can't open codex cli!

I can reproduce this as well.

Environment:

• Linux
• Node v22.1.0 via nvm
• npm global install
• codex-cli 0.133.0 fails
• codex-cli 0.132.0 works in the same environment and same project

Error:
Failed to start a fresh session through the app server: thread/start failed during TUI bootstrap: thread/start failed: Invalid request: invalid type: string ":workspace", expected internally tagged enum PermissionProfileSelectionParams (code -32600)

This looks like a regression in the permission profile / app-server protocol migration introduced around 0.133.0.

same error, also codex-cli 0.133.0

Same error after implementing customized permissions profile in config.toml. Codex doctor report:

{
  "schemaVersion": 1,
  "generatedAt": "1779491911s since unix epoch",
  "overallStatus": "warning",
  "codexVersion": "0.133.0",
  "checks": {
    "app_server.status": {
      "id": "app_server.status",
      "category": "app-server",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "background server is running",
      "details": {
        "control socket": "/home/zach/.codex/app-server-control/app-server-control.sock",
        "daemon state dir": "/home/zach/.codex/app-server-daemon",
        "mode": "ephemeral",
        "pid file": "/home/zach/.codex/app-server-daemon/app-server.pid (missing)",
        "settings": "/home/zach/.codex/app-server-daemon/settings.json (missing)",
        "status": "running",
        "update-loop pid file": "/home/zach/.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": "/home/zach/.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": "warning",
      "summary": "config loaded",
      "details": {
        "CODEX_HOME": "/home/zach/.codex",
        "config.toml": "/home/zach/.codex/config.toml",
        "config.toml parse": "ok",
        "cwd": "/home/zach/projects/ZachLab/telescope",
        "enabled feature flags": "shell_tool, unified_exec, shell_snapshot, terminal_resize_reflow, sqlite, hooks, enable_request_compression, multi_agent, apps, tool_suggest, plugins, plugin_hooks, in_app_browser, browser_use, browser_use_external, computer_use, plugin_sharing, image_generation, skill_mcp_dependency_install, steer, guardian_approval, goals, collaboration_modes, tool_call_mcp_elicitation, personality, fast_mode, tui_app_server, workspace_dependencies",
        "feature flag overrides": "none",
        "feature flags enabled": "28",
        "log dir": "/home/zach/.codex/log",
        "mcp servers": "0",
        "model": "gpt-5.5",
        "model provider": "openai",
        "sqlite home": "/home/zach/.codex",
        "startup warning": "Filesystem deny-read glob `:workspace_roots/**/*.env` uses `**`. Non-macOS sandboxing does not support unbounded `**` natively; set `glob_scan_max_depth` in this filesystem profile to cap Linux glob expansion and silence this warning, or enumerate explicit depths such as `*.env`, `*/*.env`, and `*/*/*.env`."
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "installation": {
      "id": "installation",
      "category": "install",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "installation looks consistent",
      "details": {
        "PATH codex #1": "/usr/bin/codex",
        "current executable": "/usr/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-linux-x64/vendor/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/bin/codex",
        "install context": "npm (package /usr/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-linux-x64/vendor/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl, bin /usr/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-linux-x64/vendor/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/bin, resources /usr/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-linux-x64/vendor/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/codex-resources, path /usr/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-linux-x64/vendor/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/codex-path)",
        "managed by bun": "false",
        "managed by npm": "true",
        "managed package root": "/usr/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex",
        "npm update target": "/usr/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 64
    },
    "mcp.config": {
      "id": "mcp.config",
      "category": "mcp",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "no MCP servers configured",
      "details": {},
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "network.env": {
      "id": "network.env",
      "category": "network",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "network-related environment looks readable",
      "details": {
        "proxy env vars": "none"
      },
      "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 base URL": "https://chatgpt.com/backend-api/ reachable (HTTP 403)",
        "reachability mode": "ChatGPT auth"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 58
    },
    "network.websocket_reachability": {
      "id": "network.websocket_reachability",
      "category": "websocket",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "Responses WebSocket handshake succeeded",
      "details": {
        "DNS": "2 IPv4, 2 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",
        "models etag present": "true",
        "provider name": "OpenAI",
        "proxy env vars": "none",
        "reasoning header": "false",
        "server model present": "false",
        "supports websockets": "true",
        "wire API": "responses"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 559
    },
    "runtime.provenance": {
      "id": "runtime.provenance",
      "category": "runtime",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "running npm on linux-x86_64",
      "details": {
        "commit": "unknown",
        "current executable": "/usr/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-linux-x64/vendor/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/bin/codex",
        "install method": "npm (package /usr/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-linux-x64/vendor/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl, bin /usr/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-linux-x64/vendor/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/bin, resources /usr/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-linux-x64/vendor/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/codex-resources, path /usr/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-linux-x64/vendor/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/codex-path)",
        "platform": "linux-x86_64",
        "version": "0.133.0"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "runtime.search": {
      "id": "runtime.search",
      "category": "search",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "search is OK (bundled)",
      "details": {
        "search command": "/usr/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-linux-x64/vendor/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/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": "Never",
        "codex-linux-sandbox helper": "/home/zach/.codex/tmp/arg0/codex-arg0stHcyL/codex-linux-sandbox",
        "execve wrapper helper": "/home/zach/.codex/tmp/arg0/codex-arg0stHcyL/codex-execve-wrapper",
        "filesystem sandbox": "restricted",
        "network sandbox": "enabled"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "state.paths": {
      "id": "state.paths",
      "category": "state",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "state paths and databases are inspectable",
      "details": {
        "CODEX_HOME": "/home/zach/.codex (dir)",
        "active rollout files": "12 files, 63262393 total bytes, 5271866 average bytes",
        "archived rollout files": "0 files, 0 total bytes, 0 average bytes",
        "goals DB": "/home/zach/.codex/goals_1.sqlite (file)",
        "goals DB integrity": "ok",
        "log DB": "/home/zach/.codex/logs_2.sqlite (file)",
        "log DB integrity": "ok",
        "log dir": "/home/zach/.codex/log (dir)",
        "sqlite home": "/home/zach/.codex (dir)",
        "state DB": "/home/zach/.codex/state_5.sqlite (file)",
        "state DB integrity": "ok"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 98
    },
    "terminal.env": {
      "id": "terminal.env",
      "category": "terminal",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "terminal metadata was detected",
      "details": {
        "SSH_CLIENT": "present",
        "SSH_CONNECTION": "present",
        "SSH_TTY": "present",
        "TERM": "xterm-256color",
        "color output": "enabled",
        "effective locale": "en_US.UTF-8",
        "stderr is terminal": "true",
        "stdin is terminal": "true",
        "stdout is terminal": "true",
        "terminal": "unknown",
        "terminal size": "117x62"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "updates.status": {
      "id": "updates.status",
      "category": "updates",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "update configuration is locally consistent",
      "details": {
        "cached latest version": "0.133.0",
        "check for update on startup": "true",
        "last checked at": "2026-05-22T19:27:00.537330421Z",
        "latest version": "0.133.0",
        "latest version status": "current version is not older",
        "npm update target": "/usr/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex",
        "update action": "npm install -g @openai/codex",
        "version cache": "/home/zach/.codex/version.json"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 230
    }
  }
}

I ran into this issue. I updated brew via codex while I had a remote control session active in the codex app elsewhere.

killing all codex processes fixed the issue for me:

ps aux | grep codex
logikal  2966610  0.0  0.0   2800  1552 ?        Ss   16:42   0:00 /bin/sh -c printf '%b' '\243\232\217\030\276\362\261\020'; PATH="${CODEX_INSTALL_DIR:-$HOME/.local/bin}:$PATH"; export PATH; codex app-server proxy
logikal  2966963  0.0  0.0 526668 16604 ?        Sl   16:42   0:00 codex app-server proxy
logikal  3283161  0.1  0.0 576728 108848 ?       Sl   May15  13:34 codex app-server --listen unix://

{
  "schemaVersion": 1,
  "generatedAt": "1779495397s since unix epoch",
  "overallStatus": "ok",
  "codexVersion": "0.133.0",
  "checks": {
    "app_server.status": {
      "id": "app_server.status",
      "category": "app-server",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "background server is running",
      "details": {
        "control socket": "/home/logikal/.codex/app-server-control/app-server-control.sock",
        "daemon state dir": "/home/logikal/.codex/app-server-daemon",
        "mode": "ephemeral",
        "pid file": "/home/logikal/.codex/app-server-daemon/app-server.pid (missing)",
        "settings": "/home/logikal/.codex/app-server-daemon/settings.json (missing)",
        "status": "running",
        "update-loop pid file": "/home/logikal/.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": "/home/logikal/.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": "/home/logikal/.codex",
        "config.toml": "/home/logikal/.codex/config.toml",
        "config.toml parse": "ok",
        "cwd": "REDACTED",
        "enabled feature flags": "shell_tool, unified_exec, shell_snapshot, terminal_resize_reflow, sqlite, hooks, enable_request_compression, multi_agent, apps, tool_suggest, plugins, plugin_hooks, in_app_browser, browser_use, browser_use_external, computer_use, plugin_sharing, image_generation, skill_mcp_dependency_install, steer, guardian_approval, goals, collaboration_modes, tool_call_mcp_elicitation, personality, fast_mode, tui_app_server, workspace_dependencies",
        "feature flag overrides": "none",
        "feature flags enabled": "28",
        "legacy feature flag": "codex_hooks -> hooks",
        "log dir": "/home/logikal/.codex/log",
        "mcp servers": "0",
        "model": "gpt-5.5",
        "model provider": "openai",
        "sqlite home": "/home/logikal/.codex"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "installation": {
      "id": "installation",
      "category": "install",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "installation looks consistent",
      "details": {
        "PATH codex #1": "/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/bin/codex",
        "current executable": "/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/Caskroom/codex/0.133.0/codex-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl",
        "install context": "other",
        "managed by bun": "false",
        "managed by npm": "false",
        "managed package root": "not set"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 1
    },
    "mcp.config": {
      "id": "mcp.config",
      "category": "mcp",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "no MCP servers configured",
      "details": {},
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "network.env": {
      "id": "network.env",
      "category": "network",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "network-related environment looks readable",
      "details": {
        "proxy env vars": "none"
      },
      "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 base URL": "https://chatgpt.com/backend-api/ reachable (HTTP 403)",
        "reachability mode": "ChatGPT auth"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 59
    },
    "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",
        "models etag present": "true",
        "provider name": "OpenAI",
        "proxy env vars": "none",
        "reasoning header": "false",
        "server model present": "false",
        "supports websockets": "true",
        "wire API": "responses"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 560
    },
    "runtime.provenance": {
      "id": "runtime.provenance",
      "category": "runtime",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "running local build on linux-x86_64",
      "details": {
        "commit": "unknown",
        "current executable": "/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/Caskroom/codex/0.133.0/codex-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl",
        "install method": "other",
        "platform": "linux-x86_64",
        "version": "0.133.0"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "runtime.search": {
      "id": "runtime.search",
      "category": "search",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "search is OK (system)",
      "details": {
        "search command": "rg",
        "search command readiness": "ripgrep 15.1.0",
        "search provider": "system"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 1
    },
    "sandbox.helpers": {
      "id": "sandbox.helpers",
      "category": "sandbox",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "sandbox configuration is readable",
      "details": {
        "approval policy": "OnRequest",
        "codex-linux-sandbox helper": "/home/logikal/.codex/tmp/arg0/codex-arg0BEvJ96/codex-linux-sandbox",
        "execve wrapper helper": "/home/logikal/.codex/tmp/arg0/codex-arg0BEvJ96/codex-execve-wrapper",
        "filesystem sandbox": "restricted",
        "network sandbox": "restricted"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "state.paths": {
      "id": "state.paths",
      "category": "state",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "state paths and databases are inspectable",
      "details": {
        "CODEX_HOME": "/home/logikal/.codex (dir)",
        "active rollout files": "28 files, 2632111 total bytes, 94003 average bytes",
        "archived rollout files": "0 files, 0 total bytes, 0 average bytes",
        "goals DB": "/home/logikal/.codex/goals_1.sqlite (file)",
        "goals DB integrity": "ok",
        "log DB": "/home/logikal/.codex/logs_2.sqlite (file)",
        "log DB integrity": "ok",
        "log dir": "/home/logikal/.codex/log (dir)",
        "sqlite home": "/home/logikal/.codex (dir)",
        "state DB": "/home/logikal/.codex/state_5.sqlite (file)",
        "state DB integrity": "ok"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 73
    },
    "terminal.env": {
      "id": "terminal.env",
      "category": "terminal",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "terminal metadata was detected",
      "details": {
        "SSH_CLIENT": "present",
        "SSH_CONNECTION": "present",
        "SSH_TTY": "present",
        "TERM": "xterm-256color",
        "color output": "enabled",
        "effective locale": "en_US.UTF-8",
        "stderr is terminal": "true",
        "stdin is terminal": "true",
        "stdout is terminal": "true",
        "terminal": "unknown",
        "terminal size": "163x72"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "updates.status": {
      "id": "updates.status",
      "category": "updates",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "update configuration is locally consistent",
      "details": {
        "cached latest version": "0.133.0",
        "check for update on startup": "true",
        "last checked at": "2026-05-23T00:14:47.896137930Z",
        "latest version": "0.133.0",
        "latest version status": "current version is not older",
        "update action": "manual or unknown",
        "version cache": "/home/logikal/.codex/version.json"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 47
    }
  }
}

This looks like a stale/incompatible app-server process rather than a bad permissions config. It looks like you're using experimental features, which can change during development and introduce compatibility problems like this.

In 0.133.0 the TUI sends thread/start.permissions as a plain profile id string, e.g. ":workspace". The error says the running app-server expected the older PermissionProfileSelectionParams shape, so the 0.133.0 CLI is likely connecting to an older already-running app-server via the local control socket.

Workaround for now:

codex app-server daemon restart

If that does not work, kill the stale app-server processes and start codex again:

ps aux | grep 'codex app-server'
pkill -f 'codex app-server'

I just ran into this and suspect it was caused by an app-server being managed by an (outdated) remote Codex app. When I updated the codex CLI on my remote machine, it refused to start until I killed the app server manually using @etraut-openai's instructions above.

I suspect (but haven't verified) that this would've also been solved if I updated the Codex app and restarted my ssh-managed app-server through that.