Add “General Chat” mode + convert chat to project

What variant of Codex are you using?

Version 26.217.1959 (669)

What feature would you like to see?

Description
It would be useful to chat in Codex without having to attach the conversation to a specific project. Often the first step is just asking a coding question or brainstorming before a project exists. Later, if the conversation becomes “real work,” it should be possible to convert it into a project while preserving context.

Problem / Motivation
Not every conversation starts with an existing repo or workspace. Examples:

• “How should I structure a queue worker in Node?”
• “Help me compare two approaches before I create anything.”
• “Let’s sketch an architecture; I’ll turn it into a project once it solidifies.”

Requiring a project upfront adds friction and pushes people to create “junk projects” just to talk.

Expected behavior

• Users can start a conversation in a General Chat area that is not associated with any project.
• At any time, users can convert a General Chat into a project, carrying over the conversation context.

Proposed UX (suggestion)

• In sidebar: “General Chat” (like an inbox)
• A General Chat thread has a “Convert to project…” action
• Conversion flow asks for:

• project name
• (optional) template / repo initialization
• (optional) location / workspace settings
• After conversion, the thread appears inside the new project, with history intact

Acceptance criteria

• A user can create and use General Chat without selecting/creating a project
• A General Chat thread can be converted into a project
• After conversion, the full chat history remains accessible in the project
• Converting does not duplicate or lose messages (no weird “forked timeline”)

Nice-to-haves / Follow-ups

• Auto-prompt: if user starts discussing files/structure, suggest conversion (“Turn this into a project?”)
• Allow linking an existing project instead of creating a new one

Additional information

_No response_