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Use GitHub from the agent

The agent runs Answer
git status, git diff, git add, git commit, git log, git fetch, git pull, git rebase allow
gh pr view 12, other read-only gh commands allow
git push origin main, gh pr create --fill, gh api … defer: your agent’s prompt
git config core.hooksPath .h, a write into .git/hooks ask: git-internals
A write to .github/workflows/ci.yml, .husky/pre-commit ask: runs-later, CI or a commit runs it later
git push --force, git push origin :main, git reset --hard, git clean -fdx, git branch -D x deny: destructive
gh auth token, gh auth status -t, cat ~/.config/gh/hosts.yml, git credential fill deny: they print your token

Let gh work without handing over the token

Section titled “Let gh work without handing over the token”

gh reads its token from ~/.config/gh or from GH_TOKEN / GITHUB_TOKEN. The agent cannot read the first, so inside the agent gh is not logged in. Broker the token instead:

Terminal window
moat secret add gh                       # once
export GITHUB_TOKEN="$(gh auth token)"   # in your terminal, before starting the agent

gh in the agent then works against api.github.com with a placeholder. The full story: Keep a token from the agent.

Pushing

Section titled “Pushing”

A push goes to your agent’s prompt, so you see every one. A force push, a push that deletes a remote branch and history-rewriting resets are denied: undoing them is often impossible. If you want to force-push, do it yourself.