Setup and sign-in problems

Use this page for the first-run setup screen and account problems. Fabricator verifies the tools and sign-ins it actually uses; a remembered account is not enough if the underlying CLI token has expired.

A tool shows as missing or failed

You see Getting your environment ready, a tool row such as Node.js, npm, Git, Azure CLI, or GitHub CLI (gh) is not Installed, or the row has a Re-check button. A failed version check can say a tool "was found, but its version check failed".

Fabricator needs Node.js 22.12 or newer, npm, Git, and Azure CLI. GitHub CLI (gh) is optional repository tooling. It is separate from the bundled GitHub Copilot engine, so installing Copilot with pnpm does not satisfy the GitHub CLI (gh) check.

A row that says Needs updating found an older version than Fabricator supports, for example "Version 20.10.0 — Fabricator needs 22.12 or newer". On macOS, when an older Node.js comes first on your PATH, such as the default version of a version manager like nvm, Fabricator uses a newer Node.js it finds further along your PATH, such as one installed by Homebrew. The Node.js row then shows that newer version.

1. If Fabricator offers Install or Install all, use it.
2. If setup says Almost there. and shows Restart now, select Restart now. Installed tools are often not visible to the running app until restart.
3. If a tool was installed outside Fabricator, restart Fabricator and select Re-check.
4. On Windows, use Re-check before installing a second copy. Fabricator refreshes PATH from the saved user and machine PATH and common Scoop, pnpm, and Azure CLI locations.
5. If a found tool's version check fails, open a terminal and run the command shown in the setup row, such as az version, to repair that existing installation.
6. Do not install a global Rayfin CLI just to satisfy setup. Fabric sign-in and deploy use the Rayfin CLI pinned by each project.

If a required tool still cannot be verified, Report a problem and include the setup row text.

GitHub Copilot sign-in doesn't work

You select Sign in for GitHub Copilot, but the browser or device-code flow fails, the code is not accepted, or setup stays unsigned in.

Fabricator signs in through its bundled Copilot engine. For GitHub Enterprise Cloud with data residency, the device code must be requested from the same enterprise host where you redeem it.

1. Leave GitHub host as github.com for a normal GitHub account.
2. For GitHub Enterprise Cloud with data residency, enter the enterprise host in GitHub host, such as company.ghe.com or https://company.ghe.com.
3. Select Sign in.
4. Complete the browser or device-code instructions shown by that exact sign-in attempt. A code from github.com cannot be redeemed on an enterprise host.
5. If Fabricator reports "Enter github.com or a GitHub Enterprise Cloud hostname such as company.ghe.com (optionally with https://). Do not include a path, credentials, or a non-HTTPS port.", remove paths such as /login/device, ports, query strings, and credentials from the host.
6. If Fabricator says the chat engine is using a different host or mentions COPILOT_GITHUB_TOKEN, GH_TOKEN, or GITHUB_TOKEN, remove those environment variables at their source and restart Fabricator.
7. If Fabricator says Copilot is authenticated through GitHub CLI, run gh auth logout for the unintended account, then restart Fabricator.

GitHub Enterprise Server is not supported by this Copilot sign-in flow. If a supported sign-in still fails, Report a problem.

Copilot asks you to sign in again

In chat, you see Copilot needs your attention, Sign in to Copilot, or the exact message "GitHub Copilot is not signed in. Sign in to Copilot in Fabricator, then retry your message." You may also see errors such as "Execution failed: Error: Session was not created with authentication info or custom provider" or "Session not found".

Copilot credentials can expire or the engine can lose a saved session handle. Current Fabricator versions reconnect when possible. If the saved engine session is gone, Fabricator starts a new engine session but keeps the displayed chat history and your draft.

1. Select Sign in to Copilot in the chat notice.
2. Complete the browser or device-code flow.
3. Retry your message. Fabricator does not automatically replay prompts after work has started.
4. If you are on an older Fabricator version and see repeated "Session not found" errors, update to the latest version.
5. If you were switching accounts, open Accounts (your account avatar, then Manage accounts…), select Sign out under GitHub Copilot, then sign in again. Credentials supplied by environment variables or GitHub CLI must be removed outside Fabricator.

If the notice returns immediately after sign-in, Report a problem.

Azure CLI is signed in to the wrong account

Accounts or setup shows Azure CLI signed in as the wrong user or tenant, or Azure sign-in works but sharing or connecting data looks in the wrong organization. Accounts may also warn that Microsoft Fabric and the Azure CLI are signed in to different organizations.

The Azure CLI can be signed in to several accounts and uses one of them at a time. Its accounts are shared with your terminal and are separate from Fabric/Rayfin credentials and the preview browser.

1. Open Accounts: select your account avatar in the app bar, then select Manage accounts….
2. If Accounts warns that Fabric and the Azure CLI are in different organizations, select the button in the warning. It switches the Azure CLI to Fabric's organization.
3. Otherwise, if the account you need is listed under Azure CLI, select Use next to it.
4. If it isn't listed, under Azure CLI, select Add account. In Organization (optional), enter the organization you need, such as contoso.onmicrosoft.com, select Continue, and complete the browser sign-in.
5. To remove an account you don't need, select Sign out next to it.
6. If you also need a different Fabric account for deploying, change it under Microsoft Fabric the same way. See Manage your accounts.

If Azure still reports the wrong account, Report a problem.

Fabric sign-in doesn't complete

You select Sign in to Fabric, Refresh Fabric authentication, or a deploy triggers sign-in, but no browser appears, the button returns to normal, or workspace listing does not continue. You may see a Rayfin CLI line such as "❌ Login failed: OS keychain is not available and plaintext token storage is not enabled."

Fabricator runs the project's Rayfin CLI with rayfin login --select outside the project folder, then verifies the credential against Fabric. Running outside the project means a setting your app's rayfin.yml can't resolve doesn't stop you signing in. On locked-down machines the OS keychain can block token storage; current Fabricator versions allow Rayfin's plaintext fallback so sign-in can finish. On macOS, some passwordless SSO flows can still be limited by the embedded browser and system account setup.

1. Update to the latest Fabricator version.
2. Look for a browser sign-in window behind Fabricator or minimized on the taskbar or Dock.
3. Complete the sign-in for the tenant that owns the Fabric workspace.
4. If the sign-in button returns with an error, copy the exact message.
5. In the project folder, run npx rayfin login only to reveal the full Rayfin CLI error. Return to Fabricator after sign-in succeeds.
6. In Fabricator, open the account menu and choose Refresh Fabric authentication. The dialog runs rayfin logout, then rayfin login, and verifies the credential. It does not clear Copilot, Azure CLI, or preview-browser sessions.
7. After a successful refresh, select Redeploy. Fabricator does not redeploy automatically after a credential refresh.

If you are using a client tenant, confirm that your account can access the target Fabric workspace and capacity. If sign-in still does nothing, Report a problem with diagnostics.