": true,
    ".hve-core/.github/agents/project-planning": true,
    ".hve-core/.github/agents/hve-core": true,
    ".hve-core/.github/agents/hve-core/subagents": true,
    ".hve-core/.github/agents/security-planning": true
  },
  "chat.promptFilesLocations": {
    ".hve-core/.github/prompts/ado": true,
    ".hve-core/.github/prompts/design-thinking": true,
    ".hve-core/.github/prompts/github": true,
    ".hve-core/.github/prompts/hve-core": true,
    ".hve-core/.github/prompts/security-planning": true
  },
  "chat.instructionsFilesLocations": {
    ".hve-core/.github/instructions/ado": true,
    ".hve-core/.github/instructions/coding-standards": true,
    ".hve-core/.github/instructions/design-thinking": true,
    ".hve-core/.github/instructions/github": true,
    ".hve-core/.github/instructions/hve-core": true,
    ".hve-core/.github/instructions/shared": true
  },
  "chat.agentSkillsLocations": {
    ".hve-core/.github/skills": true,
    ".hve-core/.github/skills/shared": true
  }
}

Step 4: Automate with Devcontainer

Add to .devcontainer/devcontainer.json so HVE-Core is cloned on container creation:

{
  // ... existing configuration ...
  
  "postCreateCommand": "[ -d .hve-core ] || git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/microsoft/hve-core.git .hve-core"
}

Step 5: Validate Installation

1. Rebuild your devcontainer (Ctrl+Shift+P → "Dev Containers: Rebuild Container")
2. Open GitHub Copilot Chat (Ctrl+Alt+I)
3. Click the agent picker dropdown
4. Verify HVE-Core agents appear (task-planner, task-researcher, prompt-builder)

Complete Devcontainer Example

{
  "name": "My Project with HVE-Core",
  "image": "mcr.microsoft.com/devcontainers/base:ubuntu",
  
  "postCreateCommand": "[ -d .hve-core ] || git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/microsoft/hve-core.git .hve-core",
  
  "customizations": {
    "vscode": {
      "settings": {
        "chat.agentFilesLocations": {
          ".hve-core/.github/agents/ado": true,
          ".hve-core/.github/agents/data-science": true,
          ".hve-core/.github/agents/design-thinking": true,
          ".hve-core/.github/agents/github": true,
          ".hve-core/.github/agents/installer": true,
          ".hve-core/.github/agents/project-planning": true,
          ".hve-core/.github/agents/hve-core": true,
          ".hve-core/.github/agents/hve-core/subagents": true,
          ".hve-core/.github/agents/security-planning": true
        },
        "chat.promptFilesLocations": {
          ".hve-core/.github/prompts/ado": true,
          ".hve-core/.github/prompts/design-thinking": true,
          ".hve-core/.github/prompts/github": true,
          ".hve-core/.github/prompts/hve-core": true,
          ".hve-core/.github/prompts/security-planning": true
        },
        "chat.instructionsFilesLocations": {
          ".hve-core/.github/instructions/ado": true,
          ".hve-core/.github/instructions/coding-standards": true,
          ".hve-core/.github/instructions/design-thinking": true,
          ".hve-core/.github/instructions/github": true,
          ".hve-core/.github/instructions/hve-core": true,
          ".hve-core/.github/instructions/shared": true
        },
        "chat.agentSkillsLocations": {
          ".hve-core/.github/skills": true,
          ".hve-core/.github/skills/shared": true
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Updating HVE-Core

Manual update:

cd .hve-core
git pull

Auto-update on container rebuild:

The postCreateCommand re-clones on each container creation. To update, rebuild the container.

Auto-update with version check:

{
  "postCreateCommand": {
    "clone-or-update": "[ -d .hve-core ] && (cd .hve-core && git pull) || git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/microsoft/hve-core.git .hve-core"
  }
}

Troubleshooting

Agents Not Appearing

Check the folder exists:

ls .hve-core/.github/agents

Check settings are applied:

1. Open Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P)
2. Type "Preferences: Open Workspace Settings (JSON)"
3. Verify the paths are correct

Folder Not Ignored by Git

Check your .gitignore includes .hve-core/:

cat .gitignore | grep hve-core

If missing, add it:

echo ".hve-core/" >> .gitignore

Clone Fails in Devcontainer

If postCreateCommand fails, check:

1. Network connectivity in the container
2. Git is available (git --version)
3. GitHub is accessible (curl -I https://github.com)

Container Rebuild Doesn't Update

The clone only happens if the folder doesn't exist. To force update:

{
  "postCreateCommand": "rm -rf .hve-core && git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/microsoft/hve-core.git .hve-core"
}

Warning: This deletes any local changes to HVE-Core on every rebuild.

Limitations

Aspect	Status
Devcontainers	✅ Designed for this
Codespaces	⚠️ Works but not optimal (use Codespaces method)
Team sharing	⚠️ Each developer clones separately
Portable paths	✅ Relative paths work
Version pinning	⚠️ Manual (modify clone command)
Disk usage	⚠️ Per-project copy
Setup complexity	✅ Simple

Next Steps

• Your First Workflow - Try HVE-Core with a real task
• Multi-Root Workspace - Share across local + Codespaces
• Submodule - Add version control for teams

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🤖 Crafted with precision by ✨Copilot following brilliant human instruction, then carefully refined by our team of discerning human reviewers.