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Linux Desktop 26.924.22138 stuck on “Starting your task”; integrated terminal closes and child processes remain zombies #48609
Description
What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?
26.924.22138
What subscription do you have?
Plus
What platform is your computer?
Linux 7.0.0-34-generic x86_64 unknown
What issue are you seeing?
Problem
ChatGPT/Codex Desktop gets stuck on “Starting your task” when starting a task with a local folder, including an empty folder. Codex CLI works normally.
The integrated terminal opens, but the shell prompt never initializes and the terminal closes, preventing me from running git status.
Environment
- Ubuntu 26.04.1 LTS
- Wayland session; Desktop uses XWayland by default
- Desktop version: 26.924.22138
- Bundled Codex runtime: 0.158.0-alpha.2.1
- Standalone Codex CLI: 0.157.1
- Git: /usr/bin/git, version 2.53.0
What steps can reproduce the bug?
Steps to reproduce
- Open the Desktop app.
- Select a local folder.
- Submit a simple task.
- The app remains stuck on “Starting your task”.
Separately, opening the integrated terminal results in no initialized prompt, followed by the terminal closing.
What is the expected behavior?
Expected behavior
Local tasks should start, and the integrated terminal should initialize a usable shell prompt
Additional information
Troubleshooting performed
The issue persists after:
- Switching networks, including a mobile hotspot.
- Using a clean temporary profile with
--user-data-dir. - Launching with
--disable-gpu. - Launching with
chatgpt --ozone-platform=wayland. - Temporarily removing
~/.codex/config.toml. - Setting
CODEX_CLI_PATHto the working standalone CLI 0.157.1. Logs confirmed that the Desktop used this executable.
Cloud works only in https://chatgpt.com/codex/cloud.
Worktree mode doesn't appear in a repo folder for tests.
Diagnostic findings
- AppServer initialization handshake succeeds.
- Desktop logs repeatedly report:
Failed to load shell env — Timed out after 5000msGit is unavailable
- Inspection found
zsh,git, andcodexchild processes remaining in zombie state under the main ChatGPT process, with exit status 0. - The Git availability check succeeds outside the Desktop.
- An equivalent shell environment capture succeeds outside the Desktop in approximately 1.54 seconds.
These findings suggest a problem with subprocess completion handling in the Desktop, but the exact root cause is not confirmed.
Desktop feedback / Session ID
no-active-thread-01a0e096-865b-73c2-81d8-d6592fc1e8f7
This is the exact identifier provided by the Desktop feedback flow.
Activity
github-actions commentedon Sep 27, 2026
Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.
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ichliebekide commentedon Sep 28, 2026
Possible workaround for Linux users stuck on “Starting your task”
I had the same issue with Codex Desktop on Linux. Every new task would get stuck indefinitely on “Starting your task”, while the Codex CLI continued to work normally.
Funny enough, I used Codex CLI to diagnose and repair Codex Desktop itself, and it actually fixed the problem.
I started Codex CLI from my home directory and gave it permission to inspect the Desktop installation, logs, configuration, cache, processes, permissions, Git integration, and known Linux issues. I also told it to back up relevant configuration before making changes and to repair or downgrade the Desktop installation if necessary.
After about two minutes of diagnosis and repair, Codex Desktop was restarted and new tasks started working normally again. My projects, chats, and login data were preserved.
So if your Codex Desktop is stuck on “Starting your task” but the CLI still works, try asking the CLI to diagnose and repair the Desktop installation.
The prompt I used was essentially:
“Diagnose and fix my Codex Desktop installation on Linux. New Desktop tasks are permanently stuck on ‘Starting your task’, while Codex CLI works normally. Inspect the Desktop version, installation, processes, logs, configuration, cache, permissions, Git detection, and IPC/network issues. Search for known issues with this version if necessary. Back up relevant configuration before making changes. Apply safe repairs yourself, restart Codex Desktop, and verify whether creating a new task works. Do not delete projects, chats, credentials, or other important user data. Work autonomously until the issue is fixed or the root cause is identified.”
In other words: Codex CLI fixed Codex Desktop.
Linux moment. :D
gpaxwealth commentedon Sep 28, 2026
Same issue here on Ubuntu 26.04.1 LTS, kernel 7.0.0-34-generic, Wayland session. Affects both 26.924.20706 and 26.924.22138. Codex CLI unaffected.
Additional evidence that this is child-process reaping in the Desktop main process:
strace -f -e trace=execve. The Git availability probe (/bin/sh -c 'git="$(command -v git)" … exec "$git" --version') ran and/usr/bin/git --versionexited 0 in ~70 ms, yet the app still loggedGit is unavailable. The shell-envbash -ilc …exited 0 in 1.4 s, yet the app loggedFailed to load shell env — Timed out after 5000ms.bash,git,gh,ps,codex) stayed<defunct>under the ChatGPT main process indefinitely. It was the only process on the system with zombies. So the exits are never observed, and every spawn runs into its timeout.fapolicyd(stopping it made no difference), and PATH or login-shell problems.Workaround confirmed: downgrading to 26.917.71314 (from the local APT cache,
apt install --allow-downgrades …, thenapt-mark hold chatgpt) fixes it. Tasks start, branch info returns, zero zombie children, and no git or shell-env errors.CommonLoon102 commentedon Sep 28, 2026
I used these steps to roll back to previous version and now I can use Codex Desktop again:
https://community.openai.com/t/codex-chats-stuck-loading-in-linux-desktop-app-26-924-22138/1401249/9
yuzhu-oai commentedon Sep 28, 2026
The issue has been fixed. Please update to the latest version.