[Bug]: Source-built server cannot resolve the Copilot SDK at runtime #34

Before submitting

• Searched existing open issues; no dedicated duplicate found.
• Included reproduction and a user-confirmed workaround.

Area

Build, CI, or release tooling; apps/server; packages/provider-copilot.

Steps to reproduce

1. Install locked workspace dependencies and build the source distribution with pnpm exec vp run --filter t3 build.
2. Run node apps/server/dist/bin.mjs serve as a persistent background service.
3. Enable native GitHub Copilot with an explicit executable path.
4. Observe initialization failure; changing to default copilot fails later instead.

Expected behavior

The built server resolves its pinned SDK without manually repairing node_modules. Default discovery and explicit executable overrides work when otherwise correctly configured.

Actual behavior

Explicit path: Disabled · Driver 'githubCopilot' failed to create instance: Could not configure Copilot.

Default copilot: Status Not found · Unable to start the Copilot CLI.

The SDK exists under packages/provider-copilot/node_modules, but cannot be resolved from the built server chunk. The server package does not declare it as a direct runtime dependency. Emitted code retains createRequire(import.meta.url) and runtime require("@github/copilot-sdk"). Explicit paths hit this require during configuration; the default hits it when constructing the client.

Impact

Blocks Copilot on the affected source-built server. HTTP/V2 readiness passes despite provider failure.

Version or commit

Fork 0.1.4-preview.20261029.1; runtime source 16d428db823f17c18ec16a79e1ec12ae4ba795c1; SDK 1.0.8.

Environment

Intel macOS 15.7.7; Node 24.15.0; pnpm workspace; source-built server/web distribution managed by a user LaunchAgent. Packaged desktop/SEA impact is not established by this reproduction.

Logs or stack traces

MODULE_NOT_FOUND Cannot find module '@github/copilot-sdk'
Require stack:
- <release>/apps/server/dist/binCli-C61nmx6v.mjs

Node createRequire anchored at the built server reproduced this. Directly loading the SDK from the provider package succeeded; CopilotClient and RuntimeConnection.forStdio exports were present. The platform executable existed and ran.

Screenshots, recordings, or supporting files

No screenshot attached. Runtime resolution probes reproduced the failure; the user confirmed operation after the workaround.

Workaround

Expose the existing pinned dependency without downloading/upgrading:

RELEASE="<active-release-directory>"
mkdir -p "$RELEASE/apps/server/node_modules/@github"
# Only create when the destination does not already exist.
ln -s "$RELEASE/packages/provider-copilot/node_modules/@github/copilot-sdk" \
  "$RELEASE/apps/server/node_modules/@github/copilot-sdk"

Verify SDK resolution from the server directory, restart the exact service after work finishes, and use the explicit platform executable path. User confirmed this restored operation. The link is deployment-local and may disappear during dependency restoration.

Follow-up / acceptance criteria

• Make SDK resolution work through the supported source-build/install pipeline, preserving pinned versions and account settings.
• Add a focused distribution-level regression for default and explicit-path configuration outside the provider source directory.
• Include provider readiness in the relevant deployment gate, not just HTTP readiness.
• Preserve underlying diagnostic causes to distinguish missing SDK, missing executable, and authentication failures.
• Do not infer effective CLI version from the package folder: a platform folder named 1.0.75 reported CLI 1.0.106-2 when executed. No CLI update was performed during diagnosis.

Related: #17. This records deferred work; no durable source fix or tpatch feature has been implemented.