**Motivation**
The `originator` header is important for codex-backend’s Responses API
proxy because it identifies the real end client (codex cli, codex vscode
extension, codex exec, future IDEs) and is used to categorize requests
by client for our enterprise compliance API.
Today the `originator` header is set by either:
- the `CODEX_INTERNAL_ORIGINATOR_OVERRIDE` env var (our VSCode extension
does this)
- calling `set_default_originator()` which sets a global immutable
singleton (`codex exec` does this)
For `codex app-server`, we want the `initialize` JSON-RPC request to set
that header because it is a natural place to do so. Example:
```json
{
"method": "initialize",
"id": 0,
"params": {
"clientInfo": {
"name": "codex_vscode",
"title": "Codex VS Code Extension",
"version": "0.1.0"
}
}
}
```
and when app-server receives that request, it can call
`set_default_originator()`. This is a much more natural interface than
asking third party developers to set an env var.
One hiccup is that `originator()` reads the global singleton and locks
in the value, preventing a later `set_default_originator()` call from
setting it. This would be fine but is brittle, since any codepath that
calls `originator()` before app-server can process an `initialize`
JSON-RPC call would prevent app-server from setting it. This was
actually the case with OTEL initialization which runs on boot, but I
also saw this behavior in certain tests.
Instead, what we now do is:
- [unchanged] If `CODEX_INTERNAL_ORIGINATOR_OVERRIDE` env var is set,
`originator()` would return that value and `set_default_originator()`
with some other value does NOT override it.
- [new] If no env var is set, `originator()` would return the default
value which is `codex_cli_rs` UNTIL `set_default_originator()` is called
once, in which case it is set to the new value and becomes immutable.
Later calls to `set_default_originator()` returns
`SetOriginatorError::AlreadyInitialized`.
**Other notes**
- I updated `codex_core::otel_init::build_provider` to accepts a service
name override, and app-server sends a hardcoded `codex_app_server`
service name to distinguish it from `codex_cli_rs` used by default (e.g.
TUI).
**Next steps**
- Update VSCE to set the proper value for `clientInfo.name` on
`initialize` and drop the `CODEX_INTERNAL_ORIGINATOR_OVERRIDE` env var.
- Delete support for `CODEX_INTERNAL_ORIGINATOR_OVERRIDE` in codex-rs.
Add `thread/rollback` to app-server to support IDEs undo-ing the last N
turns of a thread.
For context, an IDE partner will be supporting an "undo" capability
where the IDE (the app-server client) will be responsible for reverting
the local changes made during the last turn. To support this well, we
also need a way to drop the last turn (or more generally, the last N
turns) from the agent's context. This is what `thread/rollback` does.
**Core idea**: A Thread rollback is represented as a persisted event
message (EventMsg::ThreadRollback) in the rollout JSONL file, not by
rewriting history. On resume, both the model's context (core replay) and
the UI turn list (app-server v2's thread history builder) apply these
markers so the pruned history is consistent across live conversations
and `thread/resume`.
Implementation notes:
- Rollback only affects agent context and appends to the rollout file;
clients are responsible for reverting files on disk.
- If a thread rollback is currently in progress, subsequent
`thread/rollback` calls are rejected.
- Because we use `CodexConversation::submit` and codex core tracks
active turns, returning an error on concurrent rollbacks is communicated
via an `EventMsg::Error` with a new variant
`CodexErrorInfo::ThreadRollbackFailed`. app-server watches for that and
sends the BAD_REQUEST RPC response.
Tests cover thread rollbacks in both core and app-server, including when
`num_turns` > existing turns (which clears all turns).
**Note**: this explicitly does **not** behave like `/undo` which we just
removed from the CLI, which does the opposite of what `thread/rollback`
does. `/undo` reverts local changes via ghost commits/snapshots and does
not modify the agent's context / conversation history.
What changed
- Added `outputSchema` support to the app-server APIs, mirroring `codex
exec --output-schema` behavior.
- V1 `sendUserTurn` now accepts `outputSchema` and constrains the final
assistant message for that turn.
- V2 `turn/start` now accepts `outputSchema` and constrains the final
assistant message for that turn (explicitly per-turn only).
Core behavior
- `Op::UserTurn` already supported `final_output_json_schema`; now V1
`sendUserTurn` forwards `outputSchema` into that field.
- `Op::UserInput` now carries `final_output_json_schema` for per-turn
settings updates; core maps it into
`SessionSettingsUpdate.final_output_json_schema` so it applies to the
created turn context.
- V2 `turn/start` does NOT persist the schema via `OverrideTurnContext`
(it’s applied only for the current turn). Other overrides
(cwd/model/etc) keep their existing persistent behavior.
API / docs
- `codex-rs/app-server-protocol/src/protocol/v1.rs`: add `output_schema:
Option<serde_json::Value>` to `SendUserTurnParams` (serialized as
`outputSchema`).
- `codex-rs/app-server-protocol/src/protocol/v2.rs`: add `output_schema:
Option<JsonValue>` to `TurnStartParams` (serialized as `outputSchema`).
- `codex-rs/app-server/README.md`: document `outputSchema` for
`turn/start` and clarify it applies only to the current turn.
- `codex-rs/docs/codex_mcp_interface.md`: document `outputSchema` for v1
`sendUserTurn` and v2 `turn/start`.
Tests added/updated
- New app-server integration tests asserting `outputSchema` is forwarded
into outbound `/responses` requests as `text.format`:
- `codex-rs/app-server/tests/suite/output_schema.rs`
- `codex-rs/app-server/tests/suite/v2/output_schema.rs`
- Added per-turn semantics tests (schema does not leak to the next
turn):
- `send_user_turn_output_schema_is_per_turn_v1`
- `turn_start_output_schema_is_per_turn_v2`
- Added protocol wire-compat tests for the merged op:
- serialize omits `final_output_json_schema` when `None`
- deserialize works when field is missing
- serialize includes `final_output_json_schema` when `Some(schema)`
Call site updates (high level)
- Updated all `Op::UserInput { .. }` constructions to include
`final_output_json_schema`:
- `codex-rs/app-server/src/codex_message_processor.rs`
- `codex-rs/core/src/codex_delegate.rs`
- `codex-rs/mcp-server/src/codex_tool_runner.rs`
- `codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget.rs`
- `codex-rs/tui2/src/chatwidget.rs`
- plus impacted core tests.
Validation
- `just fmt`
- `cargo test -p codex-core`
- `cargo test -p codex-app-server`
- `cargo test -p codex-mcp-server`
- `cargo test -p codex-tui`
- `cargo test -p codex-tui2`
- `cargo test -p codex-protocol`
- `cargo clippy --all-features --tests --profile dev --fix -- -D
warnings`
Implements:
```
turn/start
turn/interrupt
```
along with their integration tests. These are relatively light wrappers
around the existing core logic, and changes to core logic are minimal.
However, an improvement made for developer ergonomics:
- `turn/start` replaces both `SendUserMessage` (no turn overrides) and
`SendUserTurn` (can override model, approval policy, etc.)
Implements:
```
thread/list
thread/start
thread/resume
thread/archive
```
along with their integration tests. These are relatively light wrappers
around the existing core logic, and changes to core logic are minimal.
However, an improvement made for developer ergonomics:
- `thread/start` and `thread/resume` automatically attaches a
conversation listener internally, so clients don't have to make a
separate `AddConversationListener` call like they do today.
For consistency, also updated `model/list` and `feedback/upload` (naming
conventions, list API params).
V2 for `account/updated` and `account/logout` for app server. correspond
to old `authStatusChange` and `LogoutChatGpt` respectively. Followup PRs
will make other v2 endpoints call `account/updated` instead of
`authStatusChange` too.
Owen Lin ·
Anton Panasenko ·
jif-oai ·
Celia Chen ·