allow apps to specify cwd for sandbox setup. (#13484)

The electron app doesn't start up the app-server in a particular
workspace directory.
So sandbox setup happens in the app-installed directory instead of the
project workspace.

This allows the app do specify the workspace cwd so that the sandbox
setup actually sets up the ACLs instead of exiting fast and then having
the first shell command be slow.

codex-rs/app-server-protocol/schema/json/ClientRequest.json

@@ -2864,6 +2864,12 @@
     },
     "WindowsSandboxSetupStartParams": {
       "properties": {
+        "cwd": {
+          "type": [
+            "string",
+            "null"
+          ]
+        },
         "mode": {
           "$ref": "#/definitions/WindowsSandboxSetupMode"
         }
@@ -3908,4 +3914,4 @@
     }
   ],
   "title": "ClientRequest"
-}
+}

codex-rs/app-server-protocol/schema/json/codex_app_server_protocol.schemas.json

@@ -15325,6 +15325,12 @@
       "WindowsSandboxSetupStartParams": {
         "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
         "properties": {
+          "cwd": {
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
           "mode": {
             "$ref": "#/definitions/v2/WindowsSandboxSetupMode"
           }
@@ -15385,4 +15391,4 @@
   },
   "title": "CodexAppServerProtocol",
   "type": "object"
-}
+}

codex-rs/app-server-protocol/schema/json/codex_app_server_protocol.v2.schemas.json

@@ -14226,6 +14226,12 @@
     "WindowsSandboxSetupStartParams": {
       "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
       "properties": {
+        "cwd": {
+          "type": [
+            "string",
+            "null"
+          ]
+        },
         "mode": {
           "$ref": "#/definitions/WindowsSandboxSetupMode"
         }
@@ -14285,4 +14291,4 @@
   },
   "title": "CodexAppServerProtocolV2",
   "type": "object"
-}
+}

codex-rs/app-server-protocol/schema/json/v2/WindowsSandboxSetupStartParams.json

@@ -10,6 +10,12 @@
     }
   },
   "properties": {
+    "cwd": {
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
     "mode": {
       "$ref": "#/definitions/WindowsSandboxSetupMode"
     }
@@ -19,4 +25,4 @@
   ],
   "title": "WindowsSandboxSetupStartParams",
   "type": "object"
-}
+}

codex-rs/app-server-protocol/schema/typescript/v2/WindowsSandboxSetupStartParams.ts

@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@
 // This file was generated by [ts-rs](https://github.com/Aleph-Alpha/ts-rs). Do not edit this file manually.
 import type { WindowsSandboxSetupMode } from "./WindowsSandboxSetupMode";
 
-export type WindowsSandboxSetupStartParams = { mode: WindowsSandboxSetupMode, };
+export type WindowsSandboxSetupStartParams = { mode: WindowsSandboxSetupMode, cwd?: string | null, };

codex-rs/app-server-protocol/src/protocol/v2.rs

@@ -3927,6 +3927,8 @@ pub enum WindowsSandboxSetupMode {
 #[ts(export_to = "v2/")]
 pub struct WindowsSandboxSetupStartParams {
     pub mode: WindowsSandboxSetupMode,
+    #[ts(optional = nullable)]
+    pub cwd: Option<PathBuf>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Debug, Clone, PartialEq, JsonSchema, TS)]

codex-rs/app-server/README.md

@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ Example with notification opt-out:
 - `tool/requestUserInput` — prompt the user with 1–3 short questions for a tool call and return their answers (experimental).
 - `config/mcpServer/reload` — reload MCP server config from disk and queue a refresh for loaded threads (applied on each thread's next active turn); returns `{}`. Use this after editing `config.toml` without restarting the server.
 - `mcpServerStatus/list` — enumerate configured MCP servers with their tools, resources, resource templates, and auth status; supports cursor+limit pagination.
-- `windowsSandbox/setupStart` — start Windows sandbox setup for the selected mode (`elevated` or `unelevated`); returns `{ started: true }` immediately and later emits `windowsSandbox/setupCompleted`.
+- `windowsSandbox/setupStart` — start Windows sandbox setup for the selected mode (`elevated` or `unelevated`); accepts an optional `cwd` to target setup for a specific workspace, returns `{ started: true }` immediately, and later emits `windowsSandbox/setupCompleted`.
 - `feedback/upload` — submit a feedback report (classification + optional reason/logs, conversation_id, and optional `extraLogFiles` attachments array); returns the tracking thread id.
 - `command/exec` — run a single command under the server sandbox without starting a thread/turn (handy for utilities and validation).
 - `config/read` — fetch the effective config on disk after resolving config layering.

codex-rs/app-server/src/codex_message_processor.rs

@@ -6119,21 +6119,39 @@ impl CodexMessageProcessor {
             WindowsSandboxSetupMode::Unelevated => CoreWindowsSandboxSetupMode::Unelevated,
         };
         let config = Arc::clone(&self.config);
+        let cli_overrides = self.cli_overrides.clone();
+        let cloud_requirements = self.current_cloud_requirements();
+        let command_cwd = params.cwd.unwrap_or_else(|| config.cwd.clone());
         let outgoing = Arc::clone(&self.outgoing);
         let connection_id = request_id.connection_id;
 
         tokio::spawn(async move {
-            let setup_request = WindowsSandboxSetupRequest {
-                mode,
-                policy: config.permissions.sandbox_policy.get().clone(),
-                policy_cwd: config.cwd.clone(),
-                command_cwd: config.cwd.clone(),
-                env_map: std::env::vars().collect(),
-                codex_home: config.codex_home.clone(),
-                active_profile: config.active_profile.clone(),
+            let derived_config = derive_config_for_cwd(
+                &cli_overrides,
+                None,
+                ConfigOverrides {
+                    cwd: Some(command_cwd.clone()),
+                    ..Default::default()
+                },
+                Some(command_cwd.clone()),
+                &cloud_requirements,
+            )
+            .await;
+            let setup_result = match derived_config {
+                Ok(config) => {
+                    let setup_request = WindowsSandboxSetupRequest {
+                        mode,
+                        policy: config.permissions.sandbox_policy.get().clone(),
+                        policy_cwd: config.cwd.clone(),
+                        command_cwd,
+                        env_map: std::env::vars().collect(),
+                        codex_home: config.codex_home.clone(),
+                        active_profile: config.active_profile.clone(),
+                    };
+                    codex_core::windows_sandbox::run_windows_sandbox_setup(setup_request).await
+                }
+                Err(err) => Err(err.into()),
             };
-            let setup_result =
-                codex_core::windows_sandbox::run_windows_sandbox_setup(setup_request).await;
             let notification = WindowsSandboxSetupCompletedNotification {
                 mode: match mode {
                     CoreWindowsSandboxSetupMode::Elevated => WindowsSandboxSetupMode::Elevated,

codex-rs/app-server/tests/suite/v2/windows_sandbox_setup.rs

@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ async fn windows_sandbox_setup_start_emits_completion_notification() -> Result<(
     let request_id = mcp
         .send_windows_sandbox_setup_start_request(WindowsSandboxSetupStartParams {
             mode: WindowsSandboxSetupMode::Unelevated,
+            cwd: None,
         })
         .await?;
     let response: JSONRPCResponse = timeout(