macOS Create Project not working in desktop app #41745

Activity

1. AetherSynapse

   added

   appIssues related to the Codex desktop appIssues related to the Codex desktop app

   on Aug 31, 2026
2. github-actions

   added

   bugSomething isn't workingSomething isn't working

   on Aug 31, 2026
3. github-actions commented on Aug 31, 2026

   

   github-actionsBot

   on Aug 31, 2026 – with GitHub Actions

   Contributor

   More actions

   Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.

   • Windows Codex Desktop: creating and removing local projects fails #41552
   • [Windows] After the version update, I encountered a bug that prevented me from editing/creating projects. #41509

   Powered by Codex Action
4. AetherSynapse commented on Aug 31, 2026

   

   AetherSynapse

   on Aug 31, 2026

   Author

   More actions

   `Repository validation:

   • clean git status
   • origin/main configured correctly
   • directory writable
   • Codex CLI successfully opens the same repo
   • Codex CLI executed a full multi-step task including filesystem writes,
     Python, PDAL installation, tests, and Git inspection

   Restarting the desktop app does not resolve the failure.
   Global ~/.codex/config.toml validates successfully.`
5. KirkpatrickDev commented on Sep 2, 2026

   

   KirkpatrickDev

   on Sep 2, 2026

   More actions

   Possible Windows reproduction, root cause, and recovery

   I encountered the same generic “Failed to create project” message on Windows.

   Environment

   • Codex desktop app: 26.831.2377.0
   • Bundled app-server: 0.152.1
   • Windows
   • The selected folder existed, was writable, and did not need to be a Git repository.

   Underlying error

   The desktop logs contained:

   Local app-server project migration failed errorMessage="duplicate project root: c:\Users\<user>\Desktop\VS Code\AutodeskAPS"

   In %USERPROFILE%\.codex\.codex-global-state.json, one existing project had the same Windows folder registered twice, differing only by drive-letter casing:

   • C:\Users\<user>\Desktop\VS Code\AutodeskAPS
   • c:\Users\<user>\Desktop\VS Code\AutodeskAPS

   These resolve to the same folder on Windows. The duplicate caused the project migration to abort, while the UI only displayed the generic project-creation error.

   A failed creation could also leave the new project in the app-server SQLite registry while omitting it from the desktop sidebar index.

   Successful recovery

   1. Completely exited the Codex desktop app.
   2. Created a timestamped backup of .codex-global-state.json.
   3. Removed only the case-equivalent duplicate root while preserving the existing project ID and canonical folder.
   4. Reconciled the single missing sidebar project entry with its existing app-server project ID.
   5. Restarted Codex.

   Afterward:

   • The existing AutodeskAPS project, files, ID, and chats were preserved.
   • The new local project appeared in the Projects sidebar.
   • Project creation worked using the original folder.

   Possible application-side fixes

   • Normalize paths before checking for duplicate project roots.
   • Compare Windows—and possibly default macOS—paths using filesystem-appropriate case sensitivity.
   • De-duplicate equivalent roots during migration instead of aborting the entire migration.
   • Make project creation transactional across the app-server database and desktop sidebar index.
   • Display the underlying migration error instead of only “Failed to create project.”

   This may not be the same root cause as the original macOS report, but checking for case-equivalent duplicate roots may be worthwhile.
6. ozan-s commented on Sep 20, 2026

   

   ozan-s

   on Sep 20, 2026

   More actions

   I had the same problem. In my case, the cause is a Windows project path in .codex/.codex-global-state.json file. I share Codex settings between Windows and Mac machine.

   Codex prepared a repair script, I quit Codex, ran the script and restarted Codex. Problem solved.