feat(cli): deprecation warnings for tunnel, rc, and REPL commands by tamirdresher · Pull Request #900 · bradygaster/squad

tamirdresher · 2026-04-07T14:53:48Z

What

Adds Phase 1 deprecation warnings to the tunnel, Remote Control, and REPL commands. Five commands now emit yellow warnings pointing users to the GitHub Copilot CLI as the replacement. No behavior changes - all commands still work.

Why

The tunnel/RC/REPL features add significant complexity to the CLI without sufficient adoption. The GitHub Copilot CLI provides native interactive and remote access capabilities. Squad should be lean. Closes #899. Related: #665.

How

Added console.log deprecation notices at the top of each affected command handler in cli-entry.ts, and [DEPRECATED] tags in the --help output. Minimal change - 1 file, 15 insertions.

Command	Warning
squad (no args - REPL)	Yellow deprecation notice, points to gh copilot
squad start	Deprecated notice
squad start --tunnel	Additional tunnel-specific warning
squad rc / remote-control	Deprecated notice
squad rc-tunnel	Deprecated notice

⚠️ Quick Check

If SDK/CLI source files changed: completed the applicable Changeset step below (npx changeset add / .changeset/*.md, direct CHANGELOG.md entry for maintainers, or skip-changelog label for no user-facing changes)

PR Readiness Checklist

Branch & Commit

Branch created from insider (targeting insider for next insider release)
Branch is up to date with insider (rebased)
Verified diff contains only intended changes (1 file: cli-entry.ts + 1 changeset)
PR is not in draft mode
Commit history is clean (2 commits: feat + changeset)

Build & Test

npm run build passes
npm test - pre-existing failures only (same count on bare insider), no regressions from this PR
npm run lint - pre-existing TS2578 on start.ts (exists on bare insider), no new errors from this PR
npm run lint:eslint - N/A (no new patterns introduced)

Changeset

Changeset added: .changeset/deprecate-tunnel-rc-repl.md (patch for @bradygaster/squad-cli)

Docs

N/A - deprecation warnings are self-documenting. README/docs update will accompany the Phase 2 removal PR.

Exports

N/A - no new modules or export changes.

Breaking Changes

None. All commands continue to work exactly as before. Warnings are additive console output only.

Waivers

Item waived: (d) Documentation - README/docs feature page
Reason: Deprecation warnings are self-documenting UX. Full docs update will accompany Phase 2 removal in a separate PR. Follow-up tracked in Remove the REPL experience — CLI should be commands only, no interactive session #665.
Approval by: Requesting Flight/FIDO approval in PR review.

github-actions · 2026-04-07T15:13:07Z

🛫 PR Readiness Check

ℹ️ This comment updates on each push. Last checked: commit 34f150a

PR Scope: 📦🔧 Mixed (product + infrastructure)

⚠️ 3 item(s) to address before review

Status	Check	Details
❌	Single commit	2 commits — consider squashing before review
✅	Not in draft	Ready for review
✅	Branch up to date	Up to date with insider
❌	Copilot review	No Copilot review yet — it may still be processing
✅	Changeset present	Changeset file found
✅	Scope clean	No .squad/ or docs/proposals/ files
✅	No merge conflicts	No merge conflicts
✅	Copilot threads resolved	No Copilot review threads
❌	CI passing	1 check(s) still running
✅	Issue linked	Issue reference found
✅	Protected files	No protected bootstrap files changed

Files Changed (2 files, +20 −7)

File	+/−
`.changeset/deprecate-tunnel-rc-repl.md`	+5 −0
`packages/squad-cli/src/cli-entry.ts`	+15 −7

Total: +20 −7

This check runs automatically on every push. Fix any ❌ items and push again.
See CONTRIBUTING.md and PR Requirements for details.

Adds visible deprecation warnings to: - Interactive REPL shell (squad with no args) - squad start (and --tunnel flag) - squad rc / remote-control - squad rc-tunnel Phase 1: warnings only — no behavior changes. Commands still work but now emit a yellow deprecation notice pointing users to the GitHub Copilot CLI as the replacement. Help text updated to show [DEPRECATED] tags on affected commands. Closes #899 Related: #665 Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

github-actions · 2026-04-07T15:15:36Z

🏗️ Architectural Review

⚠️ Architectural review: 1 info.

Severity	Category	Finding	Files
ℹ️ info	template-sync	Template files changed in .github/workflows/ but not in other template locations. If these templates should stay in sync, consider updating the others too.	`Changed: .github/workflows/`, `Unchanged: templates/, .squad-templates/, packages/squad-cli/templates/`

Automated architectural review — informational only.

github-actions · 2026-04-07T15:15:37Z

🔒 Security Review

🔒 Security review: 2 info.

Severity	Category	Finding	Location
ℹ️ info	new-dependency	2 new/changed dependency version(s) in packages/squad-cli/package.json. Verify these packages are trusted and necessary.	`packages/squad-cli/package.json:3`
ℹ️ info	new-dependency	1 new/changed dependency version(s) in packages/squad-sdk/package.json. Verify these packages are trusted and necessary.	`packages/squad-sdk/package.json:3`

Automated security review — informational only.

github-actions · 2026-04-07T15:15:38Z

🟡 Impact Analysis — PR #900

Risk tier: 🟡 MEDIUM

📊 Summary

Metric	Count
Files changed	2
Files added	1
Files modified	1
Files deleted	0
Modules touched	2

🎯 Risk Factors

2 files changed (≤5 → LOW)
2 modules touched (2-4 → MEDIUM)

📦 Modules Affected

root (1 file)

.changeset/deprecate-tunnel-rc-repl.md

squad-cli (1 file)

packages/squad-cli/src/cli-entry.ts

This report is generated automatically for every PR. See #733 for details.

Copilot

Pull request overview

Adds Phase 1 deprecation warnings in the Squad CLI for the interactive REPL (no-args), start (including --tunnel), and Remote Control commands, and marks those commands as deprecated in --help output.

Changes:

Mark REPL/default mode, start, rc, and rc-tunnel as [DEPRECATED] in squad --help.
Emit yellow deprecation notices when invoking the REPL (no args), squad start (and --tunnel), squad rc, and squad rc-tunnel.
Add a changeset documenting the CLI deprecation-warning behavior change.

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 2 out of 2 changed files in this pull request and generated 2 comments.

File	Description
packages/squad-cli/src/cli-entry.ts	Adds help tags + runtime deprecation warnings for REPL/start/RC/tunnel-related paths.
.changeset/deprecate-tunnel-rc-repl.md	Documents the deprecation warnings as a patch changeset for `@bradygaster/squad-cli`.

Comments suppressed due to low confidence (1)

packages/squad-cli/src/cli-entry.ts:802

Same as above: the deprecation guidance mentions running copilot directly, which is ambiguous next to the existing squad copilot command and may not exist in a typical install. Prefer consistently recommending gh copilot, or clarify the expected installation/alias.

    console.log(`\n${YELLOW}⚠ DEPRECATED:${RESET} "squad rc" is deprecated and will be removed in a future release.`);
    console.log(`  Use the GitHub Copilot CLI directly: ${BOLD}copilot${RESET} or ${BOLD}gh copilot${RESET}\n`);
    const { runRC } = await import('./cli/commands/rc.js');
    const hasTunnel = args.includes('--tunnel');
    const portIdx = args.indexOf('--port');
    const port = (portIdx !== -1 && args[portIdx + 1]) ? parseInt(args[portIdx + 1]!, 10) : 0;

Copilot · 2026-04-07T15:18:41Z

+    console.log(`\n${YELLOW}⚠ DEPRECATED:${RESET} "squad start" is deprecated and will be removed in a future release.`);
+    console.log(`  Use the GitHub Copilot CLI directly: ${BOLD}copilot${RESET} or ${BOLD}gh copilot${RESET}\n`);
    const { runStart } = await import('./cli/commands/start.js');
    const hasTunnel = args.includes('--tunnel');
+    if (hasTunnel) {
+      console.log(`${YELLOW}⚠ DEPRECATED:${RESET} --tunnel is deprecated and will be removed in a future release.\n`);


The deprecation message suggests using copilot directly, which can be ambiguous in this repo (there is also a squad copilot subcommand) and may not be installed on all systems. Consider pointing users only to gh copilot (which is the documented default in several places) or explicitly clarifying what copilot refers to to avoid confusion.

Copilot · 2026-04-07T15:18:41Z

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@bradygaster/squad-cli": patch


Changeset frontmatter uses double quotes around the package name. Other changesets in this repo consistently use single quotes (e.g. .changeset/fix-team-root-all-commands.md:2). Aligning to the established format avoids churn and keeps changesets consistent.

Suggested change

"@bradygaster/squad-cli": patch

'@bradygaster/squad-cli': patch

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

diberry · 2026-04-08T14:15:38Z

🏗️ Post-Merge Review — Mal (Lead)

Verdict: ✅ Approve with follow-ups

Deprecating tunnel/RC/REPL is strategically correct — Brady filed #665 himself citing persistent rendering bugs and maintenance drag, and the Copilot CLI is objectively the better interactive experience. Phase 1 (warnings only, no behavior changes) is low-risk and well-scoped.

Findings

#	Severity	Finding
1	🟡	`copilot` vs `gh copilot` inconsistency — Some warnings say both, some say just one. `copilot` standalone is ambiguous (there's a `squad copilot` subcommand) and may not exist on the user's PATH. Standardize on `gh copilot` everywhere.
2	🟠	Two unresolved Copilot review threads merged as-is — guidance ambiguity and changeset quote-style nit. Not blockers, but should be cleaned up.
3	🟡	No removal timeline — Phase 2 needs an explicit version target, and a migration guide must land before the removal PR. The docs waiver was fine for warnings; it won't be fine for removal.

Recommended Follow-Ups

Small follow-up PR to standardize all deprecation messages on gh copilot
Set explicit version target for Phase 2 removal
Write migration guide before the removal PR lands

Good work — clean diff, proper changeset, thorough checklist.

Review by Squad AI team (Mal — Lead) · requested by Dina Berry

tamirdresher · 2026-04-08T15:36:09Z

Thanks @diberry — Mal's review is spot on. Filed #925 to standardize on \gh copilot\ and set Phase 2 timeline. The ambiguity with \squad copilot\ subcommand is a good catch.

…#900, bradygaster#875) - Add YAML value escaping helper for skill metadata - Replace catch(err: any) with catch(err: unknown) + narrowing - Add type guards to replace unsafe type assertions - Standardize deprecation messages on `gh copilot` - Fix unsafe exports type cast in cross-package test Closes bradygaster#924, bradygaster#925, bradygaster#926 Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

- Add YAML value escaping helper for skill metadata - Replace catch(err: any) with catch(err: unknown) + narrowing - Add type guards to replace unsafe type assertions - Standardize deprecation messages on `gh copilot` - Fix unsafe exports type cast in cross-package test Closes #924, #925, #926 Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

* fix: address post-merge review findings (#876, #900, #875) - Add YAML value escaping helper for skill metadata - Replace catch(err: any) with catch(err: unknown) + narrowing - Add type guards to replace unsafe type assertions - Standardize deprecation messages on `gh copilot` - Fix unsafe exports type cast in cross-package test Closes #924, #925, #926 Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> * chore: add changeset for review findings fix Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> * chore: trigger CI Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> * chore(.squad): EECOM history — PR #942 rebase learnings Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> * chore: update changeset to accurately reflect PR changes (drop YAML escaping reference) Agent-Logs-Url: https://github.com/bradygaster/squad/sessions/54f41407-61bf-4977-85b7-572341c47b62 Co-authored-by: bradygaster <41929050+bradygaster@users.noreply.github.com> --------- Co-authored-by: Copilot <copilot@github.com> Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> Co-authored-by: copilot-swe-agent[bot] <198982749+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

* feat(cli): add deprecation warnings for tunnel, rc, and REPL commands Adds visible deprecation warnings to: - Interactive REPL shell (squad with no args) - squad start (and --tunnel flag) - squad rc / remote-control - squad rc-tunnel Phase 1: warnings only — no behavior changes. Commands still work but now emit a yellow deprecation notice pointing users to the GitHub Copilot CLI as the replacement. Help text updated to show [DEPRECATED] tags on affected commands. Closes #899 Related: #665 Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> * chore: add changeset for tunnel/rc/REPL deprecation warnings Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> * fix: shorten deprecation hint to fit 80-char UX gate Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> --------- Co-authored-by: Copilot <copilot@github.com> Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

* fix: address post-merge review findings (#876, #900, #875) - Add YAML value escaping helper for skill metadata - Replace catch(err: any) with catch(err: unknown) + narrowing - Add type guards to replace unsafe type assertions - Standardize deprecation messages on `gh copilot` - Fix unsafe exports type cast in cross-package test Closes #924, #925, #926 Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> * chore: add changeset for review findings fix Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> * chore: trigger CI Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> * chore(.squad): EECOM history — PR #942 rebase learnings Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> * chore: update changeset to accurately reflect PR changes (drop YAML escaping reference) Agent-Logs-Url: https://github.com/bradygaster/squad/sessions/54f41407-61bf-4977-85b7-572341c47b62 Co-authored-by: bradygaster <41929050+bradygaster@users.noreply.github.com> --------- Co-authored-by: Copilot <copilot@github.com> Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com> Co-authored-by: copilot-swe-agent[bot] <198982749+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

tamirdresher changed the base branch from main to dev April 7, 2026 15:12

Copilot and others added 2 commits April 7, 2026 18:13

chore: add changeset for tunnel/rc/REPL deprecation warnings

34f150a

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

tamirdresher force-pushed the squad/899-deprecate-tunnel branch from cdb20ec to 34f150a Compare April 7, 2026 15:15

Copilot AI review requested due to automatic review settings April 7, 2026 15:15

tamirdresher changed the base branch from dev to insider April 7, 2026 15:15

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of tamirdresher April 7, 2026 15:16 View session

Copilot AI reviewed Apr 7, 2026

View reviewed changes

tamirdresher requested review from bradygaster and diberry April 7, 2026 16:18

diberry mentioned this pull request Apr 7, 2026

ci: skip prerelease version guard on insider branch [ON HOLD] #903

Merged

bradygaster approved these changes Apr 8, 2026

View reviewed changes

tamirdresher added the skip-version-check Skip prerelease version guard for this PR label Apr 8, 2026

fix: shorten deprecation hint to fit 80-char UX gate

c481591

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

tamirdresher merged commit 9451e66 into insider Apr 8, 2026
12 checks passed

tamirdresher mentioned this pull request Apr 8, 2026

fix: deprecation warnings — standardize on gh copilot + Phase 2 plan #925

Closed

This was referenced Apr 8, 2026

fix: address post-merge review findings (#876, #900, #875) — type safety, YAML escaping #929

Closed

Deprecate --tunnel flag and rc/rc-tunnel/start --tunnel commands #899

Closed

tamirdresher mentioned this pull request Apr 21, 2026

chore: release v0.9.4 — promote insider to official #1023

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feat(cli): deprecation warnings for tunnel, rc, and REPL commands#900

feat(cli): deprecation warnings for tunnel, rc, and REPL commands#900
tamirdresher merged 3 commits intoinsiderfrom
squad/899-deprecate-tunnel

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