macOS desktop app continuously leaks zombie processes until process limit is exhausted

The ChatGPT/Codex macOS desktop app continuously creates zombie (<defunct>) child processes and does not reap them.

Environment:

• macOS
• ChatGPT/Codex app version: 26.730.61639
• Build: 6234
• User process soft limit: 2666

Observed behavior:

• About 77 zombie processes accumulated within approximately 2 minutes.
• A new zombie process appeared roughly every 1.6 seconds.
• All observed zombie processes had the ChatGPT desktop main process as their parent.
• After running for a while, the process limit was exhausted and the app could no longer spawn commands such as ps, git, or the Computer Use service.
• Fully quitting and reopening the app clears the zombies temporarily, but they immediately begin accumulating again.

Relevant log messages:

• [electron-sampler] Failed to collect child process snapshot
• spawn /bin/ps EAGAIN
• spawn /usr/bin/git EAGAIN
• Failed to spawn managed Computer Use service
• Mac hotkey release monitor failed
• spawn .../bare-modifier-monitor EAGAIN

This appears to be a child-process reaping issue in the desktop application's Electron main process, possibly related to electron-sampler repeatedly spawning /bin/ps.

Expected behavior:
Exited child processes should be reaped immediately and the number of zombie processes should not increase over time.

Workaround:
Completely quit the desktop app with Cmd+Q and reopen it. Closing the window alone does not resolve the issue.

Logs are available under:
~/Library/Logs/com.openai.codex/2026/08/06