WSL-hosted chatgpt.exe or codex-cli both have delays between prompt and starting work, or between work completion and ending of the prompt

What version of Codex CLI is running?

0.149.1

What subscription do you have?

pro lite 5x

Which model were you using?

gpt-5.6

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26200.0 x64

What terminal emulator and version are you using (if applicable)?

Powershell/WSL

Codex doctor report

{
  "schemaVersion": 1,
  "generatedAt": "1787676773s 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": "/home/kenny/.codex/app-server-control/app-server-control.sock",
        "daemon state dir": "/home/kenny/.codex/app-server-daemon",
        "mode": "ephemeral",
        "pid file": "/home/kenny/.codex/app-server-daemon/app-server.pid (missing)",
        "settings": "/home/kenny/.codex/app-server-daemon/settings.json (missing)",
        "status": "not running",
        "update-loop pid file": "/home/kenny/.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": "/home/kenny/.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": "/home/kenny/.codex",
        "config.toml": "/home/kenny/.codex/config.toml",
        "config.toml parse": "ok",
        "cwd": "/mnt/c/Users/kenny",
        "enabled feature flags": "shell_tool, view_image, unified_exec, shell_snapshot, code_mode_host, terminal_resize_reflow, sqlite, 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": "none",
        "feature flags enabled": "42",
        "log dir": "/home/kenny/.codex/log",
        "mcp servers": "0",
        "model": "gpt-5.6-sol",
        "model provider": "openai",
        "sqlite home": "/home/kenny/.codex"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "git.environment": {
      "id": "git.environment",
      "category": "git",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "git version 2.53.0",
      "details": {
        "PATH git #1": "/usr/bin/git",
        "PATH git #2": "/bin/git",
        "PATH git entries": "2",
        "git build options": "git version 2.53.0; 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: 8.18.0; zlib: 1.3.1; SHA-1: SHA1_DC; SHA-256: SHA256_BLK; default-ref-format: files; default-hash: sha1",
        "git exec path": "/usr/lib/git-core",
        "git version": "git version 2.53.0",
        "repo detected": "false",
        "selected git": "/usr/bin/git"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 98
    },
    "installation": {
      "id": "installation",
      "category": "install",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "installation looks consistent",
      "details": {
        "PATH codex #1": "/home/kenny/.local/bin/codex",
        "PATH codex #2": "/home/kenny/.local/bin/codex",
        "PATH codex entries": "2",
        "current executable": "/home/kenny/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/bin/codex",
        "install context": "standalone (unix, package /home/kenny/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl, bin /home/kenny/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/bin, resources /home/kenny/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/codex-resources, path /home/kenny/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/codex-path)",
        "managed by bun": "false",
        "managed by npm": "false",
        "managed by pnpm": "false",
        "managed package root": "not set"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 52
    },
    "mcp.config": {
      "id": "mcp.config",
      "category": "mcp",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "no MCP servers configured",
      "details": {},
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "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"
      },
      "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": 346
    },
    "network.websocket_reachability": {
      "id": "network.websocket_reachability",
      "category": "websocket",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "Responses WebSocket handshake succeeded",
      "details": {
        "DNS": "2 IPv4, 2 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": 1257
    },
    "runtime.provenance": {
      "id": "runtime.provenance",
      "category": "runtime",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "running standalone on linux-x86_64",
      "details": {
        "commit": "unknown",
        "current executable": "/home/kenny/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/bin/codex",
        "install method": "standalone (unix, package /home/kenny/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl, bin /home/kenny/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/bin, resources /home/kenny/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/codex-resources, path /home/kenny/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/codex-path)",
        "platform": "linux-x86_64",
        "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": "/home/kenny/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.149.1-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/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": "/home/kenny/.codex/tmp/arg0/codex-arg03AUxcT/codex-linux-sandbox",
        "execve wrapper helper": "/home/kenny/.codex/tmp/arg0/codex-arg03AUxcT/codex-execve-wrapper",
        "filesystem sandbox": "restricted",
        "network sandbox": "restricted"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "security.endpoint": {
      "id": "security.endpoint",
      "category": "security",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "endpoint protection is not inspected on this platform",
      "details": {
        "endpoint products": "not inspected on this platform"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "state.paths": {
      "id": "state.paths",
      "category": "state",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "state paths and databases are inspectable",
      "details": {
        "CODEX_HOME": "/home/kenny/.codex (dir)",
        "active rollout files": "7 files, 1778597 total bytes, 254085 average bytes",
        "archived rollout files": "0 files, 0 total bytes, 0 average bytes",
        "goals DB": "/home/kenny/.codex/goals_1.sqlite (file)",
        "goals DB integrity": "ok",
        "log DB": "/home/kenny/.codex/logs_2.sqlite (file)",
        "log DB integrity": "ok",
        "log dir": "/home/kenny/.codex/log (missing)",
        "memories DB": "/home/kenny/.codex/memories_1.sqlite (file)",
        "memories DB integrity": "ok",
        "queue DB": "/home/kenny/.codex/queue_1.sqlite (file)",
        "queue DB integrity": "ok",
        "sqlite home": "/home/kenny/.codex (dir)",
        "standalone release cache": "1 entries in /home/kenny/.codex/packages/standalone/releases",
        "state DB": "/home/kenny/.codex/state_5.sqlite (file)",
        "state DB integrity": "ok",
        "thread history DB": "/home/kenny/.codex/thread_history_1.sqlite (file)",
        "thread history DB integrity": "ok"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 129
    },
    "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": "7",
        "rollout DB active rows": "7",
        "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=7",
        "rollout DB rows": "7",
        "rollout DB scan cap reached": "false",
        "rollout DB scan errors": "0",
        "rollout DB sources": "cli=6, vscode=1",
        "rollout DB stale rows": "0"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 56
    },
    "system.disk": {
      "id": "system.disk",
      "category": "disk",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "sufficient free disk space (250.6 GiB)",
      "details": {
        "CODEX_HOME available": "945.0 GiB",
        "failure threshold": "1.0 GiB",
        "warning threshold": "5.0 GiB",
        "worktree available": "250.6 GiB"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "system.environment": {
      "id": "system.environment",
      "category": "system",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "OS language C",
      "details": {
        "EDITOR": "not set",
        "LANG": "C.UTF-8",
        "VISUAL": "not set",
        "os": "Ubuntu 26.4.0 (resolute) [64-bit]",
        "os language": "C",
        "os type": "Ubuntu",
        "os version": "26.4.0"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 8
    },
    "terminal.env": {
      "id": "terminal.env",
      "category": "terminal",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "terminal metadata was detected",
      "details": {
        "DISPLAY": "present",
        "TERM": "xterm-256color",
        "WAYLAND_DISPLAY": "present",
        "WSL_DISTRO_NAME": "present",
        "WSL_INTEROP": "present",
        "color output": "enabled",
        "effective locale": "C.UTF-8",
        "stderr is terminal": "true",
        "stdin is terminal": "true",
        "stdout is terminal": "true",
        "terminal": "unknown",
        "terminal size": "120x30"
      },
      "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": "project config",
        "terminal title project value": "kenny",
        "terminal title source": "default"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 1
    },
    "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": "2026-08-25T14:43:04.091436413Z",
        "latest version": "0.149.1",
        "latest version status": "current version is not older",
        "update action": "standalone installer",
        "version cache": "/home/kenny/.codex/version.json"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 966
    }
  }
}

What issue are you seeing?

Environment:

• Windows with WSL
• Codex CLI version: [paste output of codex --version]
• Repository located in WSL filesystem
• Date observed: 2026-08-25

Description:
Codex CLI repeatedly remained in a “working” state for long periods without displaying an approval prompt,
progress update, or completed response.

Observed cases:

1. A Git staging operation initially failed because .git/index was read-only in the sandbox.
2. Codex retried with an elevated-permission request.
3. The CLI continued displaying “working” for approximately 36 seconds before the approval surfaced.
4. A subsequent git commit permission request behaved similarly for approximately 43 seconds.
5. On later turns that did not appear to require authorization, the CLI remained “working” for more than 60–90
   seconds without any visible progress or response.
6. Interrupting sometimes caused pending output or an approval to become visible, but this was inconsistent. At
   least one interrupted turn still did not promptly complete.

Expected behavior:

• Approval prompts should appear immediately when user authorization is required.
• The UI should clearly indicate when Codex is waiting for approval rather than actively working.
• Tool completion and assistant progress messages should appear promptly.
• Interrupting should reliably identify whether the turn was cancelled, waiting for approval, or had already
  produced buffered output.

Actual behavior:

• The UI shows only “working.”
• Approval prompts may not appear until much later or after user interruption.
• The user cannot distinguish active reasoning, a tool call, a blocked authorization request, buffered output,
  or a stalled turn.
• This led to repeated waits of one minute or longer and made the CLI appear hung.

Additional evidence:

• The underlying Git operations completed almost immediately after approval.
• One permission request reported approximately 36.3 seconds before yielding.
• A second permission request reported approximately 42.9 seconds before yielding.
• The issue was not limited conclusively to permission requests; later ordinary turns also remained silent for
  over a minute.
• The repository itself was healthy, and the eventual Git commit succeeded.

Suggested diagnostics/improvements:

• Show a distinct “Waiting for approval” state.
• Render approval requests as soon as they are emitted rather than buffering them behind the active turn.
• Show the current phase: reasoning, tool execution, approval wait, or response generation.
• Investigate event-stream buffering or synchronization between the Codex CLI, Windows terminal, and WSL.
• Add timestamps to approval-request, tool-start, tool-complete, interrupt, and UI-render events.

codex-cli 0.149.1
PS C:\Users\kenny> wsl --version
WSL version: 2.7.12.0
Kernel version: 6.18.33.2-2
WSLg version: 1.0.73.2
MSRDC version: 1.2.7214
Direct3D version: 1.611.1-81528511
DXCore version: 10.0.26100.1-240331-1435.ge-release
Windows version: 10.0.26200.9168

What steps can reproduce the bug?

Uploaded thread: 01a039cd-2a8f-7453-ba4f-c3c57b69602a

What is the expected behavior?

No response

Additional information

Similar behavior using the chatgpt.exe app

Start by reproducing the prompt-start and prompt-end delays in WSL with Codex CLI 0.149.1, using the reported PowerShell/WSL setup and the available doctor report for context. Compare timings across the two transition points and determine the conditions that trigger the delay; done means the cause is isolated and the affected prompt flow no longer exhibits the delay.