Codex can remove its own cwd which irrevocably breaks the session with Failed to start turn: turn/start failed in TUI: turn/start failed: invalid cwd: No such file or directory (os error 2) (code -32600)

What version of Codex CLI is running?

codex-cli 0.151.0

What subscription do you have?

ChatGPT Pro 20x

Which model were you using?

gpt-5.6-sol

What platform is your computer?

Linux 7.0.0-29-generic x86_64 unknown

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

tmux inside Konsole

Codex doctor report

{                                                                                                                                                           17:55 [326/342]
  "schemaVersion": 1,                                                                
  "generatedAt": "1788026120s since unix epoch",                                     
  "overallStatus": "ok",                                                             
  "codexVersion": "0.151.0",                                                         
  "checks": {                                                                        
    "app_server.status": {                                                                                                                                                 
      "id": "app_server.status",                                                                                                                                           
      "category": "app-server",                                                                                                                                            
      "status": "ok",                                                                                                                                                      
      "summary": "background server is not running",                                 
      "details": {                                                                   
        "control socket": "/home/aidev/.codex/app-server-control/app-server-control.sock",
        "daemon state dir": "/home/aidev/.codex/app-server-daemon",                  
        "mode": "ephemeral",                                                         
        "pid file": "/home/aidev/.codex/app-server-daemon/app-server.pid (missing)",                                                                                       
        "settings": "/home/aidev/.codex/app-server-daemon/settings.json (missing)",                                                                                        
        "status": "not running",                                                                                                                                           
        "update-loop pid file": "/home/aidev/.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/aidev/.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/aidev/.codex",
        "config.toml": "/home/aidev/.codex/config.toml",
        "config.toml parse": "ok",
        "cwd": "/home/aidev",
        "enabled feature flags": "shell_tool, view_image, unified_exec, unified_exec_zsh_fork, shell_snapshot, content_item_kinds, 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_a
pp_chat, in_app_dictation, in_app_local_automation, in_app_updates, browser_use, browser_use_full_cdp_access, browser_use_external, computer_use, remote_plugin, plugin_sha
ring, image_generation, resize_all_images, item_ids, skill_mcp_dependency_install, skill_search, mentions_v2, steer, guardian_approval, goals, collaboration_modes, tool_ca
ll_mcp_elicitation, auth_elicitation, personality, fast_mode, tui_app_server, remote_compaction_v2, compaction_image_budget, workspace_dependencies",
        "feature flag overrides": "none",
        "feature flags enabled": "46",
        "log dir": "/home/aidev/.codex/log",
        "mcp servers": "0",
        "model": "gpt-5.6-sol",
        "model provider": "openai",
        "sqlite home": "/home/aidev/.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": 17
    },
    "installation": {
      "id": "installation",
      "category": "install",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "installation looks consistent",
      "details": {
        "PATH codex #1": "/home/aidev/.npm-global/bin/codex",
        "PATH codex #2": "/home/aidev/.npm-global/bin/codex",
        "PATH codex #3": "/usr/bin/codex",
        "PATH codex #4": "/bin/codex",
        "PATH codex entries": "4",
        "current executable": "/home/aidev/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-linux-x64/vendor/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/bin/codex",
        "install context": "npm (package /home/aidev/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-linux-x64/vendor/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl, bin 
/home/aidev/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-linux-x64/vendor/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/bin, resources /home/aidev/.npm-global/lib/nod
e_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-linux-x64/vendor/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/codex-resources, path /home/aidev/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/
node_modules/@openai/codex-linux-x64/vendor/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/codex-path)",
        "managed by bun": "false",
        "managed by npm": "true",
        "managed by pnpm": "false",
        "managed package root": "/home/aidev/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex",
        "npm update target": "/home/aidev/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 40
    },
    "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": 551
    },
    "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": 1199
    },
    "runtime.provenance": {
      "id": "runtime.provenance",
      "category": "runtime",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "running npm on linux-x86_64",
      "details": {
        "commit": "unknown",
        "current executable": "/home/aidev/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-linux-x64/vendor/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/bin/codex",
        "install method": "npm (package /home/aidev/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-linux-x64/vendor/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl, bin /
home/aidev/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-linux-x64/vendor/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/bin, resources /home/aidev/.npm-global/lib/node
_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-linux-x64/vendor/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/codex-resources, path /home/aidev/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/n
ode_modules/@openai/codex-linux-x64/vendor/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/codex-path)",
        "platform": "linux-x86_64",
        "version": "0.151.0"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "runtime.search": {
      "id": "runtime.search",
      "category": "search",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "search is OK (bundled)",
      "details": {
        "search command": "/home/aidev/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-linux-x64/vendor/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/aidev/.codex/tmp/arg0/codex-arg0bsMW3l/codex-linux-sandbox",
        "execve wrapper helper": "/home/aidev/.codex/tmp/arg0/codex-arg0bsMW3l/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/aidev/.codex (dir)",
        "active rollout files": "274 files, 1648113086 total bytes, 6015011 average bytes",
        "archived rollout files": "0 files, 0 total bytes, 0 average bytes",
        "goals DB": "/home/aidev/.codex/goals_1.sqlite (file)",
        "goals DB integrity": "ok",
        "log DB": "/home/aidev/.codex/logs_2.sqlite (file)",
        "log DB integrity": "ok",
        "log dir": "/home/aidev/.codex/log (missing)",
        "memories DB": "/home/aidev/.codex/memories_1.sqlite (file)",
        "memories DB integrity": "ok",
        "queue DB": "/home/aidev/.codex/queue_1.sqlite (file)",
        "queue DB integrity": "ok",
        "sqlite home": "/home/aidev/.codex (dir)",
        "state DB": "/home/aidev/.codex/state_5.sqlite (file)",
        "state DB integrity": "ok",
        "thread history DB": "/home/aidev/.codex/thread_history_1.sqlite (file)",
        "thread history DB integrity": "ok"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 4268
    },
    "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": "274",
        "rollout DB active rows": "274",
        "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=274",
        "rollout DB rows": "274",
        "rollout DB scan cap reached": "false",
        "rollout DB scan errors": "0",
        "rollout DB sources": "subagent:thread_spawn=247, cli=27",
        "rollout DB stale rows": "0"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 61
    },
    "system.disk": {
      "id": "system.disk",
      "category": "disk",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "sufficient free disk space (3389.3 GiB)",
      "details": {
        "CODEX_HOME available": "3389.3 GiB",
        "failure threshold": "1.0 GiB",
        "warning threshold": "5.0 GiB",
        "worktree available": "3389.3 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": 5
    },
    "terminal.env": {
      "id": "terminal.env",
      "category": "terminal",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "terminal metadata was detected",
      "details": {
        "COLORTERM": "truecolor",
        "TERM": "xterm-256color",
        "TERM_PROGRAM": "Konsole",
        "color output": "enabled",
        "effective locale": "C.UTF-8",
        "multiplexer": "tmux 3.6",
        "stderr is terminal": "true",
        "stdin is terminal": "true",
        "stdout is terminal": "true",
        "terminal": "Konsole",
        "terminal size": "171x46",
        "terminal version": "23.08.5",
        "tmux allow-passthrough": "off",
        "tmux client termname": "xterm-256color",
        "tmux client termtype": "Konsole 23.08.5",
        "tmux extended-keys": "off",
        "tmux focus-events": "off",
        "tmux set-clipboard": "external",
        "tmux xterm-keys": "on"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 8
    },
    "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": "aidev",
        "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": "0.151.0",
        "check for update on startup": "true",
        "last checked at": "2026-08-29T14:21:18.721211069Z",
        "latest version": "0.151.0",
        "latest version status": "current version is not older",
        "npm update target": "/home/aidev/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex",
        "update action": "npm install -g @openai/codex",
        "version cache": "/home/aidev/.codex/version.json"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 3088
    }
  }
}

What issue are you seeing?

Codex is capable of rmdir-ing its cwd which will cause any further prompts to return:
Failed to start turn: turn/start failed in TUI: turn/start failed: invalid cwd: No such file or directory (os error 2) (code -32600)

Attempting to /cd to any other directory fails with:
Cannot load AbsolutePathBuf("/path/supplied/to/cd"): Failed to rebuild config for cwd /path/supplied/to/cd

I discovered this because I created a directory, changed into it, launched codex and then ran a skill I have that instantiates a new project which it did this by removing the directory and recreating it so the /proc/$PID/cwd of the codex process showed deleted even though a path with that same name existed because it was now a different inode.

It's probably rather difficult to enforce never deleting the cwd by any means but having the session info available in a 2nd location (kinda like how a bootloader does) or being able to /cd to recover the session would be good.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

$ mkdir temp && cd temp
$ codex

Please delete the directory we are currently in
... wait for Codex to delete the dir ...
Any prompt
Failed to start turn: turn/start failed in TUI: turn/start failed: invalid cwd: No such file or directory (os error 2) (code -32600)
/cd /tmp
Cannot load AbsolutePathBuf("/tmp"): Failed to rebuild config for cwd /tmp

What is the expected behavior?

The prompt should process as normal. The /cd should process as normal

Additional information

No response

No source file or test is named. Start by reproducing the failure in the Codex CLI TUI and trace the turn/start handling around the reported invalid cwd error; the work is done when removing the session's cwd no longer irreversibly prevents a new turn.