ChatGPT Desktop (Windows) fails in WSL mode with "Codex app-server initialize handshake timed out" #39169

What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?

26.814.5167.0

What subscription do you have?

Plus

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26200.0 x64

What issue are you seeing?

ChatGPT Desktop 26.814.5167.0
Windows 11
WSL2 FedoraNew
codex-cli 0.148.0-alpha.15

runCodexInWindowsSubsystemForLinux = true

Error:
"Codex app-server initialize handshake timed out"

Works:

• WSL starts normally
• codex --version
• codex app-server
• exact app-server command extracted from logs
• all SQLite databases pass PRAGMA quick_check
• no SQLite locks

Log excerpts:
[resolveCodexHome] Falling back to host home directory because WSL CODEX_HOME could not be resolved

bundled_executable_relocation_failed
failedExecutableName=bwrap
errorCode=ENOENT

[AppServerConnection] Initialize handshake still pending
durationMs=30002

Codex app-server initialize handshake timed out

This worked until a Windows reboot overnight on 18/19 August.

Switching to:

runCodexInWindowsSubsystemForLinux = false

Allows it to start - but I lose access to my (many!) WSL-backed conversations.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. Install ChatGPT Desktop 26.814.5167.0 on Windows 11.
2. Configure ChatGPT to run Codex in WSL:
3. Use a WSL2 distribution (Fedora in my case) as the integrated terminal.
4. Close and restart ChatGPT Desktop.
5. Observe startup failure

codex-desktop-2604ace1-768c-484d-a112-8b1d7cc81155-4956-t0-i1-071622-0.log

What is the expected behavior?

No response

Additional information

No response