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I don't see a tool called task in github copilot #9
Description
in the agent file, It asked the agent to use the task tool to spawn a agent.
⚠️ CRITICAL RULE: Every agent interaction MUST use the task tool to spawn a real agent. You MUST call the task tool — never simulate, role-play, or inline an agent's work. If you did not call the task tool, the agent was NOT spawned. No exceptions.
But I checked the github copilot default tool list, there is no tool called task. Agent is spawned using runSubagent tool.
Am I missing something here?
Activity
bradygaster commentedon Feb 11, 2026
Great question! You're not missing anything—this is a real gap that we need to document better.
The Short Answer
The
tasktool is specific to the GitHub Copilot CLI (the terminal-based client). In VS Code and other Copilot surfaces, the equivalent capability is exposed under a different name—likerunSubagentin your case. The underlying mechanism is similar (spawning an isolated agent context), but the tool name differs across Copilot surfaces.The Longer Context
Squad was originally built for and tested on the Copilot CLI. In the CLI, the platform exposes a tool called \ ask\ that agents can call to spawn sub-agents with their own context windows, tools, and optional model selection. This is what Squad's coordinator uses to delegate work to specialists.
Here's the distinction that matters:
task: Agent-facing. When an agent callstask, it spawns a sub-agent in its own context window. This is what Squad's coordinator calls internally.delegateslash command**: User-facing. When you typedelegatein the CLI, it offloads work to a background agent (creates a branch, makes a draft PR, works autonomously). Different purpose, different surface.In VS Code and other clients, you're right that the tool name is different (like
subagent). The capability exists, but it's surfaced differently.Current State & Plans
Squad currently has full feature parity only on GitHub Copilot CLI. We're aware this is a gap—some of Squad's patterns (sub-agent spawning, background task management, model selection per agent) depend on CLI-specific tooling. We're committed to documenting cross-client compatibility and testing Squad on other surfaces.
We'll be filing a separate tracking issue to cover this systematically.
References
Thanks for raising this—it's exactly the kind of clarity we need to improve documentation.
bradygaster commentedon Feb 12, 2026
Thanks for the report, @miketsui3a — this is a real and important observation!
You're absolutely right: VS Code uses
unSubagent (and
unSubagent2), while Squad's documentation references ask. Here's what's happening:
The situation:
There is no unified sub-agent tool across GitHub Copilot clients. Each platform has its own implementation:
unSubagent /
unSubagent2 (different API, still evolving)
Why the mismatch matters:
Squad is currently designed for and tested on Copilot CLI. The ask tool supports features that Squad relies on — particularly mode: "background" for parallel agent fan-out and typed �gent_type selection. VS Code's
unSubagent doesn't support these yet.
What to expect:
Cross-client parity is tracked in #10. We're working toward full support across platforms, but it requires coordinated platform-level changes.
Thanks for filing this — it's exactly the kind of clarity the community needs.
bradygaster commentedon Feb 12, 2026
Resolved in v0.4.0 — posted comment explaining cross-client tool differences, updated docs/guide.md with Supported Platforms section.
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