Official agent skill

Run Smoke Tests

by microsoft in microsoft/vscode-python-environments

Run smoke tests to verify extension functionality in a real VS Code environment.

OfficialMITAuto-check passedTesting & QA

Install Run Smoke Tests

skills CLI

$ npx skills add microsoft/vscode-python-environments --skill run-smoke-tests -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install microsoft/vscode-python-environments run-smoke-tests --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python-environments.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/skills/run-smoke-tests .claude/skills/run-smoke-tests && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Paste into Claude Code

Install the "run-smoke-tests" agent skill from https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python-environments/tree/main/.github/skills/run-smoke-tests into .claude/skills/run-smoke-tests/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "run-smoke-tests", then confirm the skill loads.

Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

$skill-installer

$skill-installer install https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python-environments/tree/main/.github/skills/run-smoke-tests

Type this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add microsoft/vscode-python-environments --skill run-smoke-tests -a codex

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install microsoft/vscode-python-environments run-smoke-tests --agent codex

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python-environments.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/skills/run-smoke-tests .agents/skills/run-smoke-tests && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.

Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/

Paste into Codex

Install the "run-smoke-tests" agent skill from https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python-environments/tree/main/.github/skills/run-smoke-tests into .agents/skills/run-smoke-tests/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "run-smoke-tests", then confirm the skill loads.

Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add microsoft/vscode-python-environments --skill run-smoke-tests -a cursor

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install microsoft/vscode-python-environments run-smoke-tests --agent cursor

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python-environments.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/skills/run-smoke-tests .cursor/skills/run-smoke-tests && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.

Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/

Paste into Cursor

Install the "run-smoke-tests" agent skill from https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python-environments/tree/main/.github/skills/run-smoke-tests into .cursor/skills/run-smoke-tests/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "run-smoke-tests", then confirm the skill loads.

Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

gemini skills install

$ gemini skills install https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python-environments.git --path .github/skills/run-smoke-tests

--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add microsoft/vscode-python-environments --skill run-smoke-tests -a gemini-cli

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install microsoft/vscode-python-environments run-smoke-tests --agent gemini-cli

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python-environments.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/skills/run-smoke-tests .gemini/skills/run-smoke-tests && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.

Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into Gemini CLI

Install the "run-smoke-tests" agent skill from https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python-environments/tree/main/.github/skills/run-smoke-tests into .gemini/skills/run-smoke-tests/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "run-smoke-tests", then confirm the skill loads.

Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install microsoft/vscode-python-environments run-smoke-tests

Installs for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

skills CLI

$ npx skills add microsoft/vscode-python-environments --skill run-smoke-tests -a github-copilot

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python-environments.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/skills/run-smoke-tests .github/skills/run-smoke-tests && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.

GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into GitHub Copilot

Install the "run-smoke-tests" agent skill from https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python-environments/tree/main/.github/skills/run-smoke-tests into .github/skills/run-smoke-tests/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "run-smoke-tests", then confirm the skill loads.

GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add microsoft/vscode-python-environments --skill run-smoke-tests -a opencode

OpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install microsoft/vscode-python-environments run-smoke-tests --agent opencode

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python-environments.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/skills/run-smoke-tests .opencode/skills/run-smoke-tests && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.

OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into OpenCode

Install the "run-smoke-tests" agent skill from https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python-environments/tree/main/.github/skills/run-smoke-tests into .opencode/skills/run-smoke-tests/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "run-smoke-tests", then confirm the skill loads.

OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

Facts

Skill name: run-smoke-tests
GitHub stars: 141
Token cost: ~1.2k tokens
SKILL.md length: 388 words
Files: 1
Skills in repo: 9
Repo updated: Oct 7, 2026
First seen: Oct 7, 2026
Licence: MIT

At a glance

Run smoke tests to verify extension functionality in a real VS Code environment.

Works in 2 steps: Compile and Run → Interpret Results
Tasks that involve QA and bug reports
SKILL.md covers When to Use This Skill, Quick Reference, How Smoke Tests Work and Workflow, plus 5 more sections
Calls npm

What it does

Run Smoke Tests is an agent skill from microsoft/vscode-python-environments, published by the product's own GitHub organization. Run smoke tests to verify extension functionality in a real VS Code environment. Use this when checking if basic features work after changes.

Its SKILL.md is about 1.2k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Testing & QA, covering QA and bug reports. It works with Visual Studio Code and npm. The repository describes itself as: VS Code extension for Python environment and package management. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

Tasks that involve QA and bug reports

Example prompts

“/run-smoke-tests”

Workflow steps

2 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

Compile and Run
Interpret Results

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 4faeedf. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
Shell commands in SKILL.md call:
- npm
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md. Its commands use npm, which can reach the network depending on how they are called.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Run Smoke Tests loads about 1.2k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 39 tokens; SKILL.md has 388 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it: ~39
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches: ~1.2k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from microsoft/vscode-python-environments at commit 4faeedf, republished under its MIT licence (© microsoft). 388 words, ~1,179 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/run-smoke-tests/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).

name: run-smoke-tests
description: Run smoke tests to verify extension functionality in a real VS Code environment. Use this when checking if basic features work after changes.

Run smoke tests to verify the extension loads and basic functionality works in a real VS Code environment.

When to Use This Skill

After making changes to extension activation code
After modifying commands or API exports
Before submitting a PR to verify nothing is broken
When the user asks to "run smoke tests" or "verify the extension works"

Quick Reference

Action	Command
Run all smoke tests	`npm run compile && npm run compile-tests && npm run smoke-test`
Run specific test	`npm run smoke-test -- --grep "Extension activates"`
Debug in VS Code	Debug panel → "Smoke Tests" → F5

How Smoke Tests Work

Unlike unit tests (which mock VS Code), smoke tests run inside a real VS Code instance:

npm run smoke-test uses @vscode/test-cli
The CLI downloads a standalone VS Code binary (cached in .vscode-test/)
It launches that VS Code with your extension installed
Mocha runs test files inside that VS Code process
Results are reported back to your terminal

This is why smoke tests are slower (~10-60s) but catch real integration issues.

Workflow

Step 1: Compile and Run

bash

npm run compile && npm run compile-tests && npm run smoke-test

Step 2: Interpret Results

Pass: 4 passing (2s) → Extension works, proceed.

Fail: See error message and check Debugging section.

Running Individual Tests

To run a specific test instead of the whole suite:

bash

# By test name (grep pattern)
npm run smoke-test -- --grep "Extension activates"

# Or temporarily add .only in code:
test.only('Extension activates without errors', ...)

Show full SKILL.md (178 more words)Show less

Debugging Failures

Error	Cause	Fix
`Extension not installed`	Build failed or ID mismatch	Run `npm run compile`, check extension ID
`Extension did not become active`	Error in activate()	Debug with F5, check Debug Console
`Command not registered`	Missing from package.json	Add to contributes.commands
`Timeout exceeded`	Slow startup or infinite loop	Increase timeout or check for blocking code

For detailed debugging, use VS Code: Debug panel → "Smoke Tests" → F5

Adding New Smoke Tests

Create a new file in src/test/smoke/ with the naming convention *.smoke.test.ts:

typescript

import * as assert from 'assert';
import * as vscode from 'vscode';
import { waitForCondition } from '../testUtils';
import { ENVS_EXTENSION_ID } from '../constants';

suite('Smoke: [Feature Name]', function () {
    this.timeout(60_000);

    test('[Test description]', async function () {
        // Arrange
        const extension = vscode.extensions.getExtension(ENVS_EXTENSION_ID);
        assert.ok(extension, 'Extension not found');

        // Ensure extension is active
        if (!extension.isActive) {
            await extension.activate();
        }

        // Act
        const result = await someOperation();

        // Assert
        assert.strictEqual(result, expected, 'Description of what went wrong');
    });
});

Key patterns:

Use waitForCondition() instead of sleep() for async assertions
Set generous timeouts (this.timeout(60_000))
Include clear error messages in assertions

Test Files

File	Purpose
`src/test/smoke/activation.smoke.test.ts`	Extension activation tests
`src/test/smoke/index.ts`	Test runner entry point
`src/test/testUtils.ts`	Utilities (waitForCondition, etc.)

Prerequisites

CI needs webpack build: The extension must be built with npm run compile (webpack) before tests run. The test runner uses dist/extension.js which is only created by webpack, not by npm run compile-tests (tsc)
Extension builds: Run npm run compile before tests

Notes

First run downloads VS Code (~100MB, cached in .vscode-test/)
Tests auto-retry once on failure

Files

Just SKILL.md in .github/skills/run-smoke-tests of microsoft/vscode-python-environments.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 4faeedf

Compare with similar skills

Run Smoke Tests next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Run Smoke Tests compared with similar skills
Skill	Stars	Used in	Tokens	Auto-check	Licence	Repo updated
Run Smoke Tests this skillmicrosoft/vscode-python-environments	141	—	~1.2k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	today
tmux Real User TestingQwenLM/qwen-code	28k	—	~2.3k	Automated safety check: Pass	Apache-2.0	today
Sage Wiki Integratexoai/sage-wiki	620	—	~861	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	yesterday
sfdx-hardis Training End-to-End Testhardisgroupcom/sfdx-hardis	400	—	~2.6k	Automated safety check: Notes	AGPL-3.0	today
Blockless Extension E2EFreakStudioCN/mpy-hardware-extension	118	—	~1.2k	Automated safety check: Notes	Custom licence	9 days ago
Release Nyxsthamann/nyx-local-ai	133	—	~609	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	3 mo ago

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Questions about Run Smoke Tests

What does Run Smoke Tests do?

Run smoke tests to verify extension functionality in a real VS Code environment. Run Smoke Tests is an agent skill from microsoft/vscode-python-environments, published by the product's own GitHub organization. Run smoke tests to verify extension functionality in a real VS Code environment.

When should I use Run Smoke Tests?

Run Smoke Tests fits situations like: tasks that involve QA and bug reports.

How do I install Run Smoke Tests in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add microsoft/vscode-python-environments --skill run-smoke-tests -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (.github/skills/run-smoke-tests in microsoft/vscode-python-environments) into .claude/skills/run-smoke-tests in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Run Smoke Tests in Codex?

Run `npx skills add microsoft/vscode-python-environments --skill run-smoke-tests -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (.github/skills/run-smoke-tests in microsoft/vscode-python-environments) into .agents/skills/run-smoke-tests in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Run Smoke Tests in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add microsoft/vscode-python-environments --skill run-smoke-tests -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/run-smoke-tests, .gemini/skills/run-smoke-tests, .github/skills/run-smoke-tests and .opencode/skills/run-smoke-tests in your project.

What does Run Smoke Tests need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Run Smoke Tests needs the command-line tools its instructions call (npm).

Does Run Smoke Tests access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Its commands use npm, which can reach the network depending on how they are called. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Run Smoke Tests safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Run Smoke Tests use?

Run Smoke Tests is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Run Smoke Tests use?

About 1.2k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 4.7k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Run Smoke Tests?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Run Smoke Tests: tmux Real User Testing (QwenLM/qwen-code, 28k stars), Sage Wiki Integrate (xoai/sage-wiki, 620 stars), sfdx-hardis Training End-to-End Test (hardisgroupcom/sfdx-hardis, 400 stars) and Blockless Extension E2E (FreakStudioCN/mpy-hardware-extension, 118 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Run Smoke Tests?

microsoft (a GitHub organization, an official publisher) maintains it in microsoft/vscode-python-environments, which has 141 GitHub stars. The repository holds 9 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 7, 2026.

Source: microsoft/vscode-python-environments on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.

Install Run Smoke Tests

Facts

At a glance

What it does

When your agent uses it

Example prompts

Workflow steps

What it can do on your machine

Tool permissions

Runs code

Network

Credentials

Context cost

Safety

SKILL.md

When to Use This Skill

Quick Reference

How Smoke Tests Work

Workflow

Step 1: Compile and Run

Step 2: Interpret Results

Running Individual Tests

Debugging Failures

Adding New Smoke Tests

Test Files

Prerequisites

Notes

Files

Compare with similar skills

Similar skills

More from microsoft/vscode-python-environments

Related

Questions about Run Smoke Tests