GitHub CLI 2.96.0: Download public releases without authentication

Release notes

FEATURE

Download public releases without authentication

Have you ever tried to quickly fetch a release installer from a public repository on a clean system, only to be blocked by login prompts? Previously, even when a tool was hosted in a completely public project, trying to grab it would trigger a mandatory authentication (verification process confirming your identity) flow. We have now removed this hurdle, allowing anonymous access to all public releases. It is like walking into a public library to grab a brochure: the guard used to stubbornly demand your library card just to take a free leaflet, but now you can just walk in and take it. When you need to fetch a public installer on a new machine, that is when to run gh release download and download it without any hassle.

FEATURE

More AI agents supported and smarter skill installation

Are you setting up custom capabilities for your AI helper, only to be annoyed by redundant terminal questions? This update expands the reach of the gh skill command to detect more third-party coding agents (AI assistants that help you write code) and officially support antigravity-cli and antigravity2.0. Under the hood, universal skills are now correctly routed to ~/.agents/skills. Best of all, if you specify the installation path directly, the system will honor it without prompting (asking questions via terminal menu dialogs). It is like using a universal remote that supports the latest TVs; when you point it at the screen and press power, it no longer pops up a menu asking which device you wish to control. When you want a silent, customized install, that is when to run gh skill.

BUGFIX

Fixes for Codespace port forwarding crashes and blank CI summaries

Have you ever had your cloud development environment crash, or been left guessing when cancelled automation runs showed nothing at all? We have hardened these fragile areas. We resolved a crash where codespace port forwarding (connecting network ports of a remote container to your local machine) failed due to concurrent map writes (a data collision error when multiple processes modify the same memory table simultaneously). Additionally, if CI checks (automated checks) are cancelled, the summary screen now reports the status instead of displaying a blank void. It's like a restaurant fixing a glitch where two waiters writing on the same order ticket caused a system crash, and ensuring that if a table cancels, the kitchen screen displays "Cancelled" instead of an empty black board.

FEATURE

Database ID upgrades and workflow security reinforcement

Are you worried about database identifiers overflowing as records grow, or automated pipelines facing security threats from malicious changes? To address these underlying risks, we have reinforced several security and architectural details. The database IDs are now upgraded to 64-bit integers to prevent truncation on large data sets. Additionally, we pinned reusable triage workflows to a specific commit SHA to lock down their versions against unexpected alterations, and clarified command behavior in help files. It is like replacing shallow storage drawers with a giant vault and adding a physical lock to automated doors; the system stands secure and robust, unaffected by data growth or external tampering.

FEATURE

Documentation polish and dependency version updates

Are you searching the documents for better query examples, or looking to keep your pipeline builds stable? To keep instructions clear, we added practical examples using multiple qualifiers and fixed a broken anchor link in the release guide. Additionally, several build and environment dependencies were updated. It is like fixing spelling mistakes on floor guide maps and swapping out standard elevator parts. Although these maintenance steps are small, they prevent visitors from getting lost and keep the whole building operating safely.

Original changelog

Original changelogDownload public releases without authentication

Allow `gh release download` without authentication on public repositories by @BagToad in [#13723](https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13723)

Original changelogMore AI agents supported and smarter skill installation

Detect additional third-party coding agents by @BagToad in [#13722](https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13722)
Support `antigravity-cli` and `antigravity2.0` in `gh skill` by @BagToad in [#13784](https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13784)
fix(skills): install universal agent to `~/.agents/skills` by @toller892 in [#13681](https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13681)
fix(skills): honor `--dir` without agent prompt by @happysnaker in [#13766](https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13766)
@happysnaker made their first contribution in https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13756
@toller892 made their first contribution in https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13681

Original changelogFixes for Codespace port forwarding crashes and blank CI summaries

fix: show checks summary when all checks were cancelled by @s3onghyun in [#13679](https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13679)
Fix concurrent map writes in codespace port forwarding by @williammartin in [#13313](https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13313)
@s3onghyun made their first contribution in https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13679

Original changelogDatabase ID upgrades and workflow security reinforcement

Use `int64` for GitHub database IDs by @williammartin in [#13403](https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13403)
Pin reusable triage workflows to a commit SHA by @BagToad in [#13705](https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13705)
Add security disclosure guidance to `AGENTS.md` by @BagToad in [#13720](https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13720)
Clarify `--clone` boolean flag behaviour in `gh repo fork` help by @BagToad in [#13786](https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13786)
Fix flaky `TestHuhPrompterMultiSelectWithSearchPersistence` on slow architectures by @pdostal in [#13675](https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13675)

Original changelogDocumentation polish and dependency version updates

docs(search): add examples for multiple qualifiers by @happysnaker in [#13756](https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13756)
docs: fix broken anchor link in release-process-deep-dive by @patrickwehbe in [#13688](https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13688)
docs: fix broken install command and link/grammar errors by @patrickwehbe in [#13690](https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13690)
docs: fix duplicated word in primer README by @s3onghyun in [#13677](https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13677)
chore(deps): bump github.com/microsoft/dev-tunnels from 0.1.19 to 0.1.27 by @dependabot in [#13708](https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13708)
chore(deps): bump actions/checkout from 6.0.3 to 7.0.0 by @dependabot in [#13703](https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13703)
chore(deps): bump github.com/google/go-containerregistry from 0.21.6 to 0.21.7 by @dependabot in [#13702](https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13702)
chore(deps): bump actions/setup-go from 6.4.0 to 6.5.0 by @dependabot in [#13740](https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13740)
chore(deps): bump actions/attest from 4.1.0 to 4.1.1 by @dependabot in [#13754](https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13754)
chore(deps): bump goreleaser/goreleaser-action from 7.2.2 to 7.2.3 by @dependabot in [#13759](https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13759)
chore(deps): bump golangci/golangci-lint-action from 9.2.1 to 9.3.0 by @dependabot in [#13779](https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13779)
@patrickwehbe made their first contribution in https://github.com/cli/cli/pull/13688