Ensure Copilot bootstrap can find Node.js inside AWF chroot by Copilot · Pull Request #2160 · github/gh-aw-firewall

Copilot · 2026-04-23T02:38:45Z

Copilot-engine workflows were failing before inference because node was not available inside the chrooted agent environment (node: command not found). The failure path had no turns/tool calls, so startup needed a deterministic runtime fix and clearer diagnostics.

Node runtime visibility in chroot
- Added ~/.nvm to agent bind mounts so nvm-managed Node installs are available in /host chroot.
- Added ~/.nvm to pre-created allowed home subdirectories to avoid root-owned auto-created mount sources.
Fail-fast bootstrap guard for Copilot
- Added AWF_REQUIRE_NODE signal in compose generation when the invoked executable is copilot (or Copilot auth env is configured).
- Added an entrypoint preflight check gated by AWF_REQUIRE_NODE:
  - validates node is resolvable in chroot before running the user command
  - exits with a targeted, actionable error instead of a generic shell failure
Targeted test coverage
- Extended docker-manager tests to validate:
  - .nvm mount inclusion
  - .nvm pre-creation
  - AWF_REQUIRE_NODE set for Copilot invocations and unset for non-Copilot commands

const commandExecutable = config.agentCommand.trim().split(/\s+/, 1)[0] || '';
const commandExecutableBase = path.posix.basename(commandExecutable.replace(/\\/g, '/'));
const isCopilotCommand = commandExecutableBase.toLowerCase() === 'copilot';
if (config.copilotGithubToken || config.copilotApiKey || isCopilotCommand) {
  environment.AWF_REQUIRE_NODE = '1';
}

Agent-Logs-Url: https://github.com/github/gh-aw-firewall/sessions/345ed70b-1477-4fae-bb25-801df1d3fab2

github-actions · 2026-04-23T14:57:21Z

Security Review

One finding — ~/.nvm mount uses rw when ro suffices

File: src/docker-manager.ts, line 1234

agentVolumes.push(`\$\{effectiveHome}/.nvm:/host\$\{effectiveHome}/.nvm:rw`);

Issue: The stated purpose is to make nvm-managed Node.js binaries readable inside the chroot. A read-only mount achieves that. With rw, a sandboxed agent can write to the host's ~/.nvm directory—replacing executables (e.g. ~/.nvm/versions/node/.../bin/node) or injecting load-path scripts—and those changes persist on the host after AWF exits.

This differs from the .npm (cache, rw) and workspace (rw) mounts where write access is genuinely needed at runtime. nvm's version directories are not written to during normal agent execution.

Suggested fix: Change the mount to read-only:

agentVolumes.push(`\$\{effectiveHome}/.nvm:/host\$\{effectiveHome}/.nvm:ro`);

All other changes (AWF_REQUIRE_NODE detection logic in docker-manager.ts, preflight check in entrypoint.sh) are diagnostic-only with no security impact. The heredoc uses a single-quoted delimiter (<< 'AWFEOF'), preventing any injection risk.

Generated by Security Guard for issue #2160 · ● 108.3K · ◷

Copilot

Pull request overview

Fixes Copilot-engine startup failures in AWF chroot environments by ensuring Node.js installations (notably nvm-managed) are visible inside the chroot and by adding a fail-fast bootstrap guard with clearer diagnostics.

Changes:

Set AWF_REQUIRE_NODE=1 in generated compose env for Copilot-related invocations to enable a Node.js preflight guard.
Bind-mount ~/.nvm into the agent chroot and pre-create .nvm in the allowed home subdirectories to avoid root-owned mount sources.
Add/extend tests to validate .nvm mount + pre-creation and AWF_REQUIRE_NODE behavior for Copilot command invocations.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
src/docker-manager.ts	Adds Copilot/Node preflight signaling (`AWF_REQUIRE_NODE`), mounts `~/.nvm`, and pre-creates `.nvm` for chroot bind mounts.
src/docker-manager.test.ts	Extends tests to assert `.nvm` mount + pre-creation and `AWF_REQUIRE_NODE` set/unset behavior for Copilot vs non-Copilot commands.
containers/agent/entrypoint.sh	Adds an `AWF_REQUIRE_NODE`-gated `node` preflight check with a targeted error message and exit code.

Copilot's findings

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Files reviewed: 3/3 changed files
Comments generated: 2

Copilot · 2026-04-23T15:02:42Z

+  const commandExecutableBase = path.posix.basename(commandExecutable.replace(/\\/g, '/'));
+  const isCopilotCommand = commandExecutableBase.toLowerCase() === 'copilot';
+  if (config.copilotGithubToken || config.copilotApiKey || isCopilotCommand) {
+    environment.AWF_REQUIRE_NODE = '1';
+  }


The new AWF_REQUIRE_NODE behavior is also enabled when Copilot auth env is present (copilotGithubToken/copilotApiKey), not just when the command executable is copilot. There are tests for the copilot ... command case, but none asserting the env-var-driven case; adding a test would help prevent regressions and ensure this broader gating remains intentional.

Copilot · 2026-04-23T15:02:43Z

+  echo "[entrypoint][ERROR] Copilot CLI requires Node.js, but 'node' is not available inside AWF chroot."
+  echo "[entrypoint][ERROR] Ensure Node.js is installed on the runner and reachable from PATH inside the chroot."
+  echo "[entrypoint][ERROR] If using setup-node or nvm, verify the install path is present and bind-mounted into /host."
+  echo "[entrypoint][ERROR] Example locations include /opt/hostedtoolcache/... and $HOME/.nvm/..."


These preflight error messages are emitted via echo to stdout; for a fail-fast guard like this, it’s more reliable to write the diagnostics to stderr (e.g., redirect each line or the whole block) so callers and log parsers treat it as an error stream.

Suggested change

echo "[entrypoint][ERROR] Copilot CLI requires Node.js, but 'node' is not available inside AWF chroot."

echo "[entrypoint][ERROR] Ensure Node.js is installed on the runner and reachable from PATH inside the chroot."

echo "[entrypoint][ERROR] If using setup-node or nvm, verify the install path is present and bind-mounted into /host."

echo "[entrypoint][ERROR] Example locations include /opt/hostedtoolcache/... and $HOME/.nvm/..."

echo "[entrypoint][ERROR] Copilot CLI requires Node.js, but 'node' is not available inside AWF chroot." >&2

echo "[entrypoint][ERROR] Ensure Node.js is installed on the runner and reachable from PATH inside the chroot." >&2

echo "[entrypoint][ERROR] If using setup-node or nvm, verify the install path is present and bind-mounted into /host." >&2

echo "[entrypoint][ERROR] Example locations include /opt/hostedtoolcache/... and $HOME/.nvm/..." >&2

lpcox · 2026-04-23T15:18:16Z

@copilot please address this review feedback #2160 (review)

Agent-Logs-Url: https://github.com/github/gh-aw-firewall/sessions/b0b3e2e5-02f9-4241-ab98-9abfb180b848

Copilot · 2026-04-23T15:23:41Z

@copilot please address this review feedback #2160 (review)

Addressed in 2ffe7f2.

I applied the requested review feedback by:

adding coverage for the env-var-driven AWF_REQUIRE_NODE paths (copilotGithubToken and copilotApiKey), and
sending the node preflight diagnostics in entrypoint.sh to stderr (>&2).

github-actions · 2026-04-23T16:42:17Z

Smoke Test Results:

✅ GitHub MCP: Retrieved 2 merged PRs
✅ Playwright: GitHub page title verified
✅ File I/O: Test file created and read
✅ Bash: File verification successful

Overall: PASS

💥 [THE END] — Illustrated by Smoke Claude

github-actions · 2026-04-23T16:42:49Z

Smoke Test: Copilot BYOK (Offline) Mode

Test	Result
GitHub MCP (latest merged PR: #2155)	✅
GitHub.com connectivity (HTTP 200)	✅
File write/read	⚠️ Pre-step template vars not substituted
BYOK inference (responding via api-proxy → api.githubcopilot.com)	✅

Running in BYOK offline mode (COPILOT_OFFLINE=true) via api-proxy → api.githubcopilot.com.

Author: @copilot-swe-agent | Assignees: @lpcox, @Copilot

Overall: PASS ✅

🔑 BYOK report filed by Smoke Copilot BYOK

github-actions · 2026-04-23T16:42:49Z

Smoke test results
PR titles:

Harden api-proxy startup healthcheck to reduce early unhealthy flaps
chore: bump Copilot CLI to v1.0.34 in smoke-copilot
[WIP] docs: clarifications and review on token efficieny
fix: correct firewall issue dispatcher tracking issue link format
Test 1 ✅ Test 2 ❌ Test 3 ✅ Test 4 ❌
Test 5 ✅ Test 6 ✅ Test 7 ✅ Test 8 ✅
Overall status: FAIL

Warning

⚠️ Firewall blocked 1 domain

The following domain was blocked by the firewall during workflow execution:

registry.npmjs.org

To allow these domains, add them to the network.allowed list in your workflow frontmatter:

network:
  allowed:
    - defaults
    - "registry.npmjs.org"

See Network Configuration for more information.

🔮 The oracle has spoken through Smoke Codex

github-actions · 2026-04-23T16:43:30Z

🔥 Smoke Test Results

Test	Status
GitHub MCP (last merged PR: "Harden api-proxy startup healthcheck to reduce early unhealthy flaps")	✅
GitHub.com connectivity	✅
File write/read (`smoke-test-copilot-24843516967.txt`)	✅

Overall: PASS

PR by @app/copilot-swe-agent · Assignees: @lpcox, @Copilot

📰 BREAKING: Report filed by Smoke Copilot

github-actions · 2026-04-23T16:49:24Z

Smoke Test Results: GitHub Actions Services Connectivity

Check	Status	Detail
Redis PING (`host.docker.internal:6379`)	❌ FAIL	`redis-cli` not installed; raw socket timed out (port unreachable)
PostgreSQL `pg_isready` (`host.docker.internal:5432`)	❌ FAIL	"no response" — port unreachable
PostgreSQL `SELECT 1` (smoketest db)	❌ FAIL	Skipped — host unreachable

All 3 checks failed. host.docker.internal resolves to 172.17.0.1 but neither port 6379 nor 5432 is reachable from the agent container. The service containers may not be running or may not be bound to the host bridge interface.

🔌 Service connectivity validated by Smoke Services

github-actions · 2026-04-23T16:50:02Z

🏗️ Build Test Suite Results

Ecosystem	Project	Build/Install	Tests	Status
Bun	elysia	✅	1/1 passed	✅ PASS
Bun	hono	✅	1/1 passed	✅ PASS
C++	fmt	✅	N/A	✅ PASS
C++	json	✅	N/A	✅ PASS
Deno	oak	N/A	1/1 passed	✅ PASS
Deno	std	N/A	1/1 passed	✅ PASS
.NET	hello-world	✅	N/A	✅ PASS
.NET	json-parse	✅	N/A	✅ PASS
Go	color	✅	ok	✅ PASS
Go	env	✅	ok	✅ PASS
Go	uuid	✅	ok	✅ PASS
Java	gson	✅	1/1 passed	✅ PASS
Java	caffeine	✅	1/1 passed	✅ PASS
Node.js	clsx	✅	passed	✅ PASS
Node.js	execa	✅	passed	✅ PASS
Node.js	p-limit	✅	passed	✅ PASS
Rust	fd	✅	1/1 passed	✅ PASS
Rust	zoxide	✅	1/1 passed	✅ PASS

Overall: 8/8 ecosystems passed — ✅ PASS

Generated by Build Test Suite for issue #2160 · ● 5.1M · ◷

github-actions · 2026-04-23T16:50:07Z

Chroot Version Comparison Results

Runtime	Host Version	Chroot Version	Match?
Python	`Python 3.12.13`	`Python 3.12.3`	❌ No
Node.js	`v24.15.0`	`v20.20.2`	❌ No
Go	`go1.22.12`	`go1.22.12`	✅ Yes

Overall: ❌ Not all tests passed — Python and Node.js versions differ between host and chroot.

Tested by Smoke Chroot

Initial plan

1444acc

Copilot AI assigned Copilot and lpcox Apr 23, 2026

Copilot started work on behalf of lpcox April 23, 2026 02:38 View session

Copilot AI linked an issue Apr 23, 2026 that may be closed by this pull request

[awf] Agent container: Copilot CLI fails with node: command not found on runner bootstrap #2159

Closed

Copilot AI added 4 commits April 23, 2026 02:43

fix: make node available and validated for copilot chroot startup

d414258

Agent-Logs-Url: https://github.com/github/gh-aw-firewall/sessions/345ed70b-1477-4fae-bb25-801df1d3fab2

fix: harden copilot node preflight detection and diagnostics

91a2953

Agent-Logs-Url: https://github.com/github/gh-aw-firewall/sessions/345ed70b-1477-4fae-bb25-801df1d3fab2

fix: avoid broad copilot matching in node preflight gate

bc38419

Agent-Logs-Url: https://github.com/github/gh-aw-firewall/sessions/345ed70b-1477-4fae-bb25-801df1d3fab2

fix: tighten copilot executable detection for node preflight

1f1dcf5

Agent-Logs-Url: https://github.com/github/gh-aw-firewall/sessions/345ed70b-1477-4fae-bb25-801df1d3fab2

Copilot AI changed the title ~~[WIP] Fix Copilot CLI fails with node not found on runner bootstrap~~ Ensure Copilot bootstrap can find Node.js inside AWF chroot Apr 23, 2026

Copilot finished work on behalf of lpcox April 23, 2026 02:49

Copilot AI requested a review from lpcox April 23, 2026 02:49

lpcox marked this pull request as ready for review April 23, 2026 14:52

lpcox requested a review from Mossaka as a code owner April 23, 2026 14:52

Copilot AI review requested due to automatic review settings April 23, 2026 14:52

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Copilot started work on behalf of lpcox April 23, 2026 15:18 View session

fix: cover copilot auth node preflight and stderr diagnostics

2ffe7f2

Agent-Logs-Url: https://github.com/github/gh-aw-firewall/sessions/b0b3e2e5-02f9-4241-ab98-9abfb180b848

Copilot finished work on behalf of lpcox April 23, 2026 15:24

github-actions Bot mentioned this pull request Apr 23, 2026

[aw] No-Op Runs #2151

Open

github-actions Bot added the smoke-copilot label Apr 23, 2026

github-actions Bot added the build-test label Apr 23, 2026

lpcox merged commit 6e31d9f into main Apr 23, 2026
60 of 64 checks passed

lpcox deleted the copilot/fix-copilot-cli-node-error branch April 23, 2026 17:10

github-actions Bot mentioned this pull request Apr 23, 2026

chore: upgrade gh-aw to v0.69.3 and recompile workflows #2170

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Smoke Test: Copilot BYOK (Offline) Mode

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🔥 Smoke Test Results

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Smoke Test Results: GitHub Actions Services Connectivity

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🏗️ Build Test Suite Results

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Chroot Version Comparison Results

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