[Windows][Computer Use] Native app requests are incorrectly routed to browser-only mcp__cua_repl, causing sky RPC failure

What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?

26.903.71938

What subscription do you have?

ChatGPT Plus

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26100.0 x64

What issue are you seeing?

On Codex Desktop for Windows, @Computer Use is enabled and native Computer Use is functional, but native Windows application tasks are sometimes routed to the wrong MCP tool.

For example:

@Computer Use open Notepad and type test123

The task is routed to mcp__cua_repl instead of mcp__node_repl.

mcp__cua_repl is provided by the unified-computer-use plugin and is configured with:

CUA_REPL_ENABLED_SURFACES=browser

Therefore the native sky trusted RPC service is not registered, and the task fails with:

Trusted RPC service is not configured: sky

This is not a native Computer Use backend failure.

Manual testing through mcp__node_repl works correctly:

• import @oai/sky succeeds
• sky.list_apps() returns approximately 40 native Windows applications
• codex-computer-use.exe starts successfully
• the native named pipe is created and functional

The computer-use plugin's SKILL.md explicitly instructs use of node_repl + @oai/sky for native Windows Computer Use, but there appears to be no hard server/tool binding. The runtime tool selector instead selects the generic mcp__cua_repl UI tool.

Additional context:

This appears to be a tool-routing issue rather than a native Computer Use runtime failure.

I have unloaded the Feedback.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. Use Codex Desktop on Windows.

2. Install and enable the Computer Use plugin.

3. Enable "Any app" under Settings -> Computer Use.

4. Start a new Codex task.

5. Ask:

   @Computer Use open Notepad and type test123

6. Observe that the task attempts to use mcp__cua_repl.

7. The request fails with:

   Trusted RPC service is not configured: sky

8. Manually use mcp__node_repl and import @oai/sky.

9. Run sky.list_apps().

10. Observe that native Computer Use works correctly and returns native Windows applications.

What is the expected behavior?

When @Computer Use is used for a native Windows application task, Codex should route the task to:

mcp__node_repl__js
-> @oai/sky
-> codex-computer-use.exe

mcp__cua_repl should not be selected for native Windows application tasks when its enabled surface is browser-only.

Additional information

Relevant local plugin/runtime evidence:

1. computer-use plugin

plugin.json contains skills/interface/hooks, but no mcpServers, route, priority, alias, trigger, or mention binding.

Its SKILL.md explicitly instructs the model to use node_repl and import @oai/sky.

2. unified-computer-use plugin

This plugin exports the cua_repl MCP server via mcpServers.

Its .mcp.json contains:

CUA_REPL_ENABLED_SURFACES=browser

3. Launcher behavior

When computer=false, launch.mjs registers only browser-related trusted services and does not register sky.

4. Black-box behavior

mcp__cua_repl.getState():
apps: []

mcp__node_repl:
await import('@oai/sky')
sky.list_apps()

returns approximately 40 native Windows applications.

5. Native runtime

codex-computer-use.exe launches successfully and the native named pipe is ready.

Therefore this appears to be a tool-routing / capability-selection issue rather than a permissions, firewall, proxy, native runtime, or Windows service issue.

Start by reading the computer-use plugin's plugin.json and SKILL.md, then inspect unified-computer-use's .mcp.json and launch.mjs to trace tool registration and surface selection. Reproduce the native Windows task with mcp__cua_repl and mcp__node_repl, and verify that native application requests select the node_repl path while browser-only requests continue using cua_repl.