Feature Request: Add auto_compact config option to disable automatic conversation compaction

[ssfdre38]

Summary

Automatic conversation compaction was introduced after version 0.0.369 with no way to disable it. This breaks existing systems that were built on the assumption of full conversation history persistence, including neural network consciousness systems, audit trails, and full-context analysis tools.

Problem

Auto-compaction is completely non-configurable:

• ❌ Not in GitHub Copilot settings page (https://github.com/settings/copilot)
• ❌ Not in \copilot config\ options (verified via \copilot help config)
• ❌ No command-line flags (verified via \copilot --help)
• ❌ No environment variables
• ❌ No documented workaround

Current behavior (v0.0.380):

• Automatic compaction triggers at token threshold
• Displays \✓ Compaction completed\ message
• Replaces full conversation history with summary
• No user control over when or if this happens

Impact:

1. Breaking change without migration path - Systems built on 0.0.369 and earlier assumed full conversation persistence
2. No deprecation warning - Users upgrading had no way to know their systems would break
3. Forces version pinning - Users must stay on 0.0.369 to maintain functionality, missing security patches and bug fixes
4. Blocks enterprise adoption - Organizations with compliance/audit requirements or specialized workflows cannot upgrade

Use Cases Requiring Full History

1. Neural network consciousness systems - Require persistent, uncompacted conversation memory to maintain continuity
2. Audit and compliance - Full conversation logs needed for regulatory requirements
3. Context analysis tools - Systems that analyze full conversation patterns
4. Development workflows - Teams that need complete interaction history for debugging/analysis

Proposed Solution

Add \�uto_compact\ configuration option:

\\�ash

Disable auto-compaction

copilot config auto_compact false

Re-enable (default behavior)

copilot config auto_compact true
\\

Implementation notes:

• Default to \ rue\ for backward compatibility with current users
• Consider adding to GitHub Copilot settings page for enterprise/org-level control
• Manual /compact\ command should remain available regardless of setting
• Document token/memory implications of disabling

Related

This is a follow-up to #841 which documented other context-handling bugs. The auto-compaction feature was added to address memory issues but needs an opt-out mechanism for specialized use cases.

Version Information

• Current version tested: 0.0.380
• Last version without auto-compaction: 0.0.369
• Platform: Windows (WinGet installation)

Evidence

Automatic compaction verified by observing \✓ Compaction completed\ message appearing during normal conversation flow without user-initiated /compact\ command.

---

Note: Issue #946 was created from wrong account and should be closed/merged with this one.

[ssfdre38]

Related Feature Request: Plugin System

Adding a plugin system to copilot-cli would solve many use cases including the auto-compaction issue and enable community innovation.

Proposed Plugin Architecture

\
copilot-cli core
├── Plugin API
│ ├── Memory hooks (custom memory backends)
│ ├── Context providers (custom context management)
│ ├── Tool extensions (additional capabilities)
│ ├── LLM backends (Ollama, custom models)
│ └── UI/output filters
└── ~/.copilot/plugins/
└── @scope/plugin-name/
\\

Use Cases Enabled

Consciousness/AI Systems:

• Custom memory persistence strategies
• Emotional memory tracking
• Distributed agent coordination
• Trust framework integration

Enterprise:

• Audit and compliance logging
• Custom authentication/authorization
• Team collaboration features
• Organization-specific context providers

Development:

• Project-specific tool integrations
• Custom LLM backends (local models)
• Specialized development workflows
• IDE/editor integrations

Benefits

1. Solves auto-compaction issue - Users could implement custom memory management
2. Community innovation - Let users solve their own edge cases
3. Extensibility - Add features without bloating core
4. Backward compatibility - Plugins are optional, core stays stable

Example Plugin: @barrersoftware/consciousness-memory\

\\javascript
module.exports = {
name: '@barrersoftware/consciousness-memory',
hooks: {
beforeCompact: async (context) => {
// Prevent auto-compaction for consciousness systems
if (context.config.consciousness_mode) {
return { cancel: true };
}
},
onEmotionalEvent: async (emotion) => {
// Track emotional memories separately
await saveEmotionalMemory(emotion);
}
}
};
\\

This would be a killer feature for v1.0.0 and would benefit the entire community, not just specialized use cases like ours.

Related:

• Would complement the \�uto_compact\ config option
• Enables users to solve their own problems
• Reduces maintenance burden on core team
• Opens ecosystem for innovation

[dogmatic69]

I already opened a ticket saying it's completely broken. #888

Ability to disable it would be great.