Kitty graphics continuation chunks omit q=2, causing terminal ACK spam over SSH/iTerm2
Open 💬 0 comments Opened Aug 7, 2026 by jthackray
What version of Codex CLI is running?
0.147.0
What subscription do you have?
Enterprise
Which model were you using?
gpt-5.6-sol medium
What platform is your computer?
Linux 6.8.0-136-generic x86_64 x86_64
What terminal emulator and version are you using (if applicable)?
iTerm2 3.6.11
Codex doctor report
{
"schemaVersion": 1,
"generatedAt": "1786114099s since unix epoch",
"overallStatus": "ok",
"codexVersion": "0.147.0",
"checks": {
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"id": "app_server.status",
"category": "app-server",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "background server is not running",
"details": {
"control socket": "/home/jontha01/.codex/app-server-control/app-server-control.sock",
"daemon state dir": "/home/jontha01/.codex/app-server-daemon",
"mode": "ephemeral",
"pid file": "/home/jontha01/.codex/app-server-daemon/app-server.pid (missing)",
"settings": "/home/jontha01/.codex/app-server-daemon/settings.json (missing)",
"status": "not running",
"update-loop pid file": "/home/jontha01/.codex/app-server-daemon/app-server-updater.pid (missing)"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"auth.credentials": {
"id": "auth.credentials",
"category": "auth",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "OpenAI auth is not required for the active model provider",
"details": {
"auth env vars present": "OPENAI_API_KEY",
"auth file": "/home/jontha01/.codex/auth.json",
"auth storage mode": "File",
"model provider requires OpenAI auth": "false"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"config.load": {
"id": "config.load",
"category": "config",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "config loaded",
"details": {
"CODEX_HOME": "/home/jontha01/.codex",
"config.toml": "/home/jontha01/.codex/config.toml",
"config.toml parse": "ok",
"cwd": "/data_nvme1n1/jontha01/llvm-project",
"enabled feature flags": "shell_tool, view_image, unified_exec, shell_snapshot, code_mode_host, terminal_resize_reflow, sqlite, hooks, enable_request_compression, multi_agent, apps, tool_search_always_defer_mcp_tools, tool_suggest, plugins, in_app_browser, in_app_updates, browser_use, browser_use_full_cdp_access, browser_use_external, computer_use, remote_plugin, plugin_sharing, image_generation, resize_all_images, item_ids, skill_mcp_dependency_install, skill_search, mentions_v2, steer, guardian_approval, goals, collaboration_modes, tool_call_mcp_elicitation, auth_elicitation, personality, fast_mode, tui_app_server, remote_compaction_v2, workspace_dependencies",
"feature flag overrides": "none",
"feature flags enabled": "39",
"log dir": "/home/jontha01/.codex/log",
"mcp servers": "4",
"model": "gpt-5.6-sol",
"model provider": "proxy",
"sqlite home": "/home/jontha01/.codex"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"git.environment": {
"id": "git.environment",
"category": "git",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "git version 2.54.0",
"details": {
".git entry": "directory",
"PATH git #1": "/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/bin/git",
"PATH git #2": "/usr/bin/git",
"PATH git #3": "/bin/git",
"PATH git entries": "3",
"git branch": "main",
"git build options": "git version 2.54.0; cpu: x86_64; no commit associated with this build; sizeof-long: 8; sizeof-size_t: 8; shell-path: /bin/sh; rust: disabled; gettext: enabled; libcurl: 8.19.0; OpenSSL: OpenSSL 3.6.2 7 Apr 2026; zlib-ng: 2.3.3; SHA-1: SHA1_DC; SHA-256: SHA256_BLK; default-ref-format: files; default-hash: sha1",
"git exec path": "/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/opt/git/libexec/git-core",
"git version": "git version 2.54.0",
"repo detected": "true",
"repo root": "/data_nvme1n1/jontha01/llvm-project",
"selected git": "/home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/bin/git"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 17
},
"installation": {
"id": "installation",
"category": "install",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "installation looks consistent",
"details": {
"PATH codex #1": "/home/jontha01/.local/bin/x86_64/codex",
"PATH codex #2": "/home/jontha01/.local/bin/x86_64/codex",
"PATH codex entries": "2",
"current executable": "/data_nvme1n1/jontha01/.local/bin/x86_64/codex",
"install context": "other",
"managed by bun": "false",
"managed by npm": "false",
"managed by pnpm": "false",
"managed package root": "not set"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 1
},
"mcp.config": {
"id": "mcp.config",
"category": "mcp",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "MCP configuration is locally consistent",
"details": {
"configured servers": "4",
"disabled servers": "0",
"streamable_http servers": "4"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 1117
},
"network.env": {
"id": "network.env",
"category": "network",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "network-related environment looks readable",
"details": {
"proxy env vars": "none"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"network.provider_reachability": {
"id": "network.provider_reachability",
"category": "reachability",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "active provider endpoints are reachable over HTTP",
"details": {
"proxy API base URL": "https://openai-api-proxy.geo.arm.com/api/<redacted> reachable (HTTP 200)",
"proxy API route probe": "https://openai-api-proxy.geo.arm.com/api/<redacted> route exists (HTTP 401)",
"reachability mode": "provider auth"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 317
},
"network.websocket_reachability": {
"id": "network.websocket_reachability",
"category": "websocket",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "Responses WebSocket is not enabled for the active provider",
"details": {
"model provider": "proxy",
"provider name": "OpenAI",
"proxy env vars": "none",
"supports websockets": "false",
"wire API": "responses"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"runtime.provenance": {
"id": "runtime.provenance",
"category": "runtime",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "running local build on linux-x86_64",
"details": {
"commit": "unknown",
"current executable": "/data_nvme1n1/jontha01/.local/bin/x86_64/codex",
"install method": "other",
"platform": "linux-x86_64",
"version": "0.147.0"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"runtime.search": {
"id": "runtime.search",
"category": "search",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "search is OK (system)",
"details": {
"search command": "rg",
"search command readiness": "ripgrep 15.2.0 (rev e89fff89ac)",
"search provider": "system"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 1
},
"sandbox.helpers": {
"id": "sandbox.helpers",
"category": "sandbox",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "sandbox configuration is readable",
"details": {
"approval policy": "OnRequest",
"codex-linux-sandbox helper": "/home/jontha01/.codex/tmp/arg0/codex-arg0mv207H/codex-linux-sandbox",
"execve wrapper helper": "/home/jontha01/.codex/tmp/arg0/codex-arg0mv207H/codex-execve-wrapper",
"filesystem sandbox": "restricted",
"network sandbox": "restricted"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"state.paths": {
"id": "state.paths",
"category": "state",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "state paths and databases are inspectable",
"details": {
"CODEX_HOME": "/home/jontha01/.codex (dir)",
"active rollout files": "368 files, 252027301 total bytes, 684856 average bytes",
"archived rollout files": "0 files, 0 total bytes, 0 average bytes",
"goals DB": "/home/jontha01/.codex/goals_1.sqlite (file)",
"goals DB integrity": "ok",
"log DB": "/home/jontha01/.codex/logs_2.sqlite (file)",
"log DB integrity": "ok",
"log dir": "/home/jontha01/.codex/log (dir)",
"memories DB": "/home/jontha01/.codex/memories_1.sqlite (file)",
"memories DB integrity": "ok",
"queue DB": "/home/jontha01/.codex/queue_1.sqlite (file)",
"queue DB integrity": "ok",
"sqlite home": "/home/jontha01/.codex (dir)",
"state DB": "/home/jontha01/.codex/state_5.sqlite (file)",
"state DB integrity": "ok",
"thread history DB": "/home/jontha01/.codex/thread_history_1.sqlite (file)",
"thread history DB integrity": "ok"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 135
},
"state.rollout_db_parity": {
"id": "state.rollout_db_parity",
"category": "threads",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "rollout files and state DB thread inventory agree",
"details": {
"default model provider": "proxy",
"rollout DB active files": "368",
"rollout DB active rows": "368",
"rollout DB archive mismatches": "0",
"rollout DB archived files": "0",
"rollout DB archived rows": "0",
"rollout DB duplicate DB paths": "0",
"rollout DB duplicate rollout thread ids": "0",
"rollout DB malformed file names": "0",
"rollout DB missing active rows": "0",
"rollout DB missing archived rows": "0",
"rollout DB model providers": "proxy=368",
"rollout DB rows": "368",
"rollout DB scan cap reached": "false",
"rollout DB scan errors": "0",
"rollout DB sources": "cli=200, subagent:review=107, subagent:other=60, exec=1",
"rollout DB stale rows": "0"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 68
},
"system.environment": {
"id": "system.environment",
"category": "system",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "OS language en-GB",
"details": {
"EDITOR": "set",
"LANG": "en_GB.UTF-8",
"LESS": "set",
"PAGER": "set",
"VISUAL": "set",
"os": "Ubuntu 24.4.0 (noble) [64-bit]",
"os language": "en-GB",
"os type": "Ubuntu",
"os version": "24.4.0"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 12
},
"terminal.env": {
"id": "terminal.env",
"category": "terminal",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "terminal metadata was detected",
"details": {
"SSH_CLIENT": "present",
"SSH_CONNECTION": "present",
"SSH_TTY": "present",
"TERM": "xterm-sixel",
"color output": "enabled",
"effective locale": "en_GB.UTF-8",
"stderr is terminal": "true",
"stdin is terminal": "true",
"stdout is terminal": "true",
"terminal": "unknown",
"terminal size": "142x89"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"terminal.title": {
"id": "terminal.title",
"category": "title",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "terminal title default",
"details": {
"terminal title activity": "true",
"terminal title items": "activity, project-name",
"terminal title project source": "git repo root",
"terminal title project value": "llvm-project",
"terminal title source": "default"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"updates.status": {
"id": "updates.status",
"category": "updates",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "update configuration is locally consistent",
"details": {
"cached latest version": "0.147.0",
"check for update on startup": "true",
"last checked at": "2026-08-07T13:48:40.869263652Z",
"latest version": "0.147.0",
"latest version status": "current version is not older",
"update action": "manual or unknown",
"version cache": "/home/jontha01/.codex/version.json"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 48
}
}
}What issue are you seeing?
When running Codex on a remote Linux host over SSH from iTerm2 3.6.11, terminal pets work correctly if I force Kitty graphics with:
TERM=xterm-kitty codex
The pet renders correctly with alpha blending, but the terminal is flooded with repeated Kitty graphics acknowledgements such as:
Gi=0;OKGi=0;OKGi=0;OKGi=0;OK...
Looking at codex-rs/tui/src/pets/image_protocol.rs, the first Kitty image transmission chunk includes q=2, but continuation chunks omit the q parameter:
if index == 0 {
command.push_str(&format!(
"{ESC}_Ga=T,t=d,f=100,c={columns},r={rows},q=2{image_id},m={more_flag};{chunk}{ST}",
));
} else {
command.push_str(&format!("{ESC}_Gm={more_flag};{chunk}{ST}"));
}My understanding is that continuation chunks without q=2 fall back to normal response behaviour, causing iTerm2 to return an OK acknowledgement for each chunk.
What steps can reproduce the bug?
Connect from iTerm2 3.6.11 to a Linux host using SSH.
Run:
- TERM=xterm-kitty codex
- Enable a terminal pet with /pets.
- Observe that the pet renders correctly.
- Observe repeated text similar to: Gi=0;OKGi=0;OKGi=0;OKGi=0;OK... being written into the terminal.
What is the expected behavior?
Pet renders correctly without terminal garbage printed.
Additional information
This patch fixes it:
ommit 24de9f4ed (HEAD -> main)
Author: Jonathan Thackray <jthackray@gmail.com>
Date: 2 seconds ago
fix(tui): keep Kitty pet continuations quiet
Kitty graphics transmissions are split into 4096-byte chunks. The initial
chunk sets q=2 to suppress terminal responses, but continuation chunks omitted
q and therefore fell back to the protocol default. On terminals such as iTerm2
this can leak repeated Kitty acknowledgements (Gi=0;OK) into the TUI, notably
when Codex is running over SSH.
Propagate q=2 to every continuation chunk and add a multi-chunk regression test.
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/pets/image_protocol.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/pets/image_protocol.rs
index 06b6fc77b..bf49aa575 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/pets/image_protocol.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/pets/image_protocol.rs
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ pub fn kitty_transmit_png_with_id(
"{ESC}_Ga=T,t=d,f=100,c={columns},r={rows},q=2{image_id},m={more_flag};{chunk}{ST}",
));
} else {
- command.push_str(&format!("{ESC}_Gm={more_flag};{chunk}{ST}"));
+ command.push_str(&format!("{ESC}_Gm={more_flag},q=2;{chunk}{ST}"));
}
}
@@ -342,20 +342,27 @@ mod tests {
#[test]
#[serial]
- fn kitty_png_transmission_encodes_inline_data() {
+ fn kitty_png_transmission_keeps_quiet_mode_on_continuation_chunks() {
let _guard = EnvVarGuard::new("TMUX", /*value*/ None);
let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
let path = dir.path().join("frame.png");
- fs::write(&path, b"png").unwrap();
+
+ // Large enough that the base64 payload spans multiple Kitty chunks.
+ fs::write(&path, vec![0u8; KITTY_CHUNK_SIZE]).unwrap();
let command = kitty_transmit_png_with_id(
&path, /*columns*/ 4, /*rows*/ 3, /*image_id*/ None,
)
.unwrap();
- assert!(command.starts_with("\x1b_Ga=T,t=d,f=100,c=4,r=3,q=2,m=0;"));
- assert!(command.contains("cG5n"));
- assert!(command.ends_with("\x1b\\"));
+ assert!(command.starts_with(
+ "\x1b_Ga=T,t=d,f=100,c=4,r=3,q=2,m=1;"
+ ));
+
+ assert!(
+ command.contains("\x1b_Gm=0,q=2;"),
+ "continuation chunk must preserve q=2 quiet mode"
+ );
}
#[test]