GitHub Copilot CLI 1.0.80 landed August 13 as a pre-release, and it quietly shipped the feature terminal users have wanted for years: Agent Host Protocol (AHP) — multiple terminals sharing one live agent session.
If you’ve ever wanted to start a coding task on your laptop, walk to your desk, and pick up exactly where you left off in another terminal — this is that release.
The Headline: Agent Host Protocol (AHP)
copilot --ahp starts a local host that runs the agent. Any number of terminals can copilot --ahp to attach to that same host. They all see the same session, the same turns, the same history — live.
# Terminal 1: start the host + session
copilot --ahp
# Terminal 2 (same machine, or SSH'd in): attach to it
copilot --ahpBoth terminals now stream the same agent output. You type in Terminal 2, the agent responds, Terminal 1 sees it instantly. ctrl+c in either terminal takes control back. ctrl+q queues your prompt for the next turn.
This isn’t screen/tmux sharing. The agent runs once on the host. Terminals are just views. Close one, the agent keeps running. Open another, you’re back in.
Why This Matters for Beginners
- No more “which terminal was I in?” — one session, many windows
- Pair programming without screen share — teammate SSHs in,
copilot --ahp, you’re both in the same agent - Long-running tasks survive disconnects — start a refactor, close laptop, reopen later, it’s still going
- Dev container / Codespace parity — same workflow locally and in the cloud
Cloud Sessions: Your Agent in a Codespace
/ahp codespace <name> forwards a Codespace’s copilotd port to your local CLI. The session runs in the Codespace (with its compute, its dependencies, its network), but you drive it from your terminal.
/ahp codespace my-frontend-codespaceThe session appears in your Sessions tab marked CS. Create new sessions on that Codespace with n. Close the tunnel with /ahp stop <name>.
/ahp cloud <environment-id> does the same for GitHub Mission Control environments — marked CLOUD in the source picker.
For a beginner, this means: your terminal workflow doesn’t change when you move to cloud compute. Same commands, same session model, just bigger machines.
The Sessions Tab Got a Complete Redesign
The new source strip (press h to switch) shows every session source:
- This CLI process (local)
- Every AHP daemon you’ve connected to
- Every Codespace / cloud environment
Each source shows its health — copilotd 0.6.5, responding / not responding. A host that dies announces it in the timeline. No more stale session ghosts.
Shared sessions show 2 clients (or more) in the Sessions tab and sidebar. You see when someone else is attached. Presence is announced on attach, refreshed on heartbeat.
MCP Servers Finally Work Reliably
Two fixes that matter if you use Model Context Protocol servers:
--enable-mcp-serverre-enables MCP servers disabled in settings for the current run — no more editing config to test a server- 30-second default timeout for MCP tool discovery — slow servers (large tool catalogs, cold starts) no longer time out before loading
Sandboxed MCP servers launched via npx or uvx now get:
- A writable Copilot-owned package cache
- Windows toolchain grants
- Playwright browser grants
readonlyPaths nested inside your working directory now actually block writes from built-in file tools. The sandbox respects your intent.
Model & Plugin Updates
- MAI Code 1.1 Flash added to the model roster
/plugin marketplace update [name]refreshes marketplace catalogs on demand- Agent Plugins spec plugins now read components only under
com.github.copilot/— plugin root is no longer scanned (breaking change for plugin authors, cleaner for users)
Quality-of-Life Fixes You’ll Notice Daily
| Annoyance | Fixed In 1.0.80 |
|---|---|
--ahp failing with “no host listening” when daemons are running |
Now attaches to existing daemon automatically |
/clear and /new hidden on AHP sessions |
Now work on the host — other clients see the cleared session |
Connection tokens (wss://host?tkn=...) printed in logs/transcripts |
Now redacted everywhere — safe to share transcripts |
| AHP sessions always starting at host workspace root | Now start in your CLI’s directory (if host covers it) |
| Host skills vanishing after relay reconnect | Fixed — snapshot omission no longer reads as “no skills” |
| Status line stuck on “Loading extensions” for remote sessions | Now reports “can’t load extensions into session I don’t own” immediately |
copilot init silently dropping --sandbox/--no-sandbox |
Flags now apply to init session |
| Footer AI credit total lagging behind subagent spend | Updates live as background agents spend |
| Unknown/retired settings cluttering config | Moved to actionable Problems tab in /settings |
| Enter sometimes leaving message in queue | Now always acts on your message |
| Very large sessions failing to load after rewind/compaction | Fixed |
How to Update
# Prerelease channel (1.0.80-0)
npm install -g @github/copilot@prerelease
# Or via install script
wget -qO- https://gh.io/copilot-install | bash -s -- --prerelease
# Verify
copilot --version
# Should show 1.0.80-0Note: --ahp and /ahp commands are gated on the AHP_CLIENT feature flag (staff-only for now). The rest of 1.0.80 is available to everyone.
What This Means for Your Workflow
If you’re solo: Start copilot --ahp in one terminal. Open as many tabs/windows as you want — they’re all the same session. Run a long task, detach, come back tomorrow.
If you pair program: Teammate runs copilot --ahp (same host). You both drive. No screen share latency, no “wait let me type.”
If you use Codespaces: /ahp codespace <name> gives you local-terminal UX on cloud compute. Your session survives Codespace restarts.
If you run background automation: The host keeps running. Schedule a session to run overnight, check it from your phone via SSH + copilot --ahp.
The Bottom Line
Copilot CLI 1.0.80 isn’t a feature drop. It’s an architecture shift.
The agent moved out of the terminal and into a host process. Terminals became views. Sessions became portable across machines, clouds, and collaborators.
For a beginner, this means: learn the CLI once, use it everywhere. Local, remote, cloud, shared — same commands, same mental model.
The terminal agent just became collaborative infrastructure.
Related Reading
- GitHub Copilot CLI vs AmpCode: IDE daily driver or terminal agent?
- Copilot CLI pricing and what you actually pay at scale
- Best coding agents 2026 decision guide
- Complete AGENTS.md guide for coding agents
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Release: GitHub Copilot CLI 1.0.80-0 · Changelog · Install
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