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Codex Issues / #19932

Intel macOS: Computer Use unavailable because computer-use bundled plugin is missing

Open 💬 6 comments Opened Apr 28, 2026 by kwj903
💡 Likely answer: A maintainer (github-actions[bot], contributor) responded on this thread — see the highlighted reply below.

What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?

26.422.30944

What subscription do you have?

ChatGPT Plus

What platform is your computer?

MacBook Pro 16-inch 2019 Intel, x86_64

What issue are you seeing?

The Computer Use feature is unavailable in Codex Desktop on my Intel Mac.

In Settings > Computer Use, the app shows that the Computer Use plugin cannot be used. There is no install button or way to enable it.

I checked the bundled plugins directory:

ls -la /Applications/Codex.app/Contents/Resources/plugins/openai-bundled/plugins/
find /Applications/Codex.app -iname '*computer*' -print | head -50

The bundled plugins directory only contains:

browser-use
latex-tectonic

There is no computer-use folder under:

/Applications/Codex.app/Contents/Resources/plugins/openai-bundled/plugins/

The logs appear to list computer-use as enabled, but the runtime marketplace only writes two plugins: browser-use and latex-tectonic.

Relevant log excerpt:

bundled_plugins_marketplace_sync_started disabledInstalledPluginCount=0 enabledPluginNames=["browser-use","computer-use","latex-tectonic"] forceInstallPluginNames=["browser-use"]

bundled_plugins_runtime_marketplace_written pluginCount=2 pluginNames=["browser-use","latex-tectonic"] targetMarketplaceRoot=/Users/kwj903/.codex/.tmp/bundled-marketplaces/openai-bundled

bundled_plugins_marketplace_added enabledPluginNames=["browser-use","latex-tectonic"] marketplaceName=openai-bundled

This looks like the computer-use bundled plugin is missing from the Intel macOS app bundle.

<img width="1128" height="802" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/c84fa517-8a83-437b-a20c-d7b5fc20bd74" />

What steps can reproduce the bug?

  1. Install the latest Codex Desktop app for Intel macOS.
  2. Open Codex.
  3. Go to Settings > Computer Use.
  4. Observe that Computer Use is unavailable and there is no install/enable button.
  5. Check the bundled plugins directory:
ls -la /Applications/Codex.app/Contents/Resources/plugins/openai-bundled/plugins/
find /Applications/Codex.app -iname '*computer*' -print | head -50
  1. Observe that only browser-use and latex-tectonic are present, and no computer-use directory exists.
  2. Check logs:
grep -R "computer-use\|BundledPluginsMarketplace\|CUAService" \
  ~/Library/Logs/com.openai.codex 2>/dev/null | tail -100
  1. Observe that computer-use appears in enabledPluginNames, but the runtime marketplace only contains browser-use and latex-tectonic.

What is the expected behavior?

Computer Use should be available on Intel macOS if the Intel Codex Desktop build is supported.

The app should either:

  • include the computer-use bundled plugin in the app bundle, and allow it to be installed/enabled from Settings > Computer Use, or
  • clearly indicate that Computer Use is not supported on Intel macOS if that is the intended behavior.

Expected bundled plugin path:

/Applications/Codex.app/Contents/Resources/plugins/openai-bundled/plugins/computer-use

Additional information

Device:

  • MacBook Pro 16-inch 2019 Intel
  • Architecture: x86_64

Codex:

  • Codex Desktop version: 26.422.30944
  • Bundled Codex CLI: 0.125.0-alpha.3
  • Bundled CLI binary: Mach-O 64-bit executable x86_64

Terminal output:

/Applications/Codex.app/Contents/Resources/codex: Mach-O 64-bit executable x86_64
codex-cli 0.125.0-alpha.3

Bundled plugins found:

browser-use
latex-tectonic

No computer-use directory was found under the Codex.app bundle.

I also tried removing the app, clearing Codex plugin/runtime caches, and reinstalling the Codex Desktop app, but the computer-use bundled plugin is still missing.

View original on GitHub ↗

6 Comments

github-actions[bot] contributor · 2 months ago

Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.

  • #18404
  • #19704

Powered by Codex Action

kwj903 · 2 months ago

Thanks for the duplicate/reference suggestions.

This does look very similar to #18404. My machine shows the same core issue: Computer Use is unavailable on Intel macOS, and the computer-use bundled plugin is missing from the Codex app bundle.

Additional data points from my environment:

  • MacBook Pro 16-inch 2019 Intel, x86_64
  • Codex Desktop version: 26.422.30944
  • Bundled Codex CLI: 0.125.0-alpha.3
  • Bundled CLI binary: Mach-O 64-bit executable x86_64
  • /Applications/Codex.app/Contents/Resources/plugins/openai-bundled/plugins/ only contains:
  • browser-use
  • latex-tectonic
  • No computer-use directory exists under the Codex.app bundle.
  • Logs show computer-use in enabledPluginNames, but the runtime marketplace only writes:
  • browser-use
  • latex-tectonic

Relevant log excerpt:

bundled_plugins_marketplace_sync_started disabledInstalledPluginCount=0 enabledPluginNames=["browser-use","computer-use","latex-tectonic"] forceInstallPluginNames=["browser-use"]

bundled_plugins_runtime_marketplace_written pluginCount=2 pluginNames=["browser-use","latex-tectonic"] targetMarketplaceRoot=/Users/kwj903/.codex/.tmp/bundled-marketplaces/openai-bundled

bundled_plugins_marketplace_added enabledPluginNames=["browser-use","latex-tectonic"] marketplaceName=openai-bundled
IgorGanapolsky · 2 months ago

Hit this same class of failure on Intel; the bundled plugin path exists but
the cache that Codex actually reads is in your user dir, and on Intel the
SkyComputerUseClient binary may be arm64-only.

Two checks that usually surface the real cause:

codex mcp list
ls -la ~/.codex/plugins/cache/openai-bundled/computer-use/*/.codex-plugin/plugin.json
file /Applications/Codex.app/Contents/Resources/plugins/openai-bundled/computer-use/*/SkyComputerUseClient

If file doesn't include x86_64, no amount of reinstall fixes it — the
client is arm64-only and you need a Rosetta path or the x86_64 build.

I wrote up the full diagnostic walkthrough for this and 5 other root causes
(TCC mismatch, multiple CODEX_HOMEs, session reuse, etc.), plus a free
read-only script that bundles all the checks with redaction:
https://igorganapolsky.github.io/openclaw-mac-ai-workstation-setup/troubleshooting.html

If the output of those three commands doesn't surface a clear cause, the $19
quick read on that page reads the bundle and names the root cause.

NightGlowww · 1 month ago

Adding another current Intel/x64 data point after a fresh reinstall and package comparison.

Environment:

Hardware/arch: Intel Mac, x86_64
CPU: Intel Core i9-9880H
Codex Desktop: 26.519.31651
Bundled Codex CLI: codex-cli 0.133.0-alpha.1

Observed local state after reinstall:

/Applications/Codex.app/Contents/Resources/plugins/openai-bundled/plugins/
  browser
  chrome
  latex

~/.codex/.tmp/bundled-marketplaces/openai-bundled/plugins/
  browser
  chrome
  latex

There is no computer-use, Codex Computer Use.app, or SkyComputerUseService under the installed app bundle, generated bundled marketplace, or user plugin cache.

Appshots hotkey handling and target app detection appear to work, but the capture worker fails at Computer Use service startup:

Computer Use capture worker start failed
errorMessage="Failed to spawn managed Computer Use service"

I also compared the current public packages:

Latest x64 appcast item:
26.519.31651
https://persistent.oaistatic.com/codex-app-prod/Codex-darwin-x64-26.519.31651.zip

The downloaded x64 zip contains only:

Codex.app/Contents/Resources/plugins/openai-bundled/plugins/latex/
Codex.app/Contents/Resources/plugins/openai-bundled/plugins/browser/
Codex.app/Contents/Resources/plugins/openai-bundled/plugins/chrome/

The same-version arm64 zip does contain computer-use:

Codex.app/Contents/Resources/plugins/openai-bundled/plugins/computer-use/
Codex.app/Contents/Resources/plugins/openai-bundled/plugins/computer-use/Codex Computer Use.app/
Codex.app/Contents/Resources/plugins/openai-bundled/plugins/computer-use/Codex Computer Use.app/Contents/MacOS/SkyComputerUseService

But the helper is arm64-only:

SkyComputerUseService: Mach-O 64-bit arm64 executable
lipo -archs: arm64

Related helper executables in the arm64 package are also arm64-only, including SkyComputerUseClient, CUALockScreenGuardian, and the Locked Use authorization plugin installer.

I also scanned older x64 packages still listed in the current x64 appcast:

26.519.22136
26.513.31313
26.513.20950
26.506.31421

Those did not expose computer-use, Codex Computer Use.app, or SkyComputerUseService in the zip central directory either, so rolling back to an older x64 package does not appear to be a viable workaround.

Current conclusion: the Intel/x64 distribution appears to be missing an x86_64 or universal build of the Computer Use helper/plugin. Reinstalling Codex, clearing plugin caches, changing network/proxy routes, or copying the arm64 helper into the Intel install does not fix this.

Zelin-Tianzhi · 1 month ago

Title:
Codex Desktop Computer Use fails to install/start local service on Intel Mac

Environment:

  • Codex Desktop version: 26.519.41501
  • macOS: 13.7.8
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • CPU: Intel i9

Issue:
Computer Use appears available in Codex Desktop, but the managed local Computer Use service never installs or starts.

Observed behavior:

  • ~/.codex/computer-use only contains config.json
  • No local Codex Computer Use.app is created
  • Restarting Codex does not help
  • Reinitializing ~/.codex/computer-use does not help
  • Reinstalling Codex does not help

Relevant log errors:

  • Failed to spawn managed Computer Use service
  • Failed to reconcile managed Computer Use service

Additional notes:

  • remote_control related endpoints appear reachable
  • The local Computer Use component never gets installed
  • Startup logs also show a feature enablement mismatch:

unsupported feature enablement 'auth_elicitation'

Expected behavior:
Codex Desktop should successfully install and launch the local Computer Use service so Computer Use can work normally on this machine.

HaHa-LC · 10 days ago

Adding a current Intel/x64 data point: this is still reproducible in Codex Desktop 26.707.31428.

Environment

  • macOS: 26.5.1 (25F80)
  • Architecture: Intel x86_64
  • Codex/ChatGPT Desktop: 26.707.31428
  • Main app executable: Mach-O 64-bit executable x86_64
  • Network/region check: system proxy exit verified in Los Angeles, US; changing the proxy region did not change the result.

Current behavior

  • Settings > Computer Use / Computer Control is present.
  • The control page only exposes Google Chrome, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint integrations.
  • There is no Any App control and no Computer Use install/enable action.
  • Searching the Plugins catalog for Computer Use returns no result.
  • The installed x64 app bundle contains bundled plugins such as browser, chrome, latex, sites, visualize, and deep-research, but no computer-use directory.
  • Neither SkyComputerUseService nor SkyComputerUseClient exists in the app bundle or user plugin cache.

The current startup log reports:

Failed to reconcile managed Computer Use service
errorMessage="Failed to spawn managed Computer Use service"
appshotsEnabled=true
nodeReplEnabled=true

The user Computer Use directory contains only config.json; Codex Computer Use.app is absent.

Notes

Accessibility and Screen Recording permissions have been granted, and the app was fully restarted. The failure occurs because the managed service payload is absent, before those permissions can help.

This appears to confirm that the Intel/x64 distribution is still missing an x86_64 or universal Computer Use helper in 26.707.31428. Copying the arm64 helper is not a viable workaround because it cannot execute on Intel and would also invalidate the signed installation.

Please ship an x86_64/universal computer-use plugin and SkyComputerUseService in the Intel package, or clearly gate the Computer Use UI on unsupported Intel builds.