Lesson 2: Install & Configure GitHub Copilot in VS Code

Vibe Coding with GitHub Copilot: From Basics to Advanced

Part 1: Vibe Coding Platform & GitHub Copilot

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1. GitHub Copilot Packages (2026)

GitHub Copilot offers a variety of plans suitable for individuals and businesses:

Package	Price	Main characteristics
Copilot Free	$0/month	Limit inline suggestions & chat interactions/month. Auto model selection.
Copilot Pro	$10/month	Unlimited completions & chat. Many models. Copilot Memory (preview).
Copilot Pro+	$39/month	Premium models, Copilot Memory, Cloud Agent, higher rate limits.
Copilot Business	$19/user/month	Organization policies, content exclusion, audit logs, IP indemnity.
Copilot Enterprise	$39/user/month	Knowledge bases, fine-tuned models, advanced security.

Especially for students: GitHub offers Copilot for free through the program GitHub Education (GitHub Student Developer Pack).

2. Install GitHub Copilot in VS Code

Step 1: Install VS Code

Download and install from code.visualstudio.com. Recommended to use version Stable (or Insiders if you want to experience the latest features).

Step 2: Log in to GitHub Copilot

1. Open VS Code
2. Hover in Copilot icon in Status Bar (lower right corner)
3. Select "Set up Copilot"
4. Log in to your GitHub account
5. If you do not have a subscription → automatically subscribe Copilot Free

Status Bar: [Copilot Icon] → "Set up Copilot" → Sign in with GitHub

Step 3: Confirm installation

After successful login:

• Copilot icon in Status Bar changes to active state
• Open any code file → start typing → see inline suggestions (ghost text)
• Open Chat view with Ctrl+Cmd+I (macOS) or Ctrl+Alt+I (Windows/Linux)

3. Select AI Model

GitHub Copilot allows you to choose the right AI model for each task:

Current models (March 2026):

Model	Provider	Characteristics
GPT-5.4	OpenAI	Latest, strongest for coding. GA from Mar 2026.
GPT-5.4 mini	OpenAI	Lighter, faster, suitable for simple tasks.
GPT-5.3-Codex	OpenAI	Long-term support, optimized for code generation.
Claude (Anthropic)	Anthropic	Strong in reasoning, instructions follow.
Gemini 3.1 Pro	Google	Long context, supports JetBrains/Xcode/Eclipse.
Grok Code Fast 1	xAI	Fast, used in Copilot Free auto selection.

Auto Model Selection

By default, Copilot is used Auto — automatically selects the best model for each prompt. You can change by clicking model dropdown in Chat view.

Chat view → Model dropdown (góc trên) → Chọn model cụ thể hoặc "Auto"

4. Configure important Settings

Open VS Code Settings (Cmd+,) and search "copilot":

4.1. Inline Suggestions

{
  // Bật/tắt inline suggestions
  "editor.inlineSuggest.enabled": true,
// Bật Next Edit Suggestions (NES)
"editor.inlineSuggest.edits.enabled": true,
// Tự động hiển thị suggestions
"github.copilot.editor.enableAutoCompletions": true
}

4.2. Agent Mode

{
  // Bật Agent mode (quan trọng!)
  "chat.agent.enabled": true,
// Cho phép agent chạy terminal commands
"github.copilot.chat.agent.runCommands": true
}

4.3. Specific language

{
  // Tắt Copilot cho một số ngôn ngữ
  "github.copilot.enable": {
    "*": true,
    "plaintext": false,
    "markdown": true,
    "yaml": true
  }
}

5. Keyboard Shortcuts to remember

Shortcuts (macOS)	Shortcuts (Win/Linux)	Function
Tab	Tab	Accept inline suggestions
Esc	Esc	Dismiss suggestions
Option+]	Alt+]	Next suggestions
Option+[	Alt+[	Previous suggestions
Cmd+→	Ctrl+→	Accept word-by-word
Cmd+I	Ctrl+I	Inline Chat
Ctrl+Cmd+I	Ctrl+Alt+I	Open Chat view

6. First interaction

6.1. Test Inline Suggestions

Create files hello.py and start typing:

# Function to calculate fibonacci numbers
def fibonacci(

Copilot will automatically suggest the function body. Press Tab to accept.

6.2. Test Chat View

Open Chat view (Ctrl+Cmd+I) and enter:

Create a simple Python script that reads a CSV file and generates a bar chart using matplotlib

6.3. Test Agent Mode

In Chat view, select Agent from dropdown and enter:

Create a simple todo web app with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Make it modern and responsive.

Watch the Agent automatically create files, write code, and set up projects.

7. Understand the Copilot interface structure

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  VS Code + GitHub Copilot                       │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                  │
│  ┌──────────┐  ┌────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │ Chat     │  │ Editor                     │   │
│  │ View     │  │                            │   │
│  │          │  │  [Ghost text suggestions]   │   │
│  │ Agent ▼  │  │                            │   │
│  │ Model ▼  │  │  Cmd+I → Inline Chat      │   │
│  │          │  │                            │   │
│  │ Sessions │  │                            │   │
│  │ list     │  │                            │   │
│  └──────────┘  └────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                                  │
│  Status Bar: [Copilot ●] [Model: Auto]          │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

8. Troubleshooting common problems

Problem	Solution
Don't see suggestions	Check the Copilot icon in the Status Bar, make sure you are signed in
Agent mode is not displayed	Turn on chat.agent.enabled in Settings
Low quality suggestions	Try changing the model, adding context (comments, open files)
Rate limit reached	Upgrade from Free to Pro, or wait for a new month reset
Extension conflicts	Turn off other AI extensions (Tabnine, Codeium...)

9. Summary

You're ready to start Vibe Coding! Summary of what was done:

• ✅ Understand Copilot packages and choose the right package
• ✅ Install and log in to GitHub Copilot in VS Code
• ✅ Choose the appropriate AI model
• ✅ Configure important settings
• ✅ Understand keyboard shortcuts
• ✅ Successfully tested inline suggestions, chat, and agent mode

In the next article, we will go deeper Inline Suggestions & Next Edit Suggestions — core features that help you code faster every day.