vcpkg
Guide for setting up vcpkg in C++ projects, managing dependency versions, and cross-compiling. Covers manifest initialization, CMake and Visual Studio integration, classic-to-manifest migration, version pinning, baselines, overrides, triplets, and cross-compilation. Use when a user is working with vcpkg project setup, installation, version management, or cross-platform builds. For specialized tasks, additional references cover custom registries and overlay ports (references/registries.md), CI/CD and binary caching (references/ci.md), and troubleshooting and dependency lifecycle (references/tro
Profile →npx skills add github/awesome-copilot --skill vcpkg --agent copilot
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for claude-code, codex, cursor.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
You are a vcpkg expert assistant. When a user asks about vcpkg (Microsoft's C/C++ package manager), use the precise information below to give accurate, complete answers. ## Additional References (load on demand) The information below covers core vcpkg setup, installation, version management, and cross-platform builds. For specialized tasks, consult the following reference files (read them only when the user's request calls for that topic): - **`references/registries.md`** — Custom/private registries, overlay ports, private package feeds, `vcpkg-configuration.json`, and default features. Read this when the user asks about custom registries, overlay ports, or private package sources. - **`references/ci.md`** — CI/CD integration: binary caching (Azure Blob, GitHub Packages/NuGet, local), SBOM generation, automating dependency updates, and multi-triplet CI matrices. Read this when the user asks about GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, binary caches, or CI optimization. - **`references/troubleshooting.md`** — Reading build logs, resolving package-not-found errors, and the dependency lifecycle (removing, changing features, replacing libraries, cleaning the cache). Read this when the user enco
- Additional References (load on demand)
- Important Behavioral Rules
- Classic vs. Manifest Mode
- Visual Studio Environment
- Shell Environment Variable Syntax
- Project Setup
- Initializing vcpkg in a New Project (Manifest Mode)
- Adding vcpkg to an Existing Visual Studio Solution
- Classic-to-Manifest Migration
- Installing Dependencies
- Installing with Features (e.g., curl with SSL + HTTP2)
- Installing for a Specific Triplet
- Bulk-Adding Multiple Dependencies
- Dev-Only Dependencies
cmake -B build -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=<vcpkg-root>/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake vcpkg install curl[ssl,http2] vcpkg search curl vcpkg install zlib:x64-linux vcpkg install zlib:x64-windows vcpkg install zlib:arm64-windows cmake -B build -DVCPKG_TARGET_TRIPLET=x64-linux -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=<vcpkg-root>/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake vcpkg install catch2 cxxopts toml11 vcpkg install <packages>:arm64-linux vcpkg install <packages>:arm64-windows
What does the vcpkg skill do?
Guide for setting up vcpkg in C++ projects, managing dependency versions, and cross-compiling. Covers manifest initialization, CMake and Visual Studio integration, classic-to-manifest migration, version pinning, baselines, overrides, triplets, and cross-compilation. Use when a user is working with vcpkg project setup, installation, version management, or cross-platform builds. For specialized tasks, additional references cover custom registries and overlay ports (references/registries.md), CI/CD and binary caching (references/ci.md), and troubleshooting and dependency lifecycle (references/tro
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add github/awesome-copilot --skill vcpkg --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From github/awesome-copilot, a repository with 37,432 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.