Newlines from $VISUAL get lost in TUI rendering

Resolved 💬 7 comments Opened Jun 7, 2026 by christianschleifer Closed Jun 12, 2026

💡 Likely answer: A maintainer (fcoury-oai, contributor) responded on this thread — see the highlighted reply below.

What version of Codex CLI is running?

0.137.0

What subscription do you have?

Plus

Which model were you using?

gpt-5.5

What platform is your computer?

Darwin 25.5.0 arm64 arm

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

alacritty > tmux > fish > codex

Codex doctor report

{
  "schemaVersion": 1,
  "generatedAt": "1780815500s since unix epoch",
  "overallStatus": "ok",
  "codexVersion": "0.137.0",
  "checks": {
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      "id": "app_server.status",
      "category": "app-server",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "background server is not running",
      "details": {
        "control socket": "/Users/christian/.codex/app-server-control/app-server-control.sock",
        "daemon state dir": "/Users/christian/.codex/app-server-daemon",
        "mode": "ephemeral",
        "pid file": "/Users/christian/.codex/app-server-daemon/app-server.pid (missing)",
        "settings": "/Users/christian/.codex/app-server-daemon/settings.json (missing)",
        "status": "not running",
        "update-loop pid file": "/Users/christian/.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/christian/.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/christian/.codex",
        "config.toml": "/Users/christian/.codex/config.toml",
        "config.toml parse": "ok",
        "cwd": "/Users/christian/codebase/tower",
        "enabled feature flags": "shell_tool, unified_exec, shell_snapshot, terminal_resize_reflow, sqlite, hooks, enable_request_compression, multi_agent, apps, tool_suggest, plugins, 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": "27",
        "log dir": "/Users/christian/.codex/log",
        "mcp servers": "0",
        "model": "gpt-5.5",
        "model provider": "openai",
        "sqlite home": "/Users/christian/.codex"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "git.environment": {
      "id": "git.environment",
      "category": "git",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "git version 2.50.1 (Apple Git-155)",
      "details": {
        ".git entry": "directory",
        "PATH git #1": "/usr/bin/git",
        "PATH git entries": "1",
        "git branch": "master",
        "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": "true",
        "repo root": "/Users/christian/codebase/tower",
        "selected git": "/usr/bin/git"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 131
    },
    "installation": {
      "id": "installation",
      "category": "install",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "installation looks consistent",
      "details": {
        "PATH codex #1": "/opt/homebrew/bin/codex",
        "current executable": "/opt/homebrew/bin/codex",
        "install context": "brew",
        "managed by bun": "false",
        "managed by npm": "false",
        "managed package root": "not set"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 1
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    "mcp.config": {
      "id": "mcp.config",
      "category": "mcp",
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      "summary": "no MCP servers configured",
      "details": {},
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
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    "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": 150
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    "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",
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        "wire API": "responses"
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      "remediation": null,
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    "runtime.provenance": {
      "id": "runtime.provenance",
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      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "running brew on macos-aarch64",
      "details": {
        "commit": "unknown",
        "current executable": "/opt/homebrew/bin/codex",
        "install method": "brew",
        "platform": "macos-aarch64",
        "version": "0.137.0"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
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    "runtime.search": {
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      "remediation": null,
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    "sandbox.helpers": {
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      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "sandbox configuration is readable",
      "details": {
        "approval policy": "OnRequest",
        "codex-linux-sandbox helper": "none",
        "execve wrapper helper": "/Users/christian/.codex/tmp/arg0/codex-arg0SYmrRl/codex-execve-wrapper",
        "filesystem sandbox": "restricted",
        "network sandbox": "restricted"
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      "remediation": null,
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    "state.paths": {
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      "details": {
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        "active rollout files": "47 files, 12935888 total bytes, 275231 average bytes",
        "archived rollout files": "0 files, 0 total bytes, 0 average bytes",
        "goals DB": "/Users/christian/.codex/goals_1.sqlite (file)",
        "goals DB integrity": "ok",
        "log DB": "/Users/christian/.codex/logs_2.sqlite (file)",
        "log DB integrity": "ok",
        "log dir": "/Users/christian/.codex/log (dir)",
        "memories DB": "/Users/christian/.codex/memories_1.sqlite (file)",
        "memories DB integrity": "ok",
        "sqlite home": "/Users/christian/.codex (dir)",
        "state DB": "/Users/christian/.codex/state_5.sqlite (file)",
        "state DB integrity": "ok"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 134
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    "state.rollout_db_parity": {
      "id": "state.rollout_db_parity",
      "category": "threads",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "rollout files and state DB thread inventory agree",
      "details": {
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        "rollout DB active files": "47",
        "rollout DB active rows": "47",
        "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=47",
        "rollout DB rows": "47",
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        "rollout DB sources": "cli=43, mcp=4",
        "rollout DB stale rows": "0"
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      "durationMs": 189
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    "system.environment": {
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      "category": "system",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "OS language en-DE",
      "details": {
        "LANG": "en_US.UTF-8",
        "LC_CTYPE": "UTF-8",
        "os": "Mac OS 26.5.1 [64-bit]",
        "os language": "en-DE",
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      "durationMs": 4
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    "terminal.env": {
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      "summary": "terminal metadata was detected",
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        "color output": "disabled (stdout is not a terminal)",
        "effective locale": "UTF-8",
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        "stderr is terminal": "true",
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    },
    "updates.status": {
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      "details": {
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        "check for update on startup": "true",
        "last checked at": "2026-06-07T06:46:54.452113Z",
        "latest version": "0.137.0",
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        "update action": "brew upgrade --cask codex",
        "version cache": "/Users/christian/.codex/version.json"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 37
    }
  }
}

What issue are you seeing?

When editing content in the $VISUAL/$EDITOR via Ctrl+G, newlines get lost when closing the editor and returning to the TUI view of codex CLI.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

Run codex
Press Ctrl+G to open in $VISUAL
Type

Hello 
world

Enter :x (to exit nvim, which is my $VISUAL)

This returns the the codex TUI, rendering

Hello world

The newline was replaced with a space.

Press Ctrl+G again
The newline is gone in the editor as well

What is the expected behavior?

I would expect the newline char to be preserved.

Additional information

_No response_

View original on GitHub ↗

7 Comments

fcoury-oai contributor · 1 month ago

I can't replicate it. Which editor are you using?

christianschleifer · 1 month ago

Hm, interesting! I'm using nvim.

NVIM v0.12.2
Build type: Release
LuaJIT 2.1.1779665312
Vim versions: 8.1, 8.2, 9.0, 9.1, 9.2

   system vimrc file: "$VIM/sysinit.vim"
  fall-back for $VIM: "/opt/homebrew/Cellar/neovim/0.12.2/share/nvim"

Any suggestion on how I should best debug this on my side?

fcoury-oai contributor · 1 month ago

That’s the same nvim I am using as $EDITOR. What are your full values for
EDITOR, VISUAL and PAGER env vars?

On Tue, 9 Jun 2026 at 00:39 Christian Schleifer @.***>
wrote:

christianschleifer left a comment (openai/codex#26858) <https://github.com/openai/codex/issues/26858#issuecomment-4657346939> Hm, interesting! I'm using nvim. NVIM v0.12.2 Build type: Release LuaJIT 2.1.1779665312 Vim versions: 8.1, 8.2, 9.0, 9.1, 9.2 system vimrc file: "$VIM/sysinit.vim" fall-back for $VIM: "/opt/homebrew/Cellar/neovim/0.12.2/share/nvim" Any suggestion on how I should best debug this on my side? — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <https://github.com/openai/codex/issues/26858?email_source=notifications&email_token=CBABKSGRE7HDQNCTR5J53ZT4665L3A5CNFSNUABFM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2JONZXKZKDN5WW2ZLOOQXTINRVG4ZTINRZGM42M4TFMFZW63VHMNXW23LFNZ2KKZLWMVXHJLDGN5XXIZLSL5RWY2LDNM#issuecomment-4657346939>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/CBABKSH4GKCH6ADNEG7CDKT4665L3AVCNFSM6AAAAACZ5XEZVOVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHM2DMNJXGM2DMOJTHE> . You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: @.***>

christianschleifer · 1 month ago

~ ❯ echo $EDITOR
nvim
~ ❯ echo $VISUAL
nvim
~ ❯ echo $PAGER

~ ❯

SylvainWinning · 1 month ago

One debugging split that may help: external_editor::run_editor appears to read the temp file back as a raw string, and launch_external_editor then only applies trim_end() before calling apply_external_edit.

So I would try to isolate whether the newline is already missing immediately after fs::read_to_string(&temp_path), or whether it is lost later when the composer applies/renders the external edit. A very small diagnostic would be to log/assert the byte sequence returned by run_editor for "Hello\nworld\n" before it reaches the composer.

If that string still contains 0x0a, the likely next place to inspect is the composer/text-area path used by apply_external_edit, especially any conversion that treats pasted/editor text as a single wrapped line rather than multiline content.

fcoury-oai contributor · 1 month ago

@christianschleifer I think I found the root cause.

Codex opens a temporary .md file, and your Neovim configuration runs Conform on BufWritePre with Prettier configured as --prose-wrap always. Prettier converts Hello\nworld with a Markdown soft line break to Hello world before Codex reads the file back.

Try running env VISUAL='nvim --clean' EDITOR='nvim --clean' codex to confirm it preserves the newline. Alternatively, disable Markdown format-on-save for Codex temporary files.

Could you try this and report back? Thank you!

christianschleifer · 1 month ago

Sweet debugging! 🥇
Works like a charm. Thanks for helping me on this.
This was very annoying!