macOS workspace-write sandbox denies directory rename and removal inside a writable workspace
Open 💬 0 comments Opened Aug 25, 2026 by rklos
What version of Codex CLI is running?
codex-cli 0.149.1
What subscription do you have?
ChatGPT Pro 5x
Which model were you using?
gpt-5.6-terra medium
What platform is your computer?
Darwin 25.5.0 arm64 arm
What terminal emulator and version are you using (if applicable)?
_No response_
Codex doctor report
{
"schemaVersion": 1,
"generatedAt": "1787640983s since unix epoch",
"overallStatus": "ok",
"codexVersion": "0.149.1",
"checks": {
"app_server.status": {
"id": "app_server.status",
"category": "app-server",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "background server is not running",
"details": {
"control socket": "/Users/rklos/.codex/app-server-control/app-server-control.sock",
"daemon state dir": "/Users/rklos/.codex/app-server-daemon",
"mode": "ephemeral",
"pid file": "/Users/rklos/.codex/app-server-daemon/app-server.pid (missing)",
"settings": "/Users/rklos/.codex/app-server-daemon/settings.json (missing)",
"status": "not running",
"update-loop pid file": "/Users/rklos/.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/rklos/.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/rklos/.codex",
"config.toml": "/Users/rklos/.codex/config.toml",
"config.toml parse": "ok",
"cwd": "/Users/rklos",
"enabled feature flags": "shell_tool, view_image, unified_exec, shell_snapshot, code_mode_host, terminal_resize_reflow, sqlite, hooks, request_permissions_tool, 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": "request_permissions_tool=true",
"feature flags enabled": "43",
"log dir": "/Users/rklos/.codex/log",
"mcp servers": "3",
"model": "gpt-5.6-terra",
"model provider": "openai",
"sqlite home": "/Users/rklos/.codex"
},
"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 entries": "1",
"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": "/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/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": 166
},
"installation": {
"id": "installation",
"category": "install",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "installation looks consistent",
"details": {
"PATH codex #1": "/Users/rklos/.local/bin/codex",
"current executable": "/Users/rklos/.local/bin/codex",
"install context": "standalone (unix, package /Users/rklos/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-aarch64-apple-darwin, bin /Users/rklos/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-aarch64-apple-darwin/bin, resources /Users/rklos/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-aarch64-apple-darwin/codex-resources, path /Users/rklos/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-aarch64-apple-darwin/codex-path)",
"managed by bun": "false",
"managed by npm": "false",
"managed by pnpm": "false",
"managed package root": "not set"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 2
},
"mcp.config": {
"id": "mcp.config",
"category": "mcp",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "MCP configuration is locally consistent",
"details": {
"configured servers": "3",
"disabled servers": "0",
"stdio servers": "2",
"streamable_http servers": "1"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 515
},
"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": "direct"
},
"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)",
"reachability mode": "ChatGPT auth"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 282
},
"network.websocket_reachability": {
"id": "network.websocket_reachability",
"category": "websocket",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "Responses WebSocket handshake succeeded",
"details": {
"DNS": "2 IPv4, 0 IPv6, first IPv4",
"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": 911
},
"runtime.provenance": {
"id": "runtime.provenance",
"category": "runtime",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "running standalone on macos-aarch64",
"details": {
"commit": "unknown",
"current executable": "/Users/rklos/.local/bin/codex",
"install method": "standalone (unix, package /Users/rklos/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-aarch64-apple-darwin, bin /Users/rklos/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-aarch64-apple-darwin/bin, resources /Users/rklos/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-aarch64-apple-darwin/codex-resources, path /Users/rklos/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-aarch64-apple-darwin/codex-path)",
"platform": "macos-aarch64",
"version": "0.149.1"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"runtime.search": {
"id": "runtime.search",
"category": "search",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "search is OK (bundled)",
"details": {
"search command": "/Users/rklos/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-aarch64-apple-darwin/codex-path/rg",
"search command readiness": "file exists",
"search provider": "bundled"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"sandbox.helpers": {
"id": "sandbox.helpers",
"category": "sandbox",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "sandbox configuration is readable",
"details": {
"approval policy": "OnRequest",
"codex-linux-sandbox helper": "none",
"execve wrapper helper": "/Users/rklos/.codex/tmp/arg0/codex-arg0QKBOua/codex-execve-wrapper",
"filesystem sandbox": "restricted",
"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": 19
},
"state.paths": {
"id": "state.paths",
"category": "state",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "state paths and databases are inspectable",
"details": {
"CODEX_HOME": "/Users/rklos/.codex (dir)",
"active rollout files": "124 files, 1215244917 total bytes, 9800362 average bytes",
"archived rollout files": "0 files, 0 total bytes, 0 average bytes",
"goals DB": "/Users/rklos/.codex/goals_1.sqlite (file)",
"goals DB integrity": "ok",
"log DB": "/Users/rklos/.codex/logs_2.sqlite (file)",
"log DB integrity": "ok",
"log dir": "/Users/rklos/.codex/log (missing)",
"memories DB": "/Users/rklos/.codex/memories_1.sqlite (file)",
"memories DB integrity": "ok",
"queue DB": "/Users/rklos/.codex/queue_1.sqlite (file)",
"queue DB integrity": "ok",
"sqlite home": "/Users/rklos/.codex (dir)",
"standalone release cache": "6 entries in /Users/rklos/.codex/packages/standalone/releases",
"state DB": "/Users/rklos/.codex/state_5.sqlite (file)",
"state DB integrity": "ok",
"thread history DB": "/Users/rklos/.codex/thread_history_1.sqlite (file)",
"thread history DB integrity": "ok"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 578
},
"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": "openai",
"rollout DB active files": "124",
"rollout DB active rows": "124",
"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": "openai=124",
"rollout DB rows": "124",
"rollout DB scan cap reached": "false",
"rollout DB scan errors": "0",
"rollout DB sources": "subagent:thread_spawn=67, cli=49, exec=8",
"rollout DB stale rows": "0"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 270
},
"system.disk": {
"id": "system.disk",
"category": "disk",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "sufficient free disk space (142.2 GiB)",
"details": {
"CODEX_HOME available": "142.2 GiB",
"failure threshold": "1.0 GiB",
"warning threshold": "5.0 GiB",
"worktree available": "142.2 GiB"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"system.environment": {
"id": "system.environment",
"category": "system",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "OS language en-GB",
"details": {
"EDITOR": "not set",
"LANG": "en_GB.UTF-8",
"LESS": "set",
"PAGER": "set",
"VISUAL": "not set",
"os": "Mac OS 26.5.2 [64-bit]",
"os language": "en-GB",
"os type": "Mac OS",
"os version": "26.5.2"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 2
},
"terminal.env": {
"id": "terminal.env",
"category": "terminal",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "terminal metadata was detected",
"details": {
"COLORFGBG": "7;0",
"COLORTERM": "truecolor",
"TERMINFO_DIRS entry": [
"/Applications/iTerm.app/Contents/Resources/terminfo (dir)",
"/usr/share/terminfo (dir)"
],
"TERM_PROGRAM": "iTerm.app",
"color output": "enabled",
"effective locale": "en_GB.UTF-8",
"stderr is terminal": "true",
"stdin is terminal": "true",
"stdout is terminal": "true",
"terminal": "iTerm2",
"terminal size": "150x30",
"terminal version": "3.6.11"
},
"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": "cwd",
"terminal title project value": "rklos",
"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": "0.149.1",
"check for update on startup": "true",
"last checked at": "2026-08-24T18:30:57.563239Z",
"latest version": "0.149.1",
"latest version status": "current version is not older",
"update action": "standalone installer",
"version cache": "/Users/rklos/.codex/version.json"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 218
}
}
}What issue are you seeing?
File creation works, but directory removal and rename operations return EPERM even though:
- the workspace is declared writable;
- source and destination are inside that workspace;
- ownership and POSIX permissions are normal;
- the target directory is empty;
- the same command succeeds in the normal macOS Terminal.
Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, rmdir '<workspace>/.next/build/chunks'mv: rename visualizations-v2 to docs/designs/visualizations-v2: Operation not permitted
What steps can reproduce the bug?
Use any writable Git workspace.
- Run a Next.js build in Codex:
npm run build
The first build succeeds and creates .next.
- Run the same command again in the same Codex session:
npm run build
- It fails before compilation:
Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, rmdir '<workspace>/.next/build/chunks'
- Moving a directory inside the same workspace also fails. The destination does not exist before the command:
mv visualizations-v2 docs/designs/visualizations-v2
Result:
mv: rename visualizations-v2 to docs/designs/visualizations-v2: Operation not permitted
- Changing Next's
distDirfrom.nextto a regular directory such as next-build does not help. The second build fails in the same way:
Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, rmdir '<workspace>/next-build/build/chunks'
What is the expected behavior?
Commands running in workspace-write should be able to create, remove, and rename files and directories inside the writable workspace.
Additional information
- Running the build with
danger-full-accesssucceeds twice in a row. - The failure is independent of the .next directory name.
- Adding
.next/**as an explicit writable path in the permissions profile did not help. - The standalone installation layout uses the
currentsymlink shown above. - Launching Codex through the fully resolved release binary allowed the Next.js part of the build to complete under workspace-write, which may indicate a macOS Seatbelt issue involving
the standalone symlink path.
Related issues
- #38286: macOS standalone apply_patch helper fails through the current symlink with EPERM
- #28894: workspace-write on macOS returns EPERM for operations that work with danger-full-access
- #20613: macOS Seatbelt handling of writable roots has known regressions