[github-cli] cannot install binary-only extensions such as `github/gh-aw`

[SimonGolms]

The github-cli feature documents an extensions option, but its installer only clones the extension repository. This does not work for github/gh-aw, which requires a compiled release binary.

Reproduction

Using github-cli:1.1.1:

"ghcr.io/devcontainers/features/github-cli:1.1.1": {
  "extensions": "github/gh-aw",
  "version": "latest"
}

After creating the container:

gh aw

Expected:

gh-aw starts successfully

Actual:

failed to run extension: fork/exec /home/vscode/.local/share/gh/extensions/gh-aw/gh-aw: no such file or directory

The directory exists, but contains a source checkout without the root gh-aw executable. gh extension list reports github/gh-aw, so the installation appears successful even though execution fails.

Root Cause

The install-extensions.sh script clones extension repositories directly instead of using the documented installation command:

gh extension install github/gh-aw

This leaves binary-only extensions such as github/gh-aw without an executable. See the implementation here:

features/src/github-cli/scripts/install-extensions.sh

Lines 19 to 34 in 8b03a98

	install_extension() {
	local extension="$1"
	local extensions_root
	local repo_name
	extensions_root="${XDG_DATA_HOME:-"${HOME}/.local/share"}/gh/extensions"
	repo_name="${extension##*/}"
	mkdir -p "${extensions_root}"
	if [ ! -d "${extensions_root}/${repo_name}" ]; then
	git \
	-c credential.helper= \
	-c credential.helper='!gh auth git-credential' \
	clone --depth 1 "https://github.com/${extension}.git" "${extensions_root}/${repo_name}"
	fi
	}

Suggested Fix

Install each configured extension with the GitHub CLI command instead of cloning its repository:

gh extension install <extension-name>

Workaround

Install gh-aw separately after the feature:

"postCreateCommand": "curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/github/gh-aw/refs/heads/main/install-gh-aw.sh | bash"

This was verified successfully with:

gh version 2.98.0
gh aw version v0.86.2

References

• https://github.com/devcontainers/features/tree/main/src/github-cli
• https://github.com/github/gh-aw/blob/main/install.md
• https://github.com/github/gh-aw/blob/main/install-gh-aw.sh