Codex Desktop leaves persistent zero-byte copy-suffixed rollouts and task-inventory drift on macOS

Open 💬 0 comments Opened Aug 21, 2026 by omarpinarecords

Summary

While using Codex Desktop on macOS, its local task-history inventory shows persistent drift. The codex doctor --json command was used only to measure and report the app's local state:

  • 22 scan errors
  • 22 active rollout files missing from the state DB
  • 3 archived rollout files missing from the state DB
  • 1 stale state DB row
  • 25 duplicate rollout thread IDs

A separate read-only metadata check found exactly 22 zero-byte .jsonl files. All 22 have copy-style filename suffixes such as (1).jsonl or (2).jsonl. There are also 12 non-empty files with the same copy-style naming pattern, so deleting files based only on the suffix would be unsafe.

File ownership and readability are normal. The source of the copy-style files is NOT_PROVED.

Classification

  • Type: Bug / validation gap
  • Scope: Public OpenAI Codex Desktop app
  • Owning folder/project: Projectless Codex task; Codex Desktop local diagnostics
  • Target repo: openai/codex
  • Privacy class: Public-safe
  • Source basis: Fresh codex doctor --json report plus read-only filesystem metadata
  • Duty verbs: Detect, reconcile, and provide a supported remediation path
  • Impact: Local task inventory is inconsistent; direct user-visible task loss is NOT_PROVED
  • Priority: Normal
  • Owner: OpenAI Codex maintainers
  • Next safe action: Determine why Codex Desktop leaves persistent zero-byte copy-suffixed rollout files and document or implement a supported repair/reindex path
  • Approval gate: User explicitly authorized this public issue
  • Validation/close criteria: A supported repair or product fix restores file/DB parity without manual database edits or unsafe bulk deletion, and codex doctor no longer reports these inconsistencies

Environment

  • Affected user surface: Codex Desktop 26.818.31338
  • Diagnostic executable: Codex 0.149.0, installed via npm and used only to run codex doctor
  • Platform: macOS 26.6.2, Apple Silicon (arm64)
  • State databases: integrity checks pass

Steps to reproduce

  1. Use the Codex Desktop app normally with local tasks.
  2. Run codex doctor --json.
  3. Observe state.rollout_db_parity warning.
  4. Inspect only file metadata under ~/.codex/sessions and ~/.codex/archived_sessions.
  5. Observe persistent zero-byte rollout files with copy-style filename suffixes and the inventory counts above.

Actual behavior

The doctor report says rollout files and the state DB task inventory differ. It recommends attaching the report to a bug report and checking permissions or unexpected files. Permissions are not the issue in this case:

  • Wrong-owner JSONL files: 0
  • Unreadable JSONL files: 0
  • Zero-byte JSONL files: 22
  • Copy-suffixed JSONL files: 34
  • Zero-byte and copy-suffixed: 22
  • Non-empty and copy-suffixed: 12

The report exposes no supported repair command.

Expected behavior

Codex Desktop should avoid leaving persistent zero-byte rollout copies, reconcile valid task files with the state DB, and provide a supported, non-destructive repair or quarantine path when doctor detects inventory drift.

Product-surface clarification

The affected end-user surface is Codex Desktop, not a CLI-only workflow. The CLI-form codex doctor command is diagnostic evidence for the Desktop app's local task/session state.

Related but not exact duplicates

  • #31433 — valid rollout files unindexed in the state DB and no supported reindex
  • #26877 — valid legacy rollouts reported as scan errors
  • #38613 — newly created rollout briefly empty during a resume race

This report differs because the zero-byte files are persistent, copy-suffixed, and appear together with missing rows, a stale row, and duplicate task IDs.

<details>
<summary>Public-safe redacted codex doctor report</summary>

{
  "schemaVersion": 1,
  "generatedAt": "1787285102s since unix epoch",
  "overallStatus": "warning",
  "codexVersion": "0.149.0",
  "checks": {
    "app_server.status": {
      "id": "app_server.status",
      "category": "app-server",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "background server is not running",
      "details": {
        "control socket": "/Users/<USER>/.codex/app-server-control/app-server-control.sock",
        "daemon state dir": "/Users/<USER>/.codex/app-server-daemon",
        "mode": "ephemeral",
        "pid file": "/Users/<USER>/.codex/app-server-daemon/app-server.pid (missing)",
        "settings": "/Users/<USER>/.codex/app-server-daemon/settings.json (missing)",
        "status": "not running",
        "update-loop pid file": "/Users/<USER>/.codex/app-server-daemon/app-server-updater.pid (missing)"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "auth.credentials": {
      "id": "auth.credentials",
      "category": "auth",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "auth is configured",
      "details": {
        "auth file": "/Users/<USER>/.codex/auth.json",
        "auth storage mode": "File",
        "stored API key": "false",
        "stored ChatGPT tokens": "true",
        "stored agent identity": "false",
        "stored auth mode": "chatgpt"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "config.load": {
      "id": "config.load",
      "category": "config",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "config loaded",
      "details": {
        "CODEX_HOME": "/Users/<USER>/.codex",
        "config.toml": "/Users/<USER>/.codex/config.toml",
        "config.toml parse": "ok",
        "cwd": "/Users/<USER>/Documents/Codex/2026-08-20/cod",
        "enabled feature flags": "shell_tool, view_image, unified_exec, shell_snapshot, code_mode_host, terminal_resize_reflow, sqlite, memories, chronicle, hooks, enable_request_compression, unbounded_connection_retries, multi_agent, apps, tool_search_always_defer_mcp_tools, tool_suggest, plugins, in_app_browser, in_app_chat, in_app_dictation, 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": "memories=true, chronicle=true",
        "feature flags enabled": "44",
        "log dir": "/Users/<USER>/.codex/log",
        "mcp servers": "4",
        "model": "gpt-5.6-sol",
        "model provider": "openai",
        "sqlite home": "/Users/<USER>/.codex"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "desktop.app.version": {
      "id": "desktop.app.version",
      "category": "desktop",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "the desktop application is installed",
      "details": {
        "log directory": "$HOME/Library/Logs/com.openai.codex",
        "running": "true",
        "version": "26.818.31338"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "desktop.app_server.handshake": {
      "id": "desktop.app_server.handshake",
      "category": "desktop",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "the desktop app-server initialized successfully",
      "details": {},
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "desktop.security.enforcement": {
      "id": "desktop.security.enforcement",
      "category": "desktop",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "the desktop application passed available macos security assessments",
      "details": {
        "gatekeeper": "accepted"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "git.environment": {
      "id": "git.environment",
      "category": "git",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "git version 2.50.1 (Apple Git-155)",
      "details": {
        "PATH git #1": "/usr/bin/git",
        "PATH git #2": "/Users/<USER>/.cache/codex-runtimes/codex-primary-runtime/dependencies/bin/fallback/git",
        "PATH git entries": "2",
        "git build options": "git version 2.50.1 (Apple Git-155); cpu: arm64; no commit associated with this build; sizeof-long: 8; sizeof-size_t: 8; shell-path: /bin/sh; feature: fsmonitor--daemon; libcurl: 8.7.1; zlib: 1.2.12; SHA-1: SHA1_DC; SHA-256: SHA256_BLK",
        "git exec path": "/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/libexec/git-core",
        "git version": "git version 2.50.1 (Apple Git-155)",
        "repo detected": "false",
        "selected git": "/usr/bin/git"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 143
    },
    "installation": {
      "id": "installation",
      "category": "install",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "installation looks consistent",
      "details": {
        "PATH codex #1": "/Users/<USER>/.local/bin/codex",
        "PATH codex #2": "/Applications/ChatGPT.app/Contents/Resources/codex",
        "PATH codex #3": "/Users/<USER>/.local/bin/codex",
        "PATH codex #4": "/Users/<USER>/.local/bin/codex",
        "PATH codex entries": "4",
        "current executable": "/Users/<USER>/.local/opt/node-v24.19.0-darwin-arm64/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-darwin-arm64/vendor/aarch64-apple-darwin/bin/codex",
        "install context": "npm (package /Users/<USER>/.local/opt/node-v24.19.0-darwin-arm64/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-darwin-arm64/vendor/aarch64-apple-darwin, bin /Users/<USER>/.local/opt/node-v24.19.0-darwin-arm64/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-darwin-arm64/vendor/aarch64-apple-darwin/bin, resources /Users/<USER>/.local/opt/node-v24.19.0-darwin-arm64/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-darwin-arm64/vendor/aarch64-apple-darwin/codex-resources, path /Users/<USER>/.local/opt/node-v24.19.0-darwin-arm64/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-darwin-arm64/vendor/aarch64-apple-darwin/codex-path)",
        "managed by bun": "false",
        "managed by npm": "true",
        "managed by pnpm": "false",
        "managed package root": "/Users/<USER>/.local/opt/node-v24.19.0-darwin-arm64/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex",
        "npm update target": "/Users/<USER>/.local/opt/node-v24.19.0-darwin-arm64/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 205
    },
    "mcp.config": {
      "id": "mcp.config",
      "category": "mcp",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "MCP configuration is locally consistent",
      "details": {
        "configured servers": "4",
        "disabled servers": "1",
        "stdio servers": "3",
        "streamable_http servers": "1"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 305
    },
    "network.env": {
      "id": "network.env",
      "category": "network",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "network-related environment looks readable",
      "details": {
        "managed proxy": "not configured",
        "proxy env vars": "none",
        "respect system proxy": "disabled",
        "system proxy": "automatic (PAC)"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "network.provider_reachability": {
      "id": "network.provider_reachability",
      "category": "reachability",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "active provider endpoints are reachable over HTTP",
      "details": {
        "ChatGPT inference URL": "https://chatgpt.com/backend-api/<redacted> reachable (HTTP 405)",
        "desktop assets CDN": "https://chatgpt.com/backend-api/<redacted> reachable (HTTP 200)",
        "reachability mode": "ChatGPT auth"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 309
    },
    "network.websocket_reachability": {
      "id": "network.websocket_reachability",
      "category": "websocket",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "Responses WebSocket handshake succeeded",
      "details": {
        "DNS": "2 IPv4, 2 IPv6, first IPv6",
        "auth mode": "chatgpt",
        "connect timeout": "15000 ms",
        "endpoint": "wss://chatgpt.com/backend-api/<redacted>",
        "handshake result": "HTTP 101 Switching Protocols",
        "model provider": "openai",
        "provider name": "OpenAI",
        "proxy env vars": "none",
        "reasoning header": "false",
        "server model present": "false",
        "supports websockets": "true",
        "wire API": "responses"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 766
    },
    "runtime.provenance": {
      "id": "runtime.provenance",
      "category": "runtime",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "running npm on macos-aarch64",
      "details": {
        "commit": "unknown",
        "current executable": "/Users/<USER>/.local/opt/node-v24.19.0-darwin-arm64/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-darwin-arm64/vendor/aarch64-apple-darwin/bin/codex",
        "install method": "npm (package /Users/<USER>/.local/opt/node-v24.19.0-darwin-arm64/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-darwin-arm64/vendor/aarch64-apple-darwin, bin /Users/<USER>/.local/opt/node-v24.19.0-darwin-arm64/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-darwin-arm64/vendor/aarch64-apple-darwin/bin, resources /Users/<USER>/.local/opt/node-v24.19.0-darwin-arm64/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-darwin-arm64/vendor/aarch64-apple-darwin/codex-resources, path /Users/<USER>/.local/opt/node-v24.19.0-darwin-arm64/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-darwin-arm64/vendor/aarch64-apple-darwin/codex-path)",
        "platform": "macos-aarch64",
        "version": "0.149.0"
      },
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      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "runtime.search": {
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      "category": "search",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "search is OK (bundled)",
      "details": {
        "search command": "/Users/<USER>/.local/opt/node-v24.19.0-darwin-arm64/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-darwin-arm64/vendor/aarch64-apple-darwin/codex-path/rg",
        "search command readiness": "file exists",
        "search provider": "bundled"
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      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "sandbox.helpers": {
      "id": "sandbox.helpers",
      "category": "sandbox",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "sandbox configuration is readable",
      "details": {
        "approval policy": "Never",
        "codex-linux-sandbox helper": "none",
        "execve wrapper helper": "/Users/<USER>/.codex/tmp/arg0/codex-arg0Mhtv7z/codex-execve-wrapper",
        "filesystem sandbox": "unrestricted",
        "network sandbox": "enabled"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "security.endpoint": {
      "id": "security.endpoint",
      "category": "security",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "no supported endpoint protection detected",
      "details": {
        "endpoint products": "none detected"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 110
    },
    "state.paths": {
      "id": "state.paths",
      "category": "state",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "state paths and databases are inspectable",
      "details": {
        "CODEX_HOME": "/Users/<USER>/.codex (dir)",
        "active rollout files": "1236 files, 27056959568 total bytes, 21890743 average bytes",
        "archived rollout files": "696 files, 8369690436 total bytes, 12025417 average bytes",
        "goals DB": "/Users/<USER>/.codex/goals_1.sqlite (file)",
        "goals DB integrity": "ok",
        "log DB": "/Users/<USER>/.codex/logs_2.sqlite (file)",
        "log DB integrity": "ok",
        "log dir": "/Users/<USER>/.codex/log (missing)",
        "memories DB": "/Users/<USER>/.codex/memories_1.sqlite (file)",
        "memories DB integrity": "ok",
        "queue DB": "/Users/<USER>/.codex/queue_1.sqlite (file)",
        "queue DB integrity": "ok",
        "sqlite home": "/Users/<USER>/.codex (dir)",
        "state DB": "/Users/<USER>/.codex/state_5.sqlite (file)",
        "state DB integrity": "ok",
        "thread history DB": "/Users/<USER>/.codex/thread_history_1.sqlite (file)",
        "thread history DB integrity": "ok"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 34351
    },
    "state.rollout_db_parity": {
      "id": "state.rollout_db_parity",
      "category": "threads",
      "status": "warning",
      "summary": "rollout files and state DB thread inventory differ",
      "details": {
        "default model provider": "openai",
        "rollout DB active files": "1219",
        "rollout DB active rows": "1197",
        "rollout DB archive mismatches": "0",
        "rollout DB archived files": "691",
        "rollout DB archived rows": "689",
        "rollout DB duplicate DB paths": "0",
        "rollout DB duplicate rollout thread id sample": [
          "<REDACTED_UUID>",
          "<REDACTED_UUID>",
          "<REDACTED_UUID>",
          "<REDACTED_UUID>",
          "<REDACTED_UUID>"
        ],
        "rollout DB duplicate rollout thread ids": "25",
        "rollout DB malformed file names": "0",
        "rollout DB missing active rows": "22",
        "rollout DB missing active sample": [
          "/Users/<USER>/.codex/sessions/2026/08/13/rollout-2026-08-13T17-22-49-<REDACTED_UUID> (1).jsonl",
          "/Users/<USER>/.codex/sessions/2026/08/13/rollout-2026-08-13T17-17-46-<REDACTED_UUID> (1).jsonl",
          "/Users/<USER>/.codex/sessions/2026/08/13/rollout-2026-08-13T02-17-38-<REDACTED_UUID> (1).jsonl",
          "/Users/<USER>/.codex/sessions/2026/08/13/rollout-2026-08-13T17-17-24-<REDACTED_UUID> (1).jsonl",
          "/Users/<USER>/.codex/sessions/2026/08/13/rollout-2026-08-13T01-46-14-<REDACTED_UUID>.jsonl"
        ],
        "rollout DB missing archived rows": "3",
        "rollout DB missing archived sample": [
          "/Users/<USER>/.codex/archived_sessions/rollout-2026-08-11T13-37-29-<REDACTED_UUID> (1).jsonl",
          "/Users/<USER>/.codex/archived_sessions/rollout-2026-08-12T12-24-32-<REDACTED_UUID>.jsonl",
          "/Users/<USER>/.codex/archived_sessions/rollout-2026-08-12T03-53-31-<REDACTED_UUID>.jsonl"
        ],
        "rollout DB model providers": "openai=1886",
        "rollout DB rows": "1886",
        "rollout DB scan cap reached": "false",
        "rollout DB scan error sample": [
          "/Users/<USER>/.codex/sessions/2026/08/13/rollout-2026-08-13T02-00-11-<REDACTED_UUID> (2).jsonl (rollout at /Users/<USER>/.codex/sessions/2026/08/13/rollout-2026-08-13T02-00-11-<REDACTED_UUID> (2).jsonl has no usable header record)",
          "/Users/<USER>/.codex/sessions/2026/08/13/rollout-2026-08-13T01-34-46-<REDACTED_UUID> (1).jsonl (rollout at /Users/<USER>/.codex/sessions/2026/08/13/rollout-2026-08-13T01-34-46-<REDACTED_UUID> (1).jsonl has no usable header record)",
          "/Users/<USER>/.codex/sessions/2026/08/13/rollout-2026-08-13T20-31-18-<REDACTED_UUID> (1).jsonl (rollout at /Users/<USER>/.codex/sessions/2026/08/13/rollout-2026-08-13T20-31-18-<REDACTED_UUID> (1).jsonl has no usable header record)",
          "/Users/<USER>/.codex/sessions/2026/08/13/rollout-2026-08-13T14-05-17-<REDACTED_UUID> (1).jsonl (rollout at /Users/<USER>/.codex/sessions/2026/08/13/rollout-2026-08-13T14-05-17-<REDACTED_UUID> (1).jsonl has no usable header record)",
          "/Users/<USER>/.codex/sessions/2026/08/13/rollout-2026-08-13T17-00-29-<REDACTED_UUID> (1).jsonl (rollout at /Users/<USER>/.codex/sessions/2026/08/13/rollout-2026-08-13T17-00-29-<REDACTED_UUID> (1).jsonl has no usable header record)"
        ],
        "rollout DB scan errors": "22",
        "rollout DB sources": "vscode=695, subagent:other=638, subagent:thread_spawn=551, exec=2",
        "rollout DB stale row sample": "/Users/<USER>/.codex/archived_sessions/rollout-2026-08-19T09-43-04-<REDACTED_UUID>.jsonl",
        "rollout DB stale rows": "1"
      },
      "issues": [
        {
          "severity": "warning",
          "cause": "rollout files are missing from the state DB",
          "measured": "22 active, 3 archived",
          "expected": "every rollout file has a matching threads row",
          "remedy": null,
          "fields": []
        },
        {
          "severity": "warning",
          "cause": "state DB rows point at missing or unusable rollout files",
          "measured": "1 stale rows",
          "expected": "every state DB rollout path is a file on disk",
          "remedy": null,
          "fields": []
        },
        {
          "severity": "warning",
          "cause": "duplicate thread inventory entries found",
          "measured": "25 duplicate rollout thread ids, 0 duplicate DB paths",
          "expected": "one rollout path and thread id per thread",
          "remedy": "Attach the doctor report to a bug report so support can inspect samples.",
          "fields": []
        },
        {
          "severity": "warning",
          "cause": "rollout scan was incomplete or found bad files",
          "measured": "22 scan errors, 0 malformed names, scan cap reached: false",
          "expected": "rollout directories are fully scannable",
          "remedy": "Check file permissions and unexpected files under CODEX_HOME sessions.",
          "fields": []
        }
      ],
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 1512
    },
    "system.disk": {
      "id": "system.disk",
      "category": "disk",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "sufficient free disk space (23.8 GiB)",
      "details": {
        "CODEX_HOME available": "23.8 GiB",
        "failure threshold": "1.0 GiB",
        "warning threshold": "5.0 GiB",
        "worktree available": "23.8 GiB"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "system.environment": {
      "id": "system.environment",
      "category": "system",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "OS language en-US",
      "details": {
        "EDITOR": "not set",
        "GH_PAGER": "set",
        "GIT_PAGER": "set",
        "LANG": "C.UTF-8",
        "LC_ALL": "C.UTF-8",
        "LC_CTYPE": "C.UTF-8",
        "PAGER": "set",
        "VISUAL": "not set",
        "os": "Mac OS 26.6.2 [64-bit]",
        "os language": "en-US",
        "os type": "Mac OS",
        "os version": "26.6.2"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 7
    },
    "terminal.env": {
      "id": "terminal.env",
      "category": "terminal",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "terminal metadata was detected",
      "details": {
        "COLORTERM": "present",
        "NO_COLOR": "1",
        "TERM": "xterm-256color",
        "color output": "disabled (NO_COLOR)",
        "effective locale": "C.UTF-8",
        "stderr is terminal": "false",
        "stdin is terminal": "false",
        "stdout is terminal": "false",
        "terminal": "unknown",
        "terminal size": "80x24"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 10
    },
    "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": "cwd",
        "terminal title project value": "cod",
        "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": "0.142.3",
        "check for update on startup": "true",
        "last checked at": "2026-06-27T01:10:36.716426Z",
        "latest version": "0.149.0",
        "latest version status": "current version is not older",
        "npm update target": "/Users/<USER>/.local/opt/node-v24.19.0-darwin-arm64/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex",
        "update action": "npm install -g @openai/codex",
        "version cache": "/Users/<USER>/.codex/version.json"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 447
    }
  }
}

</details>

Privacy review

The embedded report was additionally sanitized beyond Codex's built-in redaction:

  • Local username/home path replaced
  • Task/session UUIDs replaced
  • No email address, API key, bearer token, conversation text, raw task history, database, or authentication file included

View original on GitHub ↗