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Codex Issues / #32447

Codex CLI repeatedly reports bundled node_repl MCP startup failure on macOS

Open 💬 7 comments Opened Jul 11, 2026 by michycom
💡 Likely answer: A maintainer (github-actions[bot], contributor) responded on this thread — see the highlighted reply below.

Summary

Codex CLI on macOS repeatedly prints a startup failure for the bundled node_repl MCP client:

⚠ MCP client for `node_repl` failed to start: MCP startup failed: No such file or directory (os error 2)
⚠ MCP startup incomplete (failed: node_repl)

The session otherwise starts and remains usable, but node_repl is unavailable and the warning recurs.

Environment

  • macOS 26.5.2
  • Codex CLI 0.144.1
  • Terminal: iTerm2
  • Working directory: local Xcode/Swift project
  • Shell: zsh

Expected behavior

The bundled node_repl MCP client should either:

  1. start successfully without requiring a manual external path/configuration, or
  2. remain disabled without emitting a repeated startup failure when its executable/runtime is not present.

If an external dependency is required, the error should identify the missing executable or path and provide an actionable remediation.

Actual behavior

Codex reports only No such file or directory (os error 2), without identifying which file or executable is missing.

Related issue

Possibly related to #31533, although that report concerns Codex Desktop tool exposure, while this report is the Codex terminal CLI failing during MCP startup.

View original on GitHub ↗

7 Comments

github-actions[bot] contributor · 1 month ago

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

  • #32202
  • #32199

Powered by Codex Action

caleb531 · 1 month ago

I can confirm I have the same issue: when Codex CLI starts a new session, I receive the following warning messages:

⚠ MCP client for `node_repl` failed to start: MCP startup failed: No such file or
  directory (os error 2)

⚠ MCP startup incomplete (failed: node_repl)

This issue is also completely unrelated to the above issues that the GitHub bot thought to be duplicates.

Mazzorella · 1 month ago

• I reproduced this with Codex CLI 0.144.4 on macOS 26.4.1
(Darwin 25.4.0 arm64).

I use the standalone Codex CLI and do not have Codex.app installed.

The ChatGPT desktop app wrote the following MCP configuration to the shared
~/.codex/config.toml:

``toml
[mcp_servers.node_repl]
args = []
command = "/Applications/ChatGPT.app/Contents/Resources/cua_node/bin/node_repl"
startup_timeout_sec = 120
``

After I uninstalled ChatGPT.app, the standalone Codex CLI continued loading the
persisted entry and attempted to launch the deleted ChatGPT-owned executable:

``text
MCP client for node_repl` failed to start: MCP startup failed:
No such file or directory (os error 2)

MCP startup incomplete (failed: node_repl)
```

Removing the [mcp_servers.node_repl] block suppresses the warning.

The lifecycle failure is:

  1. ChatGPT Desktop installs and configures a private node_repl executable

located inside its own application bundle.

  1. That MCP entry is stored in the configuration shared with Codex CLI.
  2. Uninstalling ChatGPT.app removes the executable but leaves the shared MCP

configuration behind.

  1. Standalone Codex CLI continues attempting to launch the deleted executable

on every startup.

  1. The CLI reports only No such file or directory (os error 2) without

identifying the missing command path or providing remediation.

Uninstalling ChatGPT Desktop should remove or disable the MCP entries it created
for executables contained within its application bundle. Codex CLI should also
handle stale STDIO MCP paths more gracefully by:

  • identifying the missing configured command;
  • explaining which config.toml entry caused the failure; and
  • suggesting that the user remove, disable, or repair that entry.

A separately installed ChatGPT application should not leave standalone Codex
CLI in a persistently degraded startup state after it is uninstalled.

Uploaded diagnostic thread:
019f67f7-ea44-79f2-9b9e-41ff3341f415

maple5233 · 1 month ago

bump

mellor17 · 29 days ago

same here :(

vgorloff · 24 days ago

+1 Same issue after uninstalling ChatGPT.app.

GrainRainAndy · 7 days ago

Same issue though keep using ChatGPT.app :(