CopilotBoot 🚀

One source of truth for your AI instructions. Initialize once, share across projects, and switch seamlessly between GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, Cline, and Kilo.

CopilotBoot is a VS Code extension that solves the "instruction fragmentation" problem. Instead of copy-pasting .clinerules or CLAUDE.md between folders, you maintain a central library of Master Instructions and surgicaly link them to your projects.

✨ Why CopilotBoot?

• 📦 One Source of Truth: Stop managing duplicate rule files. Edit in one place, and your changes reflect everywhere instantly.
• 🔄 Instant Agent Switching: Want to switch a project from Claude Code to GitHub Copilot? Just flip a toggle. CopilotBoot handles the complex re-mapping of MCP configs, instructions, and skills automatically.
• 🌐 Cross-Project Sharing: Standardize your coding style, architectural patterns, and specialized skills across every repository in your workspace.
• 🛠 Zero-Effort Migration: "Adopt" existing project rules into your central library with one click.

🛠 How It Works

CopilotBoot acts as a central distribution hub for your AI context:

graph LR
    subgraph Library ["Central Library (~/.copilotboot)"]
        CI["Custom Instruction<br/>(Master Template)"]
    end

    subgraph Adapters ["AI Tool Adapters"]
        Claude["Claude Code"]
        Kilo["Kilo Code"]
        GitCopilot["GitHub Copilot"]
        Others["..."]
    end

    subgraph Workspaces ["Project Workspaces"]
        P1["Project 1"]
        P2["Project 2"]
    end

    CI --> Claude
    CI --> Kilo
    CI --> GitCopilot
    CI --> Others

    Claude --> P1
    Kilo -.-> P1
    GitCopilot --> P2
    Claude -.-> P2

The Three-Step Architecture

1. Master Templates: Your instructions are stored in a standardized format (containing rules/, skills/, etc.) in your home directory (~/.copilotboot/templates).
2. Tool Variants: When you "Apply" an instruction to a project, CopilotBoot generates a "Variant"—a version of your template transformed for a specific tool (like Cline).
3. Symlinks: CopilotBoot creates symbolic links in your project that point to these variants. This means your AI agent sees its rules exactly where it expects them, but the "Source of Truth" remains central.

🚀 Usage

1. The Activity Bar

Find the Rocket Icon in your VS Code Activity Bar to open the CopilotBoot Manager.

2. Initializing a New Instruction

Click "New" to scaffold a fresh instruction. You can choose which components (Rules, Skills, etc.) to include based on the target tool's capabilities.

3. Importing Existing Rules

Click "Import" when you are in a project that already has rules. CopilotBoot will:

• Detect the tool being used.
• Offer to move those files to your central library.
• Replace the local project files with symlinks.

4. Linking & Unlinking

Use the dropdown on each instruction card to link it to the current project or switch between different tools (e.g., switch a project from "Cline" to "GitHub Copilot" mode).

📂 Supported Tools/Config

CopilotBoot recognizes and standardizes configuration for the following agents:

More tools are being added regularly!

🔧 Installation & Setup

1. Install the extension in VS Code.
2. Open the CopilotBoot view in the Activity Bar.
3. Start by creating your first "Master Instruction" or importing one from an existing project.