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Posts from 2025

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Dec 31, 2025·5 min read

copilot_here: December 2025 Updates - Native CLI, Stability & More

December updates move copilot_here orchestration into a .NET 10 Native AOT CLI, fix PowerShell 5.1 compatibility issues, and add cross-shell installation and session information.

copilot_hereDevOpsNative AOT+2 more
Dec 18, 2025·2 min read

Comparing AI responses to a plaintext-secrets request

GPT-5.2 refused a request to write deployment secrets into a script, while Claude 4.5 Sonnet complied. What that interaction changed about how I assess agent behaviour.

copilot_hereAISecurity+4 more
Dec 17, 2025·5 min read

Upgrading Angular from 13 to 21 with GitHub Copilot CLI

The workflow I use to upgrade Angular one major version at a time with GitHub Copilot CLI, including build checks and common migration errors.

GitHub CopilotCLI ToolsAngular+2 more
Nov 28, 2025·8 min read

copilot_here: November 2025 Updates - ARM64, .NET 10, Airlock & More

November updates add native ARM64 images, .NET 10, PowerShell Core integration, Airlock network controls, host path mapping, and configurable directory mounts.

copilot_hereDockerDevOps+4 more
Nov 22, 2025·4 min read

Restricting macOS settings for a child's account

The account setup and System Settings restrictions I chose for a family Mac, while keeping school Wi-Fi access available and managing NextDNS separately.

macOSParentingSecurity+1 more
Nov 21, 2025·3 min read

Video: My development workflow with GitHub Copilot and Gemini

The recording of my SSW Brisbane User Group talk, covering how I divide development work between AI tools and run Copilot CLI in a Docker sandbox.

VideoAIGitHub Copilot+2 more
Nov 14, 2025·7 min read

Adding implementation plans and snapshots to ADRs

How to add expected implementation touchpoints or a snapshot of the implemented pattern to an Architecture Decision Record, with a caching example.

ArchitectureDocumentationADR+4 more
Nov 06, 2025·5 min read

My "Meta-Prompt" for Codebase Investigations with Copilot CLI and copilot_here

The prompt and directory-mount setup I use to produce structured codebase investigation reports with GitHub Copilot CLI.

copilot_hereDevOpsDeveloper Experience+3 more
Oct 28, 2025·8 min read

copilot_here: October 2025 Updates - Auto-Updates, Cross-Platform Support, and More

October changes to copilot_here: Windows support, script updates, installation, Copilot argument forwarding, version reporting and Docker image cleanup.

copilot_hereDevOpsDeveloper Experience+1 more
Oct 28, 2025·4 min read

Clearing GitHub Copilot CLI context between tasks

When a Copilot CLI conversation accumulates unrelated task history, I start a new context and give it a brief based on the current code.

AIProductivityDevelopment+3 more
Oct 27, 2025·9 min read

Investigating a data migration bug with GitHub Copilot CLI and Git history

Using Copilot CLI to trace missing cleanup data through Git history, identify affected records and compare migration and fallback options.

GitHub CopilotDebuggingGit+1 more
Oct 21, 2025·10 min read

Creating custom GitHub Copilot chat modes in VS Code

How I use task-specific chat modes for issue writing, planning, tests and backlog analysis, with Markdown templates to adapt to a project.

AIVS CodeProductivity+3 more
Oct 16, 2025·4 min read

Troubleshooting SMTP connectivity between Azure Container Apps and Cloudflare Tunnel

Checking the app listener, exposed TCP port and tunnel service configuration when smtp4dev HTTP access works but SMTP connections fail.

AzureCloudflareNetworking+2 more
Oct 14, 2025·3 min read

Solving Xcode Provisioning Profile and Capability Errors

A step-by-step guide to fixing common and stubborn Xcode code signing errors, from 'Personal Team' limits to clearing the Derived Data cache.

XcodeiOSmacOS+2 more
Oct 13, 2025·6 min read

Adding TinaCMS Visual Editing to My Recipe Site

Adding TinaCMS live preview to a recipe site, adapting custom list components, and keeping checkbox state working through the rich-text renderer.

ReactTinaCMSWeb Development+1 more
Oct 03, 2025·8 min read

Running GitHub Copilot CLI in Docker with copilot_here

My Docker setup for running GitHub Copilot CLI with access to a project directory, including installation, image variants and the limits of that isolation.

copilot_hereDockerGitHub+3 more
Oct 03, 2025·3 min read

Upgrading My Wife's Portfolio to TinaCMS with the GitHub Copilot CLI

Using GitHub Copilot CLI to integrate TinaCMS into my wife's portfolio, including JSON content schemas, visual editing and repository instructions.

AIGitHub CopilotTinaCMS+3 more
Sep 17, 2025·4 min read

Building a portfolio site with Gemini, GitHub Spark and Copilot

How I used Gemini for the specification, GitHub Spark for a React frontend, and Copilot for refactoring and parallel development on a portfolio site.

AIGitHub SparkGemini+4 more
Sep 16, 2025·3 min read

My AI-Powered Workflow: Building a Full-Stack App with ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot

How I used ChatGPT to plan a URL shortener, assigned the implementation to GitHub Copilot, and reviewed the resulting pull requests.

AIGitHub CopilotChatGPT+2 more
Sep 15, 2025·5 min read

The Conprism: The Illusion of Precision in Estimates and Star Ratings

Why I prefer estimates and rating scales that acknowledge uncertainty, with examples from T-shirt sizing, planning poker and five-point feedback.

ProductivityEstimationFeedback+2 more
Sep 03, 2025·8 min read

The Double-Edged Sword of Conveniently Named Exceptions

Choosing a C# exception because its name sounds right is a common anti-pattern. Learn why this leads to confusing logs, unnecessary costs, and better ways to handle errors.

C#.NETClean Code+2 more
Aug 25, 2025·6 min read

Fail Fast, Save Big: A Smarter CI Testing Strategy

Our CI pipeline was burning through our budget and slowing developers down. The fix wasn't about chasing raw speed, but about finding a better balance by handling failures more intelligently. Here's how we did it.

DevOpsCI/CDGitHub Actions+2 more
Aug 19, 2025·4 min read

I Let Copilot Refactor My App, So You Don't Have To (The Wrong Way)

I had a seemingly simple refactoring task on a sample project and I thought, "Let's get GitHub Copilot to do the heavy lifting!". What followed was a spiral into chaos that taught me a crucial lesson about using AI the smart way.

AICopilotRefactoring+2 more
Aug 19, 2025·6 min read

Securing Your Site: A Practical HSTS Preloading Guide for Cloudflare Users

Learn why HSTS should not be an application concern and follow this practical guide to correctly configure it at the edge with Cloudflare, getting your site onto the HSTS preload list for maximum security.

SecurityCloudflareHSTS+2 more
Aug 14, 2025·6 min read

My Epic Battle with FFmpeg: A C# Video Overlay Story

What started as a simple task—programmatically adding branded intros and outros to a video—quickly descended into a multi-day debugging marathon. This is the story of how a seemingly impossible FFmpeg problem was solved with C#.

C#FFmpegVideo Processing+1 more
Aug 13, 2025·5 min read

A Guide to Mastering GitHub Copilot on github.com

Unlock a new level of productivity by moving beyond the IDE and mastering GitHub Copilot directly on github.com. This guide covers the essential techniques for setting up, creating effective requests, parallelizing your work, and mastering the feedback loop.

GitHubCopilotAI+2 more
Aug 09, 2025·5 min read

A 25-Step TDD Kata: Building a Markdown Renderer in Rust

Sharpen your Rust and TDD skills with this extensive 25-step coding challenge. Build a complete Markdown-to-HTML renderer from scratch, one test at a time. Perfect for deliberate practice.

RustTDDKata+2 more
Aug 05, 2025·10 min read

Architecting C# Domain Models for Human and AI Collaboration

I went down a rabbit hole of extreme encapsulation in C# only to find a more pragmatic path. Discover the journey from a complex domain model to a simpler one that provides powerful guardrails for AI development tools like GitHub Copilot.

C#Domain-Driven DesignArchitecture+3 more
Aug 04, 2025·4 min read

Redesigning My Blog with an AI-Powered Workflow

My blog needed a facelift. Instead of weeks of manual CSS changes, I used Gemini for planning and GitHub Copilot for execution to completely redesign my site. Here's how the AI-assisted process worked.

AIGeminiGitHub Copilot+3 more
Jul 22, 2025·6 min read

Keep Your Domain Clean: Deserializing with Private Setters in C#

Ever created a perfectly encapsulated C# domain object with private setters, only to find System.Text.Json can't deserialize data back into it? You don't have to expose your setters! Let's explore a clean solution.

C#.NETSystem.Text.Json+2 more
Jul 17, 2025·5 min read

The Deceptive Simplicity of Polymorphism in .NET APIs

You add one more state to your polymorphic API response, and suddenly everything breaks. This is the story of a subtle bug, a frustrating debugging session, and the one line of code that fixed it all.

.NETC#JSON+2 more
Jul 10, 2025·5 min read

Slaying the EF Core Cartesian Explosion with AsSplitQuery()

You built a rich domain model with aggregates and child collections, but now your queries are painfully slow. Learn how a one-line change in Entity Framework Core, .AsSplitQuery(), can fix the dreaded "Cartesian Explosion" and make your app fly.

C#.NETEntity Framework+1 more
Jul 07, 2025·5 min read

EF Core's Hidden Identity Crisis: The Owned Entity Cloning Problem

Your integration tests all pass, but your live app throws a cryptic EF Core error about modifying a key that doesn't even exist. Let's dive into the fascinating reason why and how to fix it.

Entity Framework CoreC#.NET+1 more
Jun 27, 2025·1 min read

Taking up the last slot... if you know you know 😘

Ever felt like you just *had* to squeeze in and make your presence known? Sometimes, a well-timed appearance is all it takes to complete the picture. This one's for those who appreciate the subtle art of fitting in… right at the very end.

Internal JokesTeam FunBlog Posts
Jun 26, 2025·4 min read

From Conversation to Documentation: A Modern Dev Workflow with AI

We solve complex problems and then face the daunting task of writing documentation. What if the documentation wrote itself? Discover a workflow that turns a simple conversation with an AI into polished ADRs and blog posts, saving you hours.

AIProductivityDevelopment+2 more
Jun 25, 2025·4 min read

Solving the Parallels Networking Puzzle: Accessing Mac localhost from a Windows VM

Ever tried to access a web app running on your Mac from a Windows VM in Parallels and been met with connection errors? You are not alone. Follow this troubleshooting guide to solve the mystery of network binding, firewalls, and the real culprit hiding in your hosts file.

ParallelsmacOSWindows+4 more
Jun 18, 2025·5 min read

The Mysterious Case of the Failing Azure SQL Deployment

A perfectly stable GitHub Actions deployment to Azure SQL suddenly fails with a misleading 'Identity not found' error. Follow the debugging journey to uncover the real culprit that has nothing to do with the identity.

AzurePowerShellGitHub Actions+3 more