Open AI Endpoint BYOK Offline

[configmanCooper]

EDIT: IT Appears that the GUI copilot doesnt support offline mode that the github copilot cli does, there is no way to bypass github authnetication. Can this be changed?

I have an open AI endpoint in a closed environment, no internet access
Desktop app wont let move forward without signing into github

How do I set this up?

In github cli it appears you do this:

$env:COPILOT_OFFLINE = "true" # no GitHub, no telemetry, no web/GitHub MCP, no auto-update
$env:COPILOT_PROVIDER_TYPE = "azure" # MUST be "azure" for AOAI (not "openai")
$env:COPILOT_PROVIDER_BASE_URL = "https://.openai.azure.us" # HOST ONLY — SDK builds the path
$env:COPILOT_PROVIDER_API_KEY = "" # or COPILOT_PROVIDER_BEARER_TOKEN= (takes precedence)
$env:COPILOT_PROVIDER_MODEL_ID = "gpt-4o" # well-known base → gives correct tool support/token limits
$env:COPILOT_PROVIDER_WIRE_MODEL= "" # your Azure deployment name

GPT-5 series only: $env:COPILOT_PROVIDER_WIRE_API = "responses"

legacy route only: $env:COPILOT_PROVIDER_AZURE_API_VERSION = "2024-10-21"

copilot

[AlakhiarovSalekh]

Your conclusion is correct for the desktop experience: the fully offline/no-GitHub-authentication path is currently a Copilot CLI capability.
Copilot CLI supports BYOK without GitHub authentication, and with COPILOT_OFFLINE=true it does not contact GitHub servers at all. In that mode, only the configured model provider is contacted, so it can be fully air-gapped when that provider is also local/on-prem.
GitHub Desktop is different: even when using a custom LLM provider, its documented prerequisites still require signing in to a GitHub account with access to Copilot in GitHub Desktop.
So for a closed environment with no GitHub connectivity, I would use Copilot CLI with BYOK/offline mode rather than the desktop GUI. There does not appear to be an equivalent “skip GitHub sign-in completely” option for the desktop experience at the moment.

[takrizhussain292-del]

Hello

[AlakhiarovSalekh]

Hello