Codex VS Code Extension Causes “Window Is Not Responding” After Reconnecting to or Rebuilding a Dev Container

What version of the IDE extension are you using?

26.707.31428

What subscription do you have?

Plus

Which IDE are you using?

VS Code

What platform is your computer?

Linux 5.15.0-131-generic x86_64 x86_64

What issue are you seeing?

When using the Codex VS Code Extension inside a VS Code Dev Container, I found that the extension can remain stuck loading for an extended period, eventually causing VS Code to display a “The window is not responding” warning.

Because Codex stores conversation data in the Dev Container’s volume, rebuilding the container causes the conversation history to be lost. To preserve it, I mounted an empty .codex/ directory into the project directory.

The Codex Extension works normally when it is first used with an empty .codex/ directory. However, after reconnecting to or rebuilding the container, the “The window is not responding” issue occurs.

I tried deleting the .codex/.tmp/ directory. This sometimes allows the extension to load successfully, but the workaround is unreliable. In some cases, the extension still fails to load even after the .tmp/ directory has been deleted.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. Open a project in a VS Code Dev Container.

1. Mount an empty .codex/ directory into the project directory so that Codex conversation data persists across container rebuilds.

1. Install and open the Codex VS Code Extension inside the Dev Container.

1. Use the extension for the first time. It should load and work normally.

1. Reconnect to the Dev Container or rebuild the container.

1. Open the Codex VS Code Extension again.

1. Observe that the extension remains stuck loading for an extended period and eventually causes VS Code to display a “The window is not responding” warning.

Optional workaround attempt:

1. Delete the .codex/.tmp/ directory and reopen the extension.

1. Observe that the extension may load successfully, but the workaround is inconsistent and may still fail.

What is the expected behavior?

The Codex VS Code Extension should load normally after reconnecting to or rebuilding the Dev Container, while preserving the existing conversation history stored in the mounted .codex/ directory.

It should not become stuck during loading or cause VS Code to display a “The window is not responding” warning.