Test: File-based managed settings (managed-settings.json from disk)

[joshspicer]

Refs: #321870

• macOS
• linux
• windows

Complexity: 2

---

We added a file-based managed-settings channel: the main process reads managed-settings.json from a well-known per-OS path, and exposes it to renderer windows over IPC (alongside the existing server / native-MDM channels).

Well-known path (create the file here, must contain a JSON object):

• macOS: /Library/Application Support/GitHubCopilot/managed-settings.json
• linux: /etc/github-copilot/managed-settings.json
• windows: %ProgramFiles%\GitHubCopilot\managed-settings.json

Example managed-settings.json (keys are top-level — same schema an admin authors via native MDM):

{
  "permissions": {
    "disableBypassPermissionsMode": "disable"
  },
  "enabledPlugins": {
    "plugin@marketplace": false
  },
  "extraKnownMarketplaces": {
    "my-marketplace": { "source": { "source": "github", "repo": "github/agent-skills" } }
  }
}

Steps:

• Create the file at the path above, then launch VS Code. Run Developer: Policy Diagnostics and confirm the Managed Settings section lists the keys with source File (managed-settings.json).
• Edit the file while VS Code is running — the values update live (watched, no reload needed).
• Delete the file (or make it invalid JSON / not a JSON object) — managed settings fall back to empty; no crash, just a warning in the logs.