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macOS workspace-write sandbox denies directory rename and removal inside a writable workspace #40565

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macOS workspace-write sandbox denies directory rename and removal inside a writable workspace#40565
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CLIIssues related to the Codex CLIbugSomething isn't workingsandboxIssues related to permissions or sandboxing

Description

@rklos
rklos
opened on Aug 25, 2026

What version of Codex CLI is running?

codex-cli 0.149.1

What subscription do you have?

ChatGPT Pro 5x

Which model were you using?

gpt-5.6-terra medium

What platform is your computer?

Darwin 25.5.0 arm64 arm

What terminal emulator and version are you using (if applicable)?

No response

Codex doctor report

{
  "schemaVersion": 1,
  "generatedAt": "1787640983s since unix epoch",
  "overallStatus": "ok",
  "codexVersion": "0.149.1",
  "checks": {
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      "id": "app_server.status",
      "category": "app-server",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "background server is not running",
      "details": {
        "control socket": "/Users/rklos/.codex/app-server-control/app-server-control.sock",
        "daemon state dir": "/Users/rklos/.codex/app-server-daemon",
        "mode": "ephemeral",
        "pid file": "/Users/rklos/.codex/app-server-daemon/app-server.pid (missing)",
        "settings": "/Users/rklos/.codex/app-server-daemon/settings.json (missing)",
        "status": "not running",
        "update-loop pid file": "/Users/rklos/.codex/app-server-daemon/app-server-updater.pid (missing)"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "auth.credentials": {
      "id": "auth.credentials",
      "category": "auth",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "auth is configured",
      "details": {
        "auth file": "/Users/rklos/.codex/auth.json",
        "auth storage mode": "File",
        "stored API key": "false",
        "stored ChatGPT tokens": "true",
        "stored agent identity": "false",
        "stored auth mode": "chatgpt"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "config.load": {
      "id": "config.load",
      "category": "config",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "config loaded",
      "details": {
        "CODEX_HOME": "/Users/rklos/.codex",
        "config.toml": "/Users/rklos/.codex/config.toml",
        "config.toml parse": "ok",
        "cwd": "/Users/rklos",
        "enabled feature flags": "shell_tool, view_image, unified_exec, shell_snapshot, code_mode_host, terminal_resize_reflow, sqlite, hooks, request_permissions_tool, enable_request_compression, unbounded_connection_retries, multi_agent, apps, tool_search_always_defer_mcp_tools, tool_suggest, plugins, in_app_browser, in_app_chat, in_app_dictation, in_app_updates, browser_use, browser_use_full_cdp_access, browser_use_external, computer_use, remote_plugin, plugin_sharing, image_generation, resize_all_images, item_ids, skill_mcp_dependency_install, skill_search, mentions_v2, steer, guardian_approval, goals, collaboration_modes, tool_call_mcp_elicitation, auth_elicitation, personality, fast_mode, tui_app_server, remote_compaction_v2, workspace_dependencies",
        "feature flag overrides": "request_permissions_tool=true",
        "feature flags enabled": "43",
        "log dir": "/Users/rklos/.codex/log",
        "mcp servers": "3",
        "model": "gpt-5.6-terra",
        "model provider": "openai",
        "sqlite home": "/Users/rklos/.codex"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "git.environment": {
      "id": "git.environment",
      "category": "git",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "git version 2.50.1 (Apple Git-155)",
      "details": {
        "PATH git #1": "/usr/bin/git",
        "PATH git entries": "1",
        "git build options": "git version 2.50.1 (Apple Git-155); cpu: arm64; no commit associated with this build; sizeof-long: 8; sizeof-size_t: 8; shell-path: /bin/sh; feature: fsmonitor--daemon; libcurl: 8.7.1; zlib: 1.2.12; SHA-1: SHA1_DC; SHA-256: SHA256_BLK",
        "git exec path": "/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/usr/libexec/git-core",
        "git version": "git version 2.50.1 (Apple Git-155)",
        "repo detected": "false",
        "selected git": "/usr/bin/git"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 166
    },
    "installation": {
      "id": "installation",
      "category": "install",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "installation looks consistent",
      "details": {
        "PATH codex #1": "/Users/rklos/.local/bin/codex",
        "current executable": "/Users/rklos/.local/bin/codex",
        "install context": "standalone (unix, package /Users/rklos/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-aarch64-apple-darwin, bin /Users/rklos/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-aarch64-apple-darwin/bin, resources /Users/rklos/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-aarch64-apple-darwin/codex-resources, path /Users/rklos/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-aarch64-apple-darwin/codex-path)",
        "managed by bun": "false",
        "managed by npm": "false",
        "managed by pnpm": "false",
        "managed package root": "not set"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 2
    },
    "mcp.config": {
      "id": "mcp.config",
      "category": "mcp",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "MCP configuration is locally consistent",
      "details": {
        "configured servers": "3",
        "disabled servers": "0",
        "stdio servers": "2",
        "streamable_http servers": "1"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 515
    },
    "network.env": {
      "id": "network.env",
      "category": "network",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "network-related environment looks readable",
      "details": {
        "managed proxy": "not configured",
        "proxy env vars": "none",
        "respect system proxy": "disabled",
        "system proxy": "direct"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "network.provider_reachability": {
      "id": "network.provider_reachability",
      "category": "reachability",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "active provider endpoints are reachable over HTTP",
      "details": {
        "ChatGPT inference URL": "https://chatgpt.com/backend-api/<redacted> reachable (HTTP 405)",
        "reachability mode": "ChatGPT auth"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 282
    },
    "network.websocket_reachability": {
      "id": "network.websocket_reachability",
      "category": "websocket",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "Responses WebSocket handshake succeeded",
      "details": {
        "DNS": "2 IPv4, 0 IPv6, first IPv4",
        "auth mode": "chatgpt",
        "connect timeout": "15000 ms",
        "endpoint": "wss://chatgpt.com/backend-api/<redacted>",
        "handshake result": "HTTP 101 Switching Protocols",
        "model provider": "openai",
        "provider name": "OpenAI",
        "proxy env vars": "none",
        "reasoning header": "false",
        "server model present": "false",
        "supports websockets": "true",
        "wire API": "responses"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 911
    },
    "runtime.provenance": {
      "id": "runtime.provenance",
      "category": "runtime",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "running standalone on macos-aarch64",
      "details": {
        "commit": "unknown",
        "current executable": "/Users/rklos/.local/bin/codex",
        "install method": "standalone (unix, package /Users/rklos/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-aarch64-apple-darwin, bin /Users/rklos/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-aarch64-apple-darwin/bin, resources /Users/rklos/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-aarch64-apple-darwin/codex-resources, path /Users/rklos/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-aarch64-apple-darwin/codex-path)",
        "platform": "macos-aarch64",
        "version": "0.149.1"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "runtime.search": {
      "id": "runtime.search",
      "category": "search",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "search is OK (bundled)",
      "details": {
        "search command": "/Users/rklos/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-aarch64-apple-darwin/codex-path/rg",
        "search command readiness": "file exists",
        "search provider": "bundled"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "sandbox.helpers": {
      "id": "sandbox.helpers",
      "category": "sandbox",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "sandbox configuration is readable",
      "details": {
        "approval policy": "OnRequest",
        "codex-linux-sandbox helper": "none",
        "execve wrapper helper": "/Users/rklos/.codex/tmp/arg0/codex-arg0QKBOua/codex-execve-wrapper",
        "filesystem sandbox": "restricted",
        "network sandbox": "enabled"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "security.endpoint": {
      "id": "security.endpoint",
      "category": "security",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "no supported endpoint protection detected",
      "details": {
        "endpoint products": "none detected"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 19
    },
    "state.paths": {
      "id": "state.paths",
      "category": "state",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "state paths and databases are inspectable",
      "details": {
        "CODEX_HOME": "/Users/rklos/.codex (dir)",
        "active rollout files": "124 files, 1215244917 total bytes, 9800362 average bytes",
        "archived rollout files": "0 files, 0 total bytes, 0 average bytes",
        "goals DB": "/Users/rklos/.codex/goals_1.sqlite (file)",
        "goals DB integrity": "ok",
        "log DB": "/Users/rklos/.codex/logs_2.sqlite (file)",
        "log DB integrity": "ok",
        "log dir": "/Users/rklos/.codex/log (missing)",
        "memories DB": "/Users/rklos/.codex/memories_1.sqlite (file)",
        "memories DB integrity": "ok",
        "queue DB": "/Users/rklos/.codex/queue_1.sqlite (file)",
        "queue DB integrity": "ok",
        "sqlite home": "/Users/rklos/.codex (dir)",
        "standalone release cache": "6 entries in /Users/rklos/.codex/packages/standalone/releases",
        "state DB": "/Users/rklos/.codex/state_5.sqlite (file)",
        "state DB integrity": "ok",
        "thread history DB": "/Users/rklos/.codex/thread_history_1.sqlite (file)",
        "thread history DB integrity": "ok"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 578
    },
    "state.rollout_db_parity": {
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      "category": "threads",
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      "summary": "rollout files and state DB thread inventory agree",
      "details": {
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        "rollout DB active files": "124",
        "rollout DB active rows": "124",
        "rollout DB archive mismatches": "0",
        "rollout DB archived files": "0",
        "rollout DB archived rows": "0",
        "rollout DB duplicate DB paths": "0",
        "rollout DB duplicate rollout thread ids": "0",
        "rollout DB malformed file names": "0",
        "rollout DB missing active rows": "0",
        "rollout DB missing archived rows": "0",
        "rollout DB model providers": "openai=124",
        "rollout DB rows": "124",
        "rollout DB scan cap reached": "false",
        "rollout DB scan errors": "0",
        "rollout DB sources": "subagent:thread_spawn=67, cli=49, exec=8",
        "rollout DB stale rows": "0"
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      "durationMs": 270
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    "system.disk": {
      "id": "system.disk",
      "category": "disk",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "sufficient free disk space (142.2 GiB)",
      "details": {
        "CODEX_HOME available": "142.2 GiB",
        "failure threshold": "1.0 GiB",
        "warning threshold": "5.0 GiB",
        "worktree available": "142.2 GiB"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "system.environment": {
      "id": "system.environment",
      "category": "system",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "OS language en-GB",
      "details": {
        "EDITOR": "not set",
        "LANG": "en_GB.UTF-8",
        "LESS": "set",
        "PAGER": "set",
        "VISUAL": "not set",
        "os": "Mac OS 26.5.2 [64-bit]",
        "os language": "en-GB",
        "os type": "Mac OS",
        "os version": "26.5.2"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 2
    },
    "terminal.env": {
      "id": "terminal.env",
      "category": "terminal",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "terminal metadata was detected",
      "details": {
        "COLORFGBG": "7;0",
        "COLORTERM": "truecolor",
        "TERMINFO_DIRS entry": [
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          "/usr/share/terminfo (dir)"
        ],
        "TERM_PROGRAM": "iTerm.app",
        "color output": "enabled",
        "effective locale": "en_GB.UTF-8",
        "stderr is terminal": "true",
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      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "terminal.title": {
      "id": "terminal.title",
      "category": "title",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "terminal title default",
      "details": {
        "terminal title activity": "true",
        "terminal title items": "activity, project-name",
        "terminal title project source": "cwd",
        "terminal title project value": "rklos",
        "terminal title source": "default"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "updates.status": {
      "id": "updates.status",
      "category": "updates",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "update configuration is locally consistent",
      "details": {
        "cached latest version": "0.149.1",
        "check for update on startup": "true",
        "last checked at": "2026-08-24T18:30:57.563239Z",
        "latest version": "0.149.1",
        "latest version status": "current version is not older",
        "update action": "standalone installer",
        "version cache": "/Users/rklos/.codex/version.json"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 218
    }
  }
}

What issue are you seeing?

File creation works, but directory removal and rename operations return EPERM even though:

  • the workspace is declared writable;
  • source and destination are inside that workspace;
  • ownership and POSIX permissions are normal;
  • the target directory is empty;
  • the same command succeeds in the normal macOS Terminal.

Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, rmdir '<workspace>/.next/build/chunks'
mv: rename visualizations-v2 to docs/designs/visualizations-v2: Operation not permitted

What steps can reproduce the bug?

Use any writable Git workspace.

  1. Run a Next.js build in Codex:
    npm run build
    The first build succeeds and creates .next.

  2. Run the same command again in the same Codex session:
    npm run build

  3. It fails before compilation:
    Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, rmdir '<workspace>/.next/build/chunks'

  4. Moving a directory inside the same workspace also fails. The destination does not exist before the command:
    mv visualizations-v2 docs/designs/visualizations-v2
    Result:
    mv: rename visualizations-v2 to docs/designs/visualizations-v2: Operation not permitted

  5. Changing Next's distDir from .next to a regular directory such as next-build does not help. The second build fails in the same way:
    Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, rmdir '<workspace>/next-build/build/chunks'

What is the expected behavior?

Commands running in workspace-write should be able to create, remove, and rename files and directories inside the writable workspace.

Additional information

  • Running the build with danger-full-access succeeds twice in a row.
  • The failure is independent of the .next directory name.
  • Adding .next/** as an explicit writable path in the permissions profile did not help.
  • The standalone installation layout uses the current symlink shown above.
  • Launching Codex through the fully resolved release binary allowed the Next.js part of the build to complete under workspace-write, which may indicate a macOS Seatbelt issue involving
    the standalone symlink path.

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