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"Don't Trust" option blocks all writes instead of requesting approval #4940
Description
What version of Codex is running?
v0.45.0
Which model were you using?
gpt-5-codex
What platform is your computer?
Darwin 23.6.0 arm64
What steps can reproduce the bug?
- Start Codex in a directory
- When the trust directory prompt appears, select option 2: "No, ask me to approve edits and commands"
- Ask Codex to make any file edit, for example: "Update the README.md and add a Hello below the title"
What is the expected behavior?
Codex should ask for approval before making the edit, then proceed with the operation after I approve it.
What do you see instead?
Codex refuses to perform any write operations, saying it's in a "read-only workspace":
• I'm currently in a read-only workspace, so I can't modify README.md.
If you switch me to a writable mode (or apply the change yourself),
I'll be happy to add the "Hello" right under the title.
Additional information
This might be related to #2005, which also involved approval prompts and sandbox behavior.
The "Don't Trust" option should enable approval mode, not block all operations entirely.
Activity
github-actions commentedon Oct 8, 2025
Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.
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vmotta8 commentedon Oct 8, 2025
I looked into this and found that the "Don't Trust" option wasn't applying the approval policy correctly. Opened a PR to fix it: #4941
Handle "Don't Trust" directory selection in onboarding (openai#4941)
Handle "Don't Trust" directory selection in onboarding (openai#4941)
Handle "Don't Trust" directory selection in onboarding (openai#4941)