Add setting to prevent MCP tools from being auto-disabled during development

[ubanishathanvenkatesan]

Problem

The GitHub Chat Extension automatically disables MCP tools (presumably to optimize performance), but this behavior is problematic for developers actively developing and testing MCP tools. The tools get disabled unpredictably, causing test failures and requiring developers to manually re-enable them repeatedly.

Current Behavior

• MCP tools are frequently disabled automatically
• Developers must explicitly re-enable tools before testing
• No configuration option to disable this auto-disable behavior
• This creates a frustrating development experience with frequent test failures

Desired Behavior

Add a user setting to control whether MCP tools can be auto-disabled:

{
  "github.chat.mcp.autoDisable": false,
  "github.chat.mcp.disableDuringOptimization": false
}

Impact

• Developers working on MCP tools spend time dealing with disabled tools instead of development
• Tests fail unexpectedly due to tool availability changes
• Contradicts the development workflow where tools need to stay active during testing

Suggested Solution

1. Add a configuration setting to allow users/developers to opt-out of automatic tool disabling
2. Document this setting clearly for MCP tool developers
3. Optionally, provide a "Development Mode" that disables optimization features like auto-disabling tools

Steps to Reproduce

1. Develop an MCP tool
2. Run tests multiple times
3. Observe tools being disabled intermittently
4. Tests fail due to disabled tools

Expected Behavior

MCP tools should remain enabled during development unless explicitly disabled by the user or through a development mode toggle.