Unable to execute shell commands
What version of Codex is running?
codex-cli 0.27.0
Which model were you using?
unrelated
What platform is your computer?
Windows
What steps can reproduce the bug?
I do not know how to reproduce this. I simply installed the CLI through the steps provided and ran it.
The problem persists whether I open codex through CMD and PowerShell, also with administrator privileges.
I also use Gemini CLI which works fine.
What is the expected behavior?
The CLI running shell commands.
What do you see instead?
<img width="1004" height="321" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/451138e9-89d5-4d3c-8afc-572b4722ebf5" />
When trying to run shell commands, the CLI reports "program not found"
Additional information
It is not able to execute any shell commands.
It appears creating/writing files uses the built‑in apply_patch API, but reading files uses shell, therefore it is able to write files but not read them.
I purchased a Plus subscription specifically for Coxed; really hope somebody can shed some light on this.
6 Comments
windows is really problematic. I strongly suggest activating "Windows Subsystem For Linux", installing Ubuntu and installing codex cli there.
alternatively you can try putting this in the AGENTS.md:
You are on Windows. Use ONLY windows commands. Use ONLY powershell. If a command fails find out the correct syntax and extend AGENTS.md to note down that syntax for future use
still you have to deal with some MCP related failure issue
Same here, MCP doesn't work for me either. I just use a VSCode plugin.
I am not in wsl yet but I think image dragdrop also wont work .can you confirm it
I highly suspect your issue is due to this problem; you can try modifying shell.rs and rebuilding. #3253
We've made significant improvements for Windows — both WSL and native — recently, so you should no longer see this problem with the latest versions.