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[Windows][Computer Use] Native app requests are incorrectly routed to browser-only mcp__cua_repl, causing sky RPC failure #44986

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Description

@user-lzy

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

26.903.71938

What subscription do you have?

ChatGPT Plus

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26100.0 x64

What issue are you seeing?

On Codex Desktop for Windows, @computer Use is enabled and native Computer Use is functional, but native Windows application tasks are sometimes routed to the wrong MCP tool.

For example:

@computer Use open Notepad and type test123

The task is routed to mcp__cua_repl instead of mcp__node_repl.

mcp__cua_repl is provided by the unified-computer-use plugin and is configured with:

CUA_REPL_ENABLED_SURFACES=browser

Therefore the native sky trusted RPC service is not registered, and the task fails with:

Trusted RPC service is not configured: sky

This is not a native Computer Use backend failure.

Manual testing through mcp__node_repl works correctly:

  • import @oai/sky succeeds
  • sky.list_apps() returns approximately 40 native Windows applications
  • codex-computer-use.exe starts successfully
  • the native named pipe is created and functional

The computer-use plugin's SKILL.md explicitly instructs use of node_repl + @oai/sky for native Windows Computer Use, but there appears to be no hard server/tool binding. The runtime tool selector instead selects the generic mcp__cua_repl UI tool.

Additional context:

This appears to be a tool-routing issue rather than a native Computer Use runtime failure.

I have unloaded the Feedback.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

  1. Use Codex Desktop on Windows.

  2. Install and enable the Computer Use plugin.

  3. Enable "Any app" under Settings -> Computer Use.

  4. Start a new Codex task.

  5. Ask:

    @computer Use open Notepad and type test123

  6. Observe that the task attempts to use mcp__cua_repl.

  7. The request fails with:

    Trusted RPC service is not configured: sky

  8. Manually use mcp__node_repl and import @oai/sky.

  9. Run sky.list_apps().

  10. Observe that native Computer Use works correctly and returns native Windows applications.

What is the expected behavior?

When @computer Use is used for a native Windows application task, Codex should route the task to:

mcp__node_repl__js
-> @oai/sky
-> codex-computer-use.exe

mcp__cua_repl should not be selected for native Windows application tasks when its enabled surface is browser-only.

Additional information

Relevant local plugin/runtime evidence:

  1. computer-use plugin

plugin.json contains skills/interface/hooks, but no mcpServers, route, priority, alias, trigger, or mention binding.

Its SKILL.md explicitly instructs the model to use node_repl and import @oai/sky.

  1. unified-computer-use plugin

This plugin exports the cua_repl MCP server via mcpServers.

Its .mcp.json contains:

CUA_REPL_ENABLED_SURFACES=browser

  1. Launcher behavior

When computer=false, launch.mjs registers only browser-related trusted services and does not register sky.

  1. Black-box behavior

mcp__cua_repl.getState():
apps: []

mcp__node_repl:
await import('@oai/sky')
sky.list_apps()

returns approximately 40 native Windows applications.

  1. Native runtime

codex-computer-use.exe launches successfully and the native named pipe is ready.

Therefore this appears to be a tool-routing / capability-selection issue rather than a permissions, firewall, proxy, native runtime, or Windows service issue.

Activity

  1. added
    appIssues related to the Codex desktop app
    on Sep 12, 2026
  2. sujj6 commented on Sep 24, 2026

    @sujj6

    I can reproduce the same Windows native-app routing failure.

    Environment:

    • Windows
    • unified-computer-use / CUA build: 26.915.31945
    • The bundled computer-use plugin is enabled.

    Observed:

    1. A native WPS window is open, but cua.getState() returns apps: [] and only the in-app browser.
    2. cua.computer is undefined.
    3. Importing @oai/sky and calling sky.list_apps() fails with:
      Trusted RPC service is not configured: sky
    4. The native Computer Use helper process and its codex-computer-use-* named pipe are running.
    5. The materialized unified-computer-use manifest configures
      CUA_REPL_ENABLED_SURFACES=browser and registers only the browser trusted service.

    This makes native Windows apps undiscoverable even though the backend is present. Please route native-app requests to the Sky/node_repl path, or materialize browser,computer and register the Sky trusted RPC service.

  3. DDobrovolskyyyyy commented on Oct 6, 2026

    @DDobrovolskyyyyy

    Additional reproduction from another Windows 11 system (Codex Desktop 26.930.41038; bundled Computer Use plugin 26.930.41038):

    • After a full Windows restart, cua.getState() still returns apps: [] for native apps (the browser surface is available).
    • Importing @oai/sky succeeds, but sky.list_apps() fails with Trusted RPC service is not configured: sky.
    • This session exposes mcp__cua_repl but not mcp__node_repl, so I could not test native enumeration through the node_repl/Sky route.
    • DaVinci Resolve MCP remains operational (Resolve Studio 21.1.0.14). The separately installed TS DaVinci Resolve MCP skill also passes all 99 package-manifest file hash checks, so neither appears to be the source of this failure.
    • Restarting Windows did not change the result.

    Could you confirm whether this is the same browser-only CUA routing/surface configuration issue? The likely fix appears to be routing native-app requests through node_repl/Sky, or ensuring the native computer surface is enabled and the Sky trusted RPC service is registered.

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