Where does Vscode Copilot store the local index? How can I delete it?

[ptgamr]

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As per question. I am on a mac, I can't really find any documentation about where the local index is store.

I Tried looking inside :

~/.vscode/extensions/github.copilot-1.275.0
~/.vscode/extensions/github.copilot-chat-0.24.1/

but found nothing.

Would be nice to have some more transparency on this in the documentation at: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/workspace-context#_local-index

That would provide a peace of mind for users who don't want their whole code base to be sent over to "god knows where".

Thank you,

[HackerOwl]

GitHub Copilot uses a local index to improve code completion and suggestions based on the context of your workspace. This local index is designed to help GitHub Copilot function faster and more efficiently without needing to send all your code over the network. However, it’s important to understand that Copilot is built with privacy in mind, and it does not send your entire codebase to their servers.

For VSCode users on macOS, here's where you might want to look for GitHub Copilot-related data:

1. Local Cache (Index) Storage Location
   The local cache and other data related to GitHub Copilot are typically stored inside the VSCode user data or extension folders, but they are not necessarily in the extension folder itself.

The local index may be stored in:

VSCode settings or workspace data folders:
~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/workspaceStorage/
~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/globalStorage/
~/Library/Application Support/Code/ (This is the general VSCode data folder)
You should check inside these folders to see if there's a folder specifically related to GitHub Copilot. Look for files with names like github.copilot or copilot.

2. GitHub Copilot Chat and Copilot-Specific Data
   Since you've mentioned directories like:

~/.vscode/extensions/github.copilot-1.275.0
~/.vscode/extensions/github.copilot-chat-0.24.1/
These are the extensions’ installation folders, where the core extension files are stored. However, these typically don't contain the actual local index or data cache—rather, they contain the code for running the extension itself.

3. Where Your Code is Processed
   GitHub Copilot does not send your entire codebase to GitHub servers for processing. Here's a breakdown:

Code context: Copilot uses the context (the portion of your code in the file you're editing) to generate suggestions. However, only small chunks of code are sent to the servers at any given time, not your entire repository.
Local index: The local index is used for faster suggestions and context awareness, and it stays on your local machine. It does not automatically upload your entire codebase to GitHub. The only data sent to GitHub is what is necessary for Copilot's functionality, and they have mechanisms to anonymize it.
GitHub does have privacy documentation around this:

GitHub Copilot Privacy Statement: GitHub Copilot Privacy
How to ensure your privacy with GitHub Copilot:
If you're concerned about privacy, here are some steps to help mitigate risks:

Disable Copilot for Sensitive Files: You can disable GitHub Copilot suggestions for specific file types or specific files (e.g., configuration files or proprietary code).

To disable GitHub Copilot for certain file types, you can modify the settings in your VSCode settings.json file.
Example:
json
Copy
"[python]": {
"github.copilot.enable": false
}
This will prevent Copilot from being active for Python files, for example.

Clear Cache: If you're concerned about local data storage, you can manually clear the cache or index by deleting any related files in the directories I mentioned above. However, be aware that this may affect Copilot's performance or the ability to generate suggestions based on previous context.

Review GitHub Documentation: As you mentioned, the documentation at Workspace Context could provide more transparency, and it’s a good point to make for GitHub’s product team. If there are any gaps in the documentation, GitHub often takes feedback seriously.

Hope this helps! Please check if it works

[HackerOwl]

I found some helpful information regarding the location of the local index used by GitHub Copilot and related concerns:

1. (https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/using-github-copilot/copilot-chat/indexing-repositories-for-copilot-chat): This page provides details on how Copilot Chat handles indexing and assures that the indexed repository is not used for model training.

2. (https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/workspace-context): This documentation explains that Copilot can use an advanced semantic index stored on your local machine. However, it does not specify the exact location where the index is stored.

3. (https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/152490): A discussion where users share their experiences and concerns about the local index storage for Copilot.

Based on these sources, it seems that there is some level of transparency regarding how the local index is used, but the exact storage location on your Mac is not clearly documented. I recommend following these discussions and documentation pages for any updates or further details provided by GitHub. Additionally, you can reach out to GitHub Support for more specific information.

Hope it helps. First check if this work