Codex Desktop macOS: delegated Central follow-up loses selected capability roots and completes without tool dispatch #43350

Activity

1. github-actions

   added

   bugSomething isn't workingSomething isn't working

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

   app-serverIssues involving app server protocol or interfacesIssues involving app server protocol or interfaces

   subagentIssues involving subagents or multi-agent featuresIssues involving subagents or multi-agent features

   computer-use

   on Sep 7, 2026
2. samvitjatia commented on Oct 6, 2026

   

   samvitjatia

   on Oct 6, 2026

   More actions

   Adding a sanitized macOS reproduction from 2026-10-06. This appears related to the delegated-capability symptom in this issue, but the shared root cause is not confirmed.

   Environment

   • ChatGPT/Codex desktop app: 26.930.31730, build 12947; bundle identifier com.openai.codex.
   • macOS 26.5 (25F71); uname -mprs: Darwin 25.5.0 arm64 arm.
   • App-bundled CLI: 0.160.0. Separate PATH CLI: 0.146.0. Both were inspected read-only; the PATH CLI was not used to execute the affected task.
   • A dot delegated browser work to its connected Mac. The user reports the Mac/browser are connected and authorized, and that ordinary local Codex sessions can use the browser. That ordinary-session comparison has not been independently reproduced in this diagnostic task.
   • Chrome is running, confirmed by the bundled browser plugin's documented running check.

   Reproduction

   1. From a dot, delegate a task requiring the existing browser session on the connected Mac.
   2. The delegated task receives the installed Chrome, Browser, and Computer Use skills, can read their bundled files, and can execute ordinary shell commands on the Mac.
   3. Follow the browser skill bootstrap, which requires the mcp__node_repl__js tool.
   4. Inspect the full currently callable tool catalog. No node_repl or cua_repl execution tool is exposed, and no tool-search capability exists to load it. No browser runtime can therefore be initialized.
   5. Send a follow-up to investigate the missing tool: it remains absent in this task.

   Confirmed diagnostics

   The app-bundled CLI's plugin listing reports:

   • browser@openai-bundled: installed=true, enabled=true, version 26.930.31730.
   • chrome@openai-bundled: installed=true, enabled=true, version 26.930.31730.
   • computer-use@openai-bundled: installed=true, enabled=true, version 1.0.1001365.

   The app-bundled CLI reports browser_use, browser_use_external, in_app_browser, and computer_use as enabled. This is local configuration evidence, not proof of the delegated task's effective capability selection.

   The browser skill and client files exist. The observed failure is before browser selection, extension communication, website navigation, or authentication.

   Some mcp__codex_app__* tools are exposed, but the read-only app update check returns: App updates are only available on the local desktop host. This is another surface distinction; it does not by itself prove a bug.

   Expected and actual

   Expected: a supported delegated task should receive the approved browser execution capability, or clearly explain which capability is unavailable and provide a supported recovery route.

   Actual: the task receives instructions for installed browser functionality but lacks the required execution tool. Working local shell access does not provide working browser access.

   Diagnostic identifiers

   • Affected task: 01a11081-487b-7635-81be-4ff5c6549073
   • Affected turn: 01a11081-65ec-736e-93db-fe156ba8953b

   These identifiers were explicitly authorized for this report. No full session, raw logs, account email, browser contents, credentials, financial data, or unrelated conversation content are attached.

   Remaining uncertainty

   This evidence points toward task capability provisioning or routing rather than a missing browser plugin. It does not establish selected_capability_root_count=0, an intentional delegated-task limitation, or the same implementation defect as the original report. No capability injection, manual browser-server launch, permission changes, reinstalls, or unsupported browser automation were attempted.

   Please confirm the supported way to give this delegated task its approved browser capability, and whether direct local task creation is currently required.