## Why
`PermissionProfile` is now the canonical internal permissions
representation, but the app-server wire shape is still intentionally
unstable while the migration continues. Stable app-server clients should
not see or generate code for these fields until the wire format settles.
## What changed
- Marks every app-server v2 field that sends `PermissionProfile` as
experimental, including `command/exec`, `thread/start`, `thread/resume`,
`thread/fork`, and `turn/start` request/response payloads.
- Enables per-field experimental inspection for `command/exec`, so
`permissionProfile` is gated without making the entire method
experimental.
- Fixes the generated TypeScript schema filter to be comment-aware. The
previous scanner treated apostrophes inside doc comments as string
delimiters, so some experimental fields leaked into stable TypeScript
even though stable JSON was filtered correctly.
## Verification
- `cargo test -p codex-app-server-protocol`
---
[//]: # (BEGIN SAPLING FOOTER)
Stack created with [Sapling](https://sapling-scm.com). Best reviewed
with [ReviewStack](https://reviewstack.dev/openai/codex/pull/19899).
* #19900
* __->__ #19899
## Why
The experimental `PermissionProfile` API had both `:cwd` and
`:project_roots` special filesystem paths, which made the permission
root ambiguous. This PR removes the unstable `current_working_directory`
special path before the permissions API is stabilized, so callers use
`:project_roots` for symbolic project-root access.
## What changed
- Removes `FileSystemSpecialPath::CurrentWorkingDirectory` from protocol
and app-server protocol models, plus regenerated app-server
JSON/TypeScript schemas.
- Replaces internal `:cwd` permission entries with `:project_roots`
entries.
- Keeps the existing cwd-update behavior for legacy-shaped
workspace-write profiles, while removing the deleted
`CurrentWorkingDirectory` case from that compatibility path.
- Keeps `PermissionProfile::workspace_write()` as the reusable symbolic
workspace-write helper, with docs noting that `:project_roots` entries
resolve at enforcement time.
- Updates app-server docs/examples and approval UI labeling to stop
advertising `:cwd` as a permission token.
## Compatibility
Persisted rollout items may contain the old
`{"kind":"current_working_directory"}` tag from earlier experimental
`permissionProfile` snapshots. This PR keeps that tag as a
deserialize-only alias for `ProjectRoots { subpath: None }`, while
continuing to serialize only the new `project_roots` tag.
## Follow-up
This PR intentionally does not introduce an explicit project-root set on
`SessionConfiguration` or runtime sandbox resolution. Today, the
resolver still uses the active cwd as the single implicit project root.
A follow-up should model project roots separately from tool cwd so
`:project_roots` entries can resolve against the configured project
roots, and resolve to no entries when there are no project roots.
## Verification
- `cargo test -p codex-protocol permissions:: --lib`
- `cargo test -p codex-app-server-protocol`
- `cargo test -p codex-sandboxing -p codex-exec-server --lib`
- `cargo test -p codex-core session_configuration_apply_ --lib`
- `cargo test -p codex-app-server
command_exec_permission_profile_project_roots_use_command_cwd --test
all`
- `cargo test -p codex-tui
thread_read_session_state_does_not_reuse_primary_permission_profile
--lib`
- `cargo test -p codex-tui
preset_matching_accepts_workspace_write_with_extra_roots --lib`
- `cargo test -p codex-config --lib`
## Why
`PermissionProfile` is becoming the canonical permissions abstraction,
but the old shape only carried optional filesystem and network fields.
It could describe allowed access, but not who is responsible for
enforcing it. That made `DangerFullAccess` and `ExternalSandbox` lossy
when profiles were exported, cached, or round-tripped through app-server
APIs.
The important model change is that active permissions are now a disjoint
union over the enforcement mode. Conceptually:
```rust
pub enum PermissionProfile {
Managed {
file_system: FileSystemSandboxPolicy,
network: NetworkSandboxPolicy,
},
Disabled,
External {
network: NetworkSandboxPolicy,
},
}
```
This distinction matters because `Disabled` means Codex should apply no
outer sandbox at all, while `External` means filesystem isolation is
owned by an outside caller. Those are not equivalent to a broad managed
sandbox. For example, macOS cannot nest Seatbelt inside Seatbelt, so an
inner sandbox may require the outer Codex layer to use no sandbox rather
than a permissive one.
## How Existing Modeling Maps
Legacy `SandboxPolicy` remains a boundary projection, but it now maps
into the higher-fidelity profile model:
- `ReadOnly` and `WorkspaceWrite` map to `PermissionProfile::Managed`
with restricted filesystem entries plus the corresponding network
policy.
- `DangerFullAccess` maps to `PermissionProfile::Disabled`, preserving
the “no outer sandbox” intent instead of treating it as a lax managed
sandbox.
- `ExternalSandbox { network_access }` maps to
`PermissionProfile::External { network }`, preserving external
filesystem enforcement while still carrying the active network policy.
- Split runtime policies that legacy `SandboxPolicy` cannot faithfully
express, such as managed unrestricted filesystem plus restricted
network, stay `Managed` instead of being collapsed into
`ExternalSandbox`.
- Per-command/session/turn grants remain partial overlays via
`AdditionalPermissionProfile`; full `PermissionProfile` is reserved for
complete active runtime permissions.
## What Changed
- Change active `PermissionProfile` into a tagged union: `managed`,
`disabled`, and `external`.
- Keep partial permission grants separate with
`AdditionalPermissionProfile` for command/session/turn overlays.
- Represent managed filesystem permissions as either `restricted`
entries or `unrestricted`; `glob_scan_max_depth` is non-zero when
present.
- Preserve old rollout compatibility by accepting the pre-tagged `{
network, file_system }` profile shape during deserialization.
- Preserve fidelity for important edge cases: `DangerFullAccess`
round-trips as `disabled`, `ExternalSandbox` round-trips as `external`,
and managed unrestricted filesystem + restricted network stays managed
instead of being mistaken for external enforcement.
- Preserve configured deny-read entries and bounded glob scan depth when
full profiles are projected back into runtime policies, including
unrestricted replacements that now become `:root = write` plus deny
entries.
- Regenerate the experimental app-server v2 JSON/TypeScript schema and
update the `command/exec` README example for the tagged
`permissionProfile` shape.
## Compatibility
Legacy `SandboxPolicy` remains available at config/API boundaries as the
compatibility projection. Existing rollout lines with the old
`PermissionProfile` shape continue to load. The app-server
`permissionProfile` field is experimental, so its v2 wire shape is
intentionally updated to match the higher-fidelity model.
## Verification
- `just write-app-server-schema`
- `cargo check --tests`
- `cargo test -p codex-protocol permission_profile`
- `cargo test -p codex-protocol
preserving_deny_entries_keeps_unrestricted_policy_enforceable`
- `cargo test -p codex-app-server-protocol
permission_profile_file_system_permissions`
- `cargo test -p codex-app-server-protocol serialize_client_response`
- `cargo test -p codex-core
session_configured_reports_permission_profile_for_external_sandbox`
- `just fix`
- `just fix -p codex-protocol`
- `just fix -p codex-app-server-protocol`
- `just fix -p codex-core`
- `just fix -p codex-app-server`
For callers who expect to be paginating the results for the UI, they can
now call thread/resume or thread/fork with excludeturns:true so it will
not fetch any pages of turns, and instead only set up the subscription.
That call can be immediately followed by pagination requests to
thread/turns/list to fetch pages of turns according to the UI's current
interactions.
### Why
Auto-review is the user-facing name for the approvals reviewer, but the
config/API value still exposed the old `guardian_subagent` name. That
made new configs and generated schemas point users at Guardian
terminology even though the intended product surface is Auto-review.
This PR updates the external `approvals_reviewer` value while preserving
compatibility for existing configs and clients.
### What changed
- Makes `auto_review` the canonical serialized value for
`approvals_reviewer`.
- Keeps `guardian_subagent` accepted as a legacy alias.
- Keeps `user` accepted and serialized as `user`.
- Updates generated config and app-server schemas so
`approvals_reviewer` includes:
- `user`
- `auto_review`
- `guardian_subagent`
- Updates app-server README docs for the reviewer value.
- Updates analytics and config requirements tests for the canonical
auto_review value.
### Compatibility
Existing configs and API payloads using:
```toml
approvals_reviewer = "guardian_subagent"
```
continue to load and map to the Auto-review reviewer behavior.
New serialization emits:
```toml
approvals_reviewer = "auto_review"
```
This PR intentionally does not rename the [features].guardian_approval
key or broad internal Guardian symbols. Those are split out for a
follow-up PR to keep this migration small and avoid touching large
TUI/internal surfaces.
**Verification**
cargo test -p codex-protocol
approvals_reviewer_serializes_auto_review_and_accepts_legacy_guardian_subagent
cargo test -p codex-app-server-protocol
approvals_reviewer_serializes_auto_review_and_accepts_legacy_guardian_subagent
## Why
`PermissionProfile` is becoming the canonical permissions shape shared
by core and app-server. After app-server responses expose the active
profile, clients need to be able to send that same shape back when
starting, resuming, forking, or overriding a turn instead of translating
through the legacy `sandbox`/`sandboxPolicy` shorthands.
This still needs to preserve the existing requirements/platform
enforcement model. A profile-shaped request can be downgraded or
rejected by constraints, but the server should keep the user's
elevated-access intent for project trust decisions. Turn-level profile
overrides also need to retain existing read protections, including
deny-read entries and bounded glob-scan metadata, so a permission
override cannot accidentally drop configured protections such as
`**/*.env = deny`.
## What changed
- Adds optional `permissionProfile` request fields to `thread/start`,
`thread/resume`, `thread/fork`, and `turn/start`.
- Rejects ambiguous requests that specify both `permissionProfile` and
the legacy `sandbox`/`sandboxPolicy` fields, including running-thread
resume requests.
- Converts profile-shaped overrides into core runtime filesystem/network
permissions while continuing to derive the constrained legacy sandbox
projection used by existing execution paths.
- Preserves project-trust intent for profile overrides that are
equivalent to workspace-write or full-access sandbox requests.
- Preserves existing deny-read entries and `globScanMaxDepth` when
applying turn-level `permissionProfile` overrides.
- Updates app-server docs plus generated JSON/TypeScript schema fixtures
and regression coverage.
## Verification
- `cargo test -p codex-app-server-protocol schema_fixtures`
- `cargo test -p codex-core
session_configuration_apply_permission_profile_preserves_existing_deny_read_entries`
---
[//]: # (BEGIN SAPLING FOOTER)
Stack created with [Sapling](https://sapling-scm.com). Best reviewed
with [ReviewStack](https://reviewstack.dev/openai/codex/pull/18279).
* #18288
* #18287
* #18286
* #18285
* #18284
* #18283
* #18282
* #18281
* #18280
* __->__ #18279
## Summary
- add `approvals_reviewer = "user" | "guardian_subagent"` as the runtime
control for who reviews approval requests
- route Smart Approvals guardian review through core for command
execution, file changes, managed-network approvals, MCP approvals, and
delegated/subagent approval flows
- expose guardian review in app-server with temporary unstable
`item/autoApprovalReview/{started,completed}` notifications carrying
`targetItemId`, `review`, and `action`
- update the TUI so Smart Approvals can be enabled from `/experimental`,
aligned with the matching `/approvals` mode, and surfaced clearly while
reviews are pending or resolved
## Runtime model
This PR does not introduce a new `approval_policy`.
Instead:
- `approval_policy` still controls when approval is needed
- `approvals_reviewer` controls who reviewable approval requests are
routed to:
- `user`
- `guardian_subagent`
`guardian_subagent` is a carefully prompted reviewer subagent that
gathers relevant context and applies a risk-based decision framework
before approving or denying the request.
The `smart_approvals` feature flag is a rollout/UI gate. Core runtime
behavior keys off `approvals_reviewer`.
When Smart Approvals is enabled from the TUI, it also switches the
current `/approvals` settings to the matching Smart Approvals mode so
users immediately see guardian review in the active thread:
- `approval_policy = on-request`
- `approvals_reviewer = guardian_subagent`
- `sandbox_mode = workspace-write`
Users can still change `/approvals` afterward.
Config-load behavior stays intentionally narrow:
- plain `smart_approvals = true` in `config.toml` remains just the
rollout/UI gate and does not auto-set `approvals_reviewer`
- the deprecated `guardian_approval = true` alias migration does
backfill `approvals_reviewer = "guardian_subagent"` in the same scope
when that reviewer is not already configured there, so old configs
preserve their original guardian-enabled behavior
ARC remains a separate safety check. For MCP tool approvals, ARC
escalations now flow into the configured reviewer instead of always
bypassing guardian and forcing manual review.
## Config stability
The runtime reviewer override is stable, but the config-backed
app-server protocol shape is still settling.
- `thread/start`, `thread/resume`, and `turn/start` keep stable
`approvalsReviewer` overrides
- the config-backed `approvals_reviewer` exposure returned via
`config/read` (including profile-level config) is now marked
`[UNSTABLE]` / experimental in the app-server protocol until we are more
confident in that config surface
## App-server surface
This PR intentionally keeps the guardian app-server shape narrow and
temporary.
It adds generic unstable lifecycle notifications:
- `item/autoApprovalReview/started`
- `item/autoApprovalReview/completed`
with payloads of the form:
- `{ threadId, turnId, targetItemId, review, action? }`
`review` is currently:
- `{ status, riskScore?, riskLevel?, rationale? }`
- where `status` is one of `inProgress`, `approved`, `denied`, or
`aborted`
`action` carries the guardian action summary payload from core when
available. This lets clients render temporary standalone pending-review
UI, including parallel reviews, even when the underlying tool item has
not been emitted yet.
These notifications are explicitly documented as `[UNSTABLE]` and
expected to change soon.
This PR does **not** persist guardian review state onto `thread/read`
tool items. The intended follow-up is to attach guardian review state to
the reviewed tool item lifecycle instead, which would improve
consistency with manual approvals and allow thread history / reconnect
flows to replay guardian review state directly.
## TUI behavior
- `/experimental` exposes the rollout gate as `Smart Approvals`
- enabling it in the TUI enables the feature and switches the current
session to the matching Smart Approvals `/approvals` mode
- disabling it in the TUI clears the persisted `approvals_reviewer`
override when appropriate and returns the session to default manual
review when the effective reviewer changes
- `/approvals` still exposes the reviewer choice directly
- the TUI renders:
- pending guardian review state in the live status footer, including
parallel review aggregation
- resolved approval/denial state in history
## Scope notes
This PR includes the supporting core/runtime work needed to make Smart
Approvals usable end-to-end:
- shell / unified-exec / apply_patch / managed-network / MCP guardian
review
- delegated/subagent approval routing into guardian review
- guardian review risk metadata and action summaries for app-server/TUI
- config/profile/TUI handling for `smart_approvals`, `guardian_approval`
alias migration, and `approvals_reviewer`
- a small internal cleanup of delegated approval forwarding to dedupe
fallback paths and simplify guardian-vs-parent approval waiting (no
intended behavior change)
Out of scope for this PR:
- redesigning the existing manual approval protocol shapes
- persisting guardian review state onto app-server `ThreadItem`s
- delegated MCP elicitation auto-review (the current delegated MCP
guardian shim only covers the legacy `RequestUserInput` path)
---------
Co-authored-by: Codex <noreply@openai.com>
## Summary
- add `skill_approval` to `RejectConfig` and the app-server v2
`AskForApproval::Reject` payload so skill-script prompts can be
configured independently from sandbox and rule-based prompts
- update Unix shell escalation to reject prompts based on the actual
decision source, keeping prefix rules tied to `rules`, unmatched command
fallbacks tied to `sandbox_approval`, and skill scripts tied to
`skill_approval`
- regenerate the affected protocol/config schemas and expand
unit/integration coverage for the new flag and skill approval behavior
### Summary
This PR adds first-class ephemeral support to thread/fork, bringing it
in line with thread/start. The goal is to support one-off completions on
full forked threads without persisting them as normal user-visible
threads.
### Testing
## Summary
We need to support allowing request_permissions calls when using
`Reject` policy
<img width="1133" height="588" alt="Screenshot 2026-03-09 at 12 06
40 PM"
src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/a8df987f-c225-4866-b8ab-5590960daec5"
/>
Note that this is a backwards-incompatible change for Reject policy. I'm
not sure if we need to add a default based on our current use/setup
## Testing
- [x] Added tests
- [x] Tested locally
followup to https://github.com/openai/codex/pull/13212 to expose fast
tier controls to app server
(majority of this PR is generated schema jsons - actual code is +69 /
-35 and +24 tests )
- add service tier fields to the app-server protocol surfaces used by
thread lifecycle, turn start, config, and session configured events
- thread service tier through the app-server message processor and core
thread config snapshots
- allow runtime config overrides to carry service tier for app-server
callers
cleanup:
- Removing useless "legacy" code supporting "standard" - we moved to
None | "fast", so "standard" is not needed.
These fields had always been documented as experimental/unstable with
docstrings, but now let's actually use the `experimental` annotation to
be more explicit.
- thread/start.experimentalRawEvents
- thread/resume.history
- thread/resume.path
- thread/fork.path
- turn/start.collaborationMode
- account/login/start.chatgptAuthTokens
Similar to what @sayan-oai did in openai/codex#8956 for
`config.schema.json`, this PR updates the repo so that it includes the
output of `codex app-server generate-json-schema` and `codex app-server
generate-ts` and adds a test to verify it is in sync with the current
code.
Motivation:
- This makes any schema changes introduced by a PR transparent during
code review.
- In particular, this should help us catch PRs that would introduce a
non-backwards-compatible change to the app schema (eventually, this
should also be enforced by tooling).
- Once https://github.com/openai/codex/pull/10231 is in to formalize the
notion of "experimental" fields, we can work on ensuring the
non-experimental bits are backwards-compatible.
`codex-rs/app-server-protocol/tests/schema_fixtures.rs` was added as the
test and `just write-app-server-schema` can be use to generate the
vendored schema files.
Incidentally, when I run:
```
rg _ codex-rs/app-server-protocol/schema/typescript/v2
```
I see a number of `snake_case` names that should be `camelCase`.
