Run the starter project

Tool: VS Code + terminal

Each Code scenario ships a starter repo - working plumbing with the interesting parts left as stubs. Get the stock version running first; build second. A running baseline is the thing you compare every later change against.

Prerequisites

Install these once. On Windows, the fastest way is winget from an Administrator terminal:

winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS     # Node - runs the app
winget install Python.Python.3.12    # Python 3 - only if the scenario uses it
# reopen the terminal so Node is on PATH, then:
npm install -g @github/copilot       # GitHub Copilot CLI - the app calls it

Then run copilot once and sign in. Prefer installers? Grab Node.js, Python 3, and the GitHub Copilot CLI directly.

Steps

1. Download and unzip the scenario's starter and any sibling packs so they sit side by side in one folder - the code expects its data pack as a sibling.

2. Open the project's .code-workspace file in VS Code (it sets agent mode and the right extension recommendations).

3. In a terminal, install and start it - the build page names the exact folder and command:

   cd <starter>/dashboard
   npm install
   npm start

4. Open the local URL it prints (often http://localhost:4173). The startup line confirms the Copilot CLI is found and signed in.

You'll know it worked when... the app loads in the browser and the startup line says the CLI is found.

If it won't start

• CLI missing or not signed in - install @github/copilot, run copilot to sign in, then restart.
• npm install errors - confirm node --version works; reopen the terminal after installing Node.
• Can't find the data - keep the starter and its packs side by side.

Apply it to your scenario

Get the stock starter running unchanged before you touch any code - that's your known-good baseline. Then finish the stubs one at a time.