Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
You cannot create a Codespace
Check the following first:
- You are signed in to the right GitHub account
- You have completed SSO authentication: MoJ SSO link
- Your access request has been approved and merged
If all three are true and you still cannot create a Codespace, raise it in #octo-github-copilot.
A Codespace opens but setup fails
Try:
- Rebuild the container
- Restart the Codespace
- Create a fresh Codespace on the same branch
Reference: Troubleshooting dev containers and Codespaces.
Ports or local preview are not working
- Check the Ports panel
- Confirm the app is listening on the expected port
- Ensure port visibility is set correctly
Reference: Forwarding ports.
VS Code cannot connect
- Sign out and sign back into GitHub in VS Code
- Confirm the GitHub Codespaces extension is installed and enabled
- Retry with the browser flow to isolate whether the issue is local VS Code or account access
Getting more help
When you ask for help, include:
- Repository name
- Codespace name
- Approximate time of failure
- Screenshot or exact error text
- Whether browser and VS Code both fail or only one
This usually saves a round of back-and-forth.
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