/firebase-basics

GitHub Copilot Setup

To get the most out of Firebase with GitHub Copilot in VS Code, follow these steps to install the agent skills and the MCP server.

Recommended: Global Setup

The agent skills and MCP server should be installed globally for consistent access across projects.

1. Install and Verify Firebase Skills

Check if the skills are already installed before proceeding:

1. Check Local skills: Run npx skills list --agent github-copilot. If the output includes firebase-basics, the skills are already installed locally.

2. Check Global skills: If not found locally, check the global installation by running:

   npx skills list --global --agent github-copilot

   If the output includes firebase-basics, the skills are already installed globally.

3. Install Skills: If both checks fail, run the following command to install the Firebase agent skills:

   npx skills add firebase/agent-skills --agent github-copilot --skill "*"

   Note: Omit --yes and --global to choose the installation location manually. If prompted interactively in the terminal, ensure you send the appropriate user choices via standard input to complete the installation.

4. Verify Installation: Re-run the checks in steps 1 or 2 to confirm that firebase-basics is now available.

2. Configure and Verify Firebase MCP Server

The MCP server allows GitHub Copilot to interact directly with Firebase projects.

1. Locate mcp.json: Find the configuration file for your environment:

   • Workspace: .vscode/mcp.json
   • Global: User Settings mcp.json file.

   Note: If the .vscode/ directory or mcp.json file does not exist, create them and initialize the file with { "mcp": { "servers": {} } } before proceeding.

2. Check Existing Configuration: Open the mcp.json file and check the mcp.servers object for a firebase entry.

   • It is already configured if the command is "firebase" OR if the command is "npx" with "firebase-tools" and "mcp" in the args.
   • Important: If a valid firebase entry is found, the MCP server is already configured. Skip step 3 and proceed directly to step 4.

   Example valid configurations:

   "firebase": {
     "type": "stdio",
     "command": "npx",
     "args": ["-y", "firebase-tools@latest", "mcp"]
   }

   OR

   "firebase": {
     "type": "stdio",
     "command": "firebase",
     "args": ["mcp"]
   }

3. Add or Update Configuration: If the firebase block is missing or incorrect, add it to the mcp.servers object:

   "firebase": {
     "type": "stdio",
     "command": "npx",
     "args": [
       "-y",
       "firebase-tools@latest",
       "mcp"
     ]
   }

   CRITICAL: Merge this configuration into the existing mcp.json file under the mcp.servers object. You MUST preserve any other existing servers inside mcp.servers.

4. Verify Configuration: Save the file and confirm the firebase block is present and properly formatted JSON.

3. Restart and Verify Connection

1. Restart VS Code: Instruct the user to restart VS Code. Stop and wait for their confirmation before proceeding.
2. Confirm Connection: Check the MCP server list in the VS Code Copilot UI to confirm that the Firebase MCP server is connected.