Summary
After Codex app-server 0.157.0-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc was installed (through Orca), starting the daemon opens one visible console window per stdio MCP server whose command is npx (a .cmd shim). The same config.toml ran for a week on the previous version without any windows.
Environment
Windows 11 Home 10.0.26200
Codex app-server 0.157.0-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc, launched by Orca as codex.exe app-server --listen unix:// --managed-daemon
Default terminal application: Windows Terminal 1.24.11911.0
Node.js with npx at C:\Program Files\nodejs\npx.cmd
Timeline (local time, 2026-09-25)
08:52:29 — the 0.157.0 release directory was created (auto-update)
08:54:18 — the daemon started 8 stdio MCP servers, and 11 OpenConsole.exe -Embedding processes (Windows Terminal windows) appeared in the same second
The same MCP servers had been configured and in use since 2026-09-18 with no visible windows
Config that reproduces it
TOML
Copy
[mcp_servers.hostinger-vps]
command = "npx"
args = ["--package=hostinger-api-mcp@latest", "hostinger-vps-mcp"]
(I had 8 servers like this.)
Observed process chain (one of the 8)
Copy
codex.exe app-server --managed-daemon
└─ cmd.exe /e:ON /v:OFF /d /c ""C:\Program Files\nodejs\npx.cmd" "--package=hostinger-api-mcp@latest" hostinger-vps-mcp"
├─ conhost.exe 0x4
└─ node.exe npx-cli.js ...
└─ cmd.exe /d /s /c hostinger-vps-mcp
└─ node.exe ...\hostinger-api-mcp\src\servers\vps.js
Every window was titled C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe, and each was hosted by WindowsTerminal.exe -Embedding.
Not affected
MCP servers whose command is an .exe launched directly (for example node.exe script.js, node_repl.exe) did not open windows. A plugin script that ran through cmd.exe (codex-security) opened one as well.
Expected
Stdio MCP servers start hidden, as they did on the previous version. The daemon has no console of its own, so I think it needs to create child processes with CREATE_NO_WINDOW (or an equivalent hidden startup). Otherwise every console-subsystem child, such as the cmd.exe that runs .cmd shims, gets its own new console. With Windows Terminal as the default terminal, each new console opens as a visible window.
Workaround
Remove the npx-based servers from config.toml, or point command at node.exe with the package’s JS entry point.
Summary
After Codex app-server 0.157.0-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc was installed (through Orca), starting the daemon opens one visible console window per stdio MCP server whose command is npx (a .cmd shim). The same config.toml ran for a week on the previous version without any windows.
Environment
Windows 11 Home 10.0.26200
Codex app-server 0.157.0-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc, launched by Orca as codex.exe app-server --listen unix:// --managed-daemon
Default terminal application: Windows Terminal 1.24.11911.0
Node.js with npx at C:\Program Files\nodejs\npx.cmd
Timeline (local time, 2026-09-25)
08:52:29 — the 0.157.0 release directory was created (auto-update)
08:54:18 — the daemon started 8 stdio MCP servers, and 11 OpenConsole.exe -Embedding processes (Windows Terminal windows) appeared in the same second
The same MCP servers had been configured and in use since 2026-09-18 with no visible windows
Config that reproduces it
TOML
Copy
[mcp_servers.hostinger-vps]
command = "npx"
args = ["--package=hostinger-api-mcp@latest", "hostinger-vps-mcp"]
(I had 8 servers like this.)
Observed process chain (one of the 8)
Copy
codex.exe app-server --managed-daemon
└─ cmd.exe /e:ON /v:OFF /d /c ""C:\Program Files\nodejs\npx.cmd" "--package=hostinger-api-mcp@latest" hostinger-vps-mcp"
├─ conhost.exe 0x4
└─ node.exe npx-cli.js ...
└─ cmd.exe /d /s /c hostinger-vps-mcp
└─ node.exe ...\hostinger-api-mcp\src\servers\vps.js
Every window was titled C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe, and each was hosted by WindowsTerminal.exe -Embedding.
Not affected
MCP servers whose command is an .exe launched directly (for example node.exe script.js, node_repl.exe) did not open windows. A plugin script that ran through cmd.exe (codex-security) opened one as well.
Expected
Stdio MCP servers start hidden, as they did on the previous version. The daemon has no console of its own, so I think it needs to create child processes with CREATE_NO_WINDOW (or an equivalent hidden startup). Otherwise every console-subsystem child, such as the cmd.exe that runs .cmd shims, gets its own new console. With Windows Terminal as the default terminal, each new console opens as a visible window.
Workaround
Remove the npx-based servers from config.toml, or point command at node.exe with the package’s JS entry point.