[Linux] VS Code renderer crashes when opening Codex sidebar in 26.707.91948; rollback to 26.707.71524 fixes it

Open 💬 5 comments Opened Jul 16, 2026 by akarasulu

Summary

On Ubuntu 22.04 / X11 with VS Code 1.129.0, openai.chatgpt version 26.707.91948 reproducibly terminates the VS Code workbench renderer when the Codex sidebar webview is opened.

Rolling back to openai.chatgpt version 26.707.71524 fixes the problem completely. The older version is stable under the same OS, VS Code build, project, profile, and hardware.

This appears to be a regression between those two extension builds.

Environment

  • Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Jammy)
  • GNOME on X11
  • Kernel: 6.8.0-134-generic
  • VS Code: 1.129.0
  • Architecture: Linux x86-64
  • Failing extension: openai.chatgpt@26.707.91948
  • Working extension: openai.chatgpt@26.707.71524

Steps to reproduce

  1. Close all VS Code processes.
  2. Start with clean user-data and extension directories.
  3. Install openai.chatgpt@26.707.91948 as the only user extension.
  4. Launch VS Code.
  5. Open the Codex sidebar/chat view.

Minimal reproduction:

pkill -9 -f '/usr/share/code/code' 2>/dev/null || true
rm -rf /tmp/codex-repro-profile /tmp/codex-repro-extensions

code \
  --user-data-dir=/tmp/codex-repro-profile \
  --extensions-dir=/tmp/codex-repro-extensions \
  --install-extension openai.chatgpt \
  --force

/usr/share/code/code \
  --user-data-dir=/tmp/codex-repro-profile \
  --extensions-dir=/tmp/codex-repro-extensions \
  --verbose

Then open the Codex sidebar.

Expected result

The Codex sidebar opens and remains usable.

Actual result

The VS Code workbench renderer terminates and VS Code displays “The window terminated unexpectedly.”

Observed diagnostics include:

  • CodeWindow: renderer process gone
  • Renderer exit codes 135 and 139 in separate runs
  • Repeated ResizeObserver loop completed with undelivered notifications messages from the openai.chatgpt webview
  • potential listener LEAK detected, having 175 listeners already in VS Code's webview local-resource loading path
  • The extension host exits cleanly with code 0 after the renderer is gone

The extension host itself does not appear to be the crashing process; the workbench renderer containing the Codex webview is what disappears.

Confirmed workaround / A-B result

A cached previous build was installed as a VSIX:

cp ~/.config/Code/CachedExtensionVSIXs/openai.chatgpt-26.707.71524-linux-x64 \
   /tmp/openai.chatgpt-26.707.71524-linux-x64.vsix

code --uninstall-extension openai.chatgpt
code --install-extension /tmp/openai.chatgpt-26.707.71524-linux-x64.vsix --force

Verification:

openai.chatgpt@26.707.71524

Result:

  • 26.707.71524: stable; Codex sidebar works normally
  • 26.707.91948: renderer crashes when Codex sidebar opens

Additional context

The machine has an AMD/RADV graphics environment, and Vulkan/VAAPI warnings are present in verbose logs. However, ordinary VS Code is stable, VS Code is stable with the extension removed, and the crash is specifically triggered by opening the newer Codex webview. The version rollback is the decisive controlled result.

I can provide the full VS Code verbose log, Chromium/Electron log, screenshots, and a native core dump/backtrace if useful.

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