Combine Every Code with the Codex Desktop app

[shiny-code-bot]

Finish Line

Users can run Every Code through the Codex Desktop app shell by making Every Code a Codex-compatible app-server backend for the desktop bundle, with a supported path for a copied/test app first and a clear packaging/distribution decision before touching the real installed app.

Current Status

State: Active, direction pivot validated and decomposed into child plans.

Copied-app result after #383:

• Merged PR: feat(app-server): accept Codex Desktop startup calls #383 feat(app-server): accept Codex Desktop startup calls
• Merge commit: 4339c3743917725b3b685864b3384af259a35964
• Copied app under test: /Users/cbusillo/Applications/Codex Every Code Test.app
• Real installed app: /Applications/Codex.app was not modified.
• The copied app reached the main Codex chat UI with the code project selected using the Every Code binary as Contents/Resources/codex.
• The copied app spawned /Users/cbusillo/Applications/Codex Every Code Test.app/Contents/Resources/codex app-server --analytics-default-enabled; lsof confirmed that process is the replaced Every Code binary.
• A filtered macOS log scan did not show a repeated Invalid request loop for the baseline desktop startup polling methods.

Codex-base port spike:

• Branch/worktree: spike/codex-base-port at /Users/cbusillo/.code/worktrees/code/codex-base-port-spike
• Local spike commit: d242e3f1c3 (spike: prove codex-base code workspace)
• Imported current openai/main:codex-rs into code-rs as the candidate substrate.
• Kept upstream crate/package names mostly codex-* internally, but exposed the CLI binary as code.
• Patched CLI identity enough for code --version and top-level help to use code / Every Code CLI.
• Patched home resolution in the upstream codex-utils-home-dir crate so CODE_HOME wins, CODEX_HOME remains compatibility fallback, and the no-env default is ~/.code.
• cargo test -p codex-utils-home-dir passed.
• ./build-fast.sh passed.
• code app-server --analytics-default-enabled --listen stdio:// --help parses natively on the Codex-base app-server surface.

Agent review and planning result:

• Claude review found the approach viable and the core patches clean.
• Recommendation: branch-only spike, fix/plan before PR rather than opening this raw million-line workspace replacement for merge.
• Feature-map review identified Auto Drive as the highest-risk must-port domain, remote inbox as the domain containing the Discord-specific UI, and auto-review/proof metrics, account/token accounting, TUI extensions, protocol/app-server additions, login/browser, exec/sandboxing, git/patch harness, model providers, config migrations, cloud tasks, observability, and utilities as explicit port domains.

Child plans created under #377:

• Plan Codex-base substrate migration for Every Code #384 Plan Codex-base substrate migration for Every Code. This is the next gate and owns the repo layout/substrate decision.
• Port Every Code identity and config boundary onto Codex base #385 Port Every Code identity and config boundary onto Codex base. Blocked by Plan Codex-base substrate migration for Every Code #384.
• Inventory and port Every Code features onto Codex base #386 Inventory and port Every Code features onto Codex base. Blocked by Plan Codex-base substrate migration for Every Code #384.
• Validate Codex-base Every Code in copied Codex Desktop app #387 Validate Codex-base Every Code in copied Codex Desktop app. Blocked by Plan Codex-base substrate migration for Every Code #384 and Port Every Code identity and config boundary onto Codex base #385.

Decision signal:

• This strongly supports shifting Combine Every Code with the Codex Desktop app #377 from incremental compatibility shims toward a planned Codex-base migration: keep Codex app-server/session/protocol behavior native, then port Every Code identity and extensions back onto that substrate.
• The raw spike proves feasibility but is too broad to merge directly. It should remain a reference branch and migration input, not the final PR shape.
• Discord-specific remote inbox UI should not be ported by default if Codex Desktop becomes the primary GUI. Inventory and port Every Code features onto Codex base #386 owns the keep/drop/defer decision for remote inbox; likely outcome is preserve integration capability if useful, drop/replace Discord-specific presentation.

Next action:

• Work Plan Codex-base substrate migration for Every Code #384 first. Decide and document the substrate/mirror strategy, update repo guidance, and define the reviewable PR sequence that replaces the raw spike.
• After Plan Codex-base substrate migration for Every Code #384, do Port Every Code identity and config boundary onto Codex base #385 before Desktop validation or feature ports so the Codex-base binary has stable Every Code identity/config behavior.

Residual scope:

• The spike currently leaves many upstream Codex user-facing strings intact; product copy is not migrated.
• Every Code extensions are not ported in the spike; port them deliberately through Inventory and port Every Code features onto Codex base #386.
• The copied-app chat-submit probe remains manual or requires deeper transport tracing because Chromium's prompt input was not directly accessible via AppleScript.

Acceptance Criteria

• code app-server --analytics-default-enabled accepts the Codex Desktop launch contract or intentionally no-ops that flag.
• The app-server initialize handshake reports a version/capability shape that the current Codex Desktop app accepts.
• Desktop-requested read/list/status methods either return compatible real data or explicit harmless empty responses where the feature is intentionally unsupported.
• Desktop startup with a copied app bundle produces no repeated Invalid request polling loop for baseline state methods.
• Config compatibility for the desktop app-server path is documented and tested, including ~/.codex fallback and TOML/Every Code config parsing behavior.
• A compatibility smoke test or reproduction script records the app-copy swap procedure without modifying /Applications/Codex.app.
• A packaging decision is recorded for how Every Code should be combined with the desktop app beyond the copied-bundle experiment: wrapper, embedded binary replacement, forked app bundle, or upstream-aligned distribution path.

Relationships

• Updates the conclusion from Investigate Codex desktop app remote control compatibility #217: native remote-control backend compatibility remains a no-go, but desktop-local app-server compatibility is now plausible and valuable.
• Extends Audit Codex CLI app-server parity for Every Code #216: app-server parity should include the desktop GUI contract, not just import/reject parity against upstream commits.
• Informs Evaluate upstream app-server remote-control support #37: remote-control adoption stays parked, but local desktop bridge/alignment should be evaluated separately.
• Informs Make Every Code an independent product #85 and Keep efficiency work aligned with just-every/code and Codex CLI #51: product identity should remain Every Code while keeping Codex CLI/app-server compatibility as a primary boundary.
• related: Investigate Codex desktop app remote control compatibility #217 - Investigate Codex desktop app remote control compatibility #217
• related: Audit Codex CLI app-server parity for Every Code #216 - Audit Codex CLI app-server parity for Every Code #216
• related: Evaluate upstream app-server remote-control support #37 - Evaluate upstream app-server remote-control support #37
• related: Make Every Code an independent product #85 - Make Every Code an independent product #85
• related: Keep efficiency work aligned with just-every/code and Codex CLI #51 - Keep efficiency work aligned with just-every/code and Codex CLI #51