codex-rs/docs/protocol_v1.md

Overview of Protocol defined in [protocol.rs](../protocol/src/protocol.rs) and [agent.rs](../core/src/agent.rs).

The goal of this document is to define terminology used in the system and explain the expected behavior of the system.

NOTE: The code might not completely match this spec. There are a few minor changes that need to be made after this spec has been reviewed, which will not alter the existing TUI's functionality.

## Entities

These are entities exit on the codex backend. The intent of this section is to establish vocabulary and construct a shared mental model for the `Codex` core system.

0. `Model`
   - In our case, this is the Responses REST API
1. `Codex`
   - The core engine of codex
   - Runs locally, either in a background thread or separate process
   - Communicated to via a queue pair – SQ (Submission Queue) / EQ (Event Queue)
   - Takes user input, makes requests to the `Model`, executes commands and applies patches.
2. `Session`
   - The `Codex`'s current configuration and state
   - `Codex` starts with no `Session`, and it is initialized by `Op::ConfigureSession`, which should be the first message sent by the UI.
   - The current `Session` can be reconfigured with additional `Op::ConfigureSession` calls.
   - Any running execution is aborted when the session is reconfigured.
3. `Task`
   - A `Task` is `Codex` executing work in response to user input.
   - `Session` has at most one `Task` running at a time.
   - Receiving user turn input starts a `Task`
   - Consists of a series of `Turn`s
   - The `Task` executes to until:
     - The `Model` completes the task and there is no output to feed into an additional `Turn`
     - Additional user-turn input aborts the current task and starts a new one
     - UI interrupts with `Op::Interrupt`
     - Fatal errors are encountered, eg. `Model` connection exceeding retry limits
     - Blocked by user approval (executing a command or patch)
4. `Turn`
   - One cycle of iteration in a `Task`, consists of:
     - A request to the `Model` - (initially) prompt + (optional) `last_response_id`, or (in loop) previous turn output
     - The `Model` streams responses back in an SSE, which are collected until "completed" message and the SSE terminates
     - `Codex` then executes command(s), applies patch(es), and outputs message(s) returned by the `Model`
     - Pauses to request approval when necessary
   - The output of one `Turn` is the input to the next `Turn`
   - A `Turn` yielding no output terminates the `Task`

The term "UI" is used to refer to the application driving `Codex`. This may be the CLI / TUI chat-like interface that users operate, or it may be a GUI interface like a VSCode extension. The UI is external to `Codex`, as `Codex` is intended to be operated by arbitrary UI implementations.

When a `Turn` completes, the `response_id` from the `Model`'s final `response.completed` message is stored in the `Session` state to resume the thread given the next user turn. The `response_id` is also returned in the `EventMsg::TurnComplete` to the UI, which can be used to fork the thread from an earlier point by providing it in a future user turn.

Since only 1 `Task` can be run at a time, for parallel tasks it is recommended that a single `Codex` be run for each thread of work.

## Interface

- `Codex`
  - Communicates with UI via a `SQ` (Submission Queue) and `EQ` (Event Queue).
- `Submission`
  - These are messages sent on the `SQ` (UI -> `Codex`)
  - Has an string ID provided by the UI, referred to as `sub_id`
  - `Op` refers to the enum of all possible `Submission` payloads
  - In the current codebase these are primarily in-process Rust types rather than a stable serde wire contract
    - This enum is `non_exhaustive`; variants can be added at future dates
- `Event`
  - These are messages sent on the `EQ` (`Codex` -> UI)
  - Each `Event` has a non-unique ID, matching the `sub_id` from the user-turn op that started the current task.
  - `EventMsg` refers to the enum of all possible `Event` payloads
    - This enum is `non_exhaustive`; variants can be added at future dates
    - It should be expected that new `EventMsg` variants will be added over time to expose more detailed information about the model's actions.

For complete documentation of the `Op` and `EventMsg` variants, refer to [protocol.rs](../protocol/src/protocol.rs). Some example payload types:

- `Op`
  - `Op::UserTurn` – Any input from the user to kick off a `Turn`, including full per-turn context such as cwd, model, sandbox, approval policy, and optional `approvals_reviewer`
  - `Op::Interrupt` – Interrupts a running turn
  - `Op::ExecApproval` – Approve or deny code execution
  - `Op::UserInputAnswer` – Provide answers for a `request_user_input` tool call

- `EventMsg`
  - `EventMsg::AgentMessage` – Messages from the `Model`
  - `EventMsg::AgentMessageContentDelta` – Streaming assistant text
  - `EventMsg::PlanDelta` – Streaming proposed plan text when the model emits a `<proposed_plan>` block in plan mode
  - `EventMsg::ExecApprovalRequest` – Request approval from user to execute a command
  - `EventMsg::RequestUserInput` – Request user input for a tool call (questions can include options plus `isOther` to add a free-form choice)
  - `EventMsg::TurnStarted` – Turn start metadata including `model_context_window` and `collaboration_mode_kind`
  - `EventMsg::TurnComplete` – A turn completed successfully
  - `EventMsg::Error` – A turn stopped with an error
  - `EventMsg::Warning` – A non-fatal warning that the client should surface to the user
  - `EventMsg::TurnComplete` – Contains a `response_id` bookmark for last `response_id` executed by the turn. This can be used to continue the turn at a later point in time, perhaps with additional user input.

### UserInput items

`Op::UserTurn` content items can include:

- `text` – Plain text plus optional UI text elements.
- `image` / `local_image` – Image inputs.
- `skill` – Explicit skill selection (`name`, `path` to `SKILL.md`).
- `mention` – Explicit app/connector selection (`name`, `path` in `app://{connector_id}` form).

Note: For v1 wire compatibility, `EventMsg::TurnStarted` and `EventMsg::TurnComplete` serialize as `task_started` / `task_complete`. The deserializer accepts both `task_*` and `turn_*` tags.

The `response_id` returned from each turn matches the OpenAI `response_id` stored in the API's `/responses` endpoint. It can be stored and used in future `Sessions` to resume threads of work.

## Transport

Can operate over any transport that supports bi-directional streaming. - cross-thread channels - IPC channels - stdin/stdout - TCP - HTTP2 - gRPC

Events still serialize cleanly to newline-delimited JSON for non-framed transports, such as stdin/stdout and TCP. Submission payloads should be treated as implementation details unless a specific transport owns an explicit adapter.

## Example Flows

Sequence diagram examples of common interactions. In each diagram, some unimportant events may be eliminated for simplicity.

### Basic UI Flow

A single user input, followed by a 2-turn task

```mermaid
sequenceDiagram
    box UI
    participant user as User
    end
    box Daemon
    participant codex as Codex
    participant session as Session
    participant task as Task
    end
    box Rest API
    participant agent as Model
    end
    user->>codex: Op::ConfigureSession
    codex-->>session: create session
    codex->>user: Event::SessionConfigured
    user->>session: Op::UserTurn
    session-->>+task: start task
    task->>user: Event::TurnStarted
    task->>agent: prompt
    agent->>task: response (exec)
    task->>-user: Event::ExecApprovalRequest
    user->>+task: Op::ExecApproval::Allow
    task->>user: Event::ExecStart
    task->>task: exec
    task->>user: Event::ExecStop
    task->>user: Event::TurnComplete
    task->>agent: stdout
    agent->>task: response (patch)
    task->>task: apply patch (auto-approved)
    task->>agent: success
    agent->>task: response<br/>(msg + completed)
    task->>user: Event::AgentMessage
    task->>user: Event::TurnComplete
    task->>-user: Event::TurnComplete
```

### Task Interrupt

Interrupting a task and continuing with additional user input.

```mermaid
sequenceDiagram
    box UI
    participant user as User
    end
    box Daemon
    participant session as Session
    participant task1 as Task1
    participant task2 as Task2
    end
    box Rest API
    participant agent as Model
    end
    user->>session: Op::UserTurn
    session-->>+task1: start task
    task1->>user: Event::TurnStarted
    task1->>agent: prompt
    agent->>task1: response (exec)
    task1->>task1: exec (auto-approved)
    task1->>user: Event::TurnComplete
    task1->>agent: stdout
    task1->>agent: response (exec)
    task1->>task1: exec (auto-approved)
    user->>task1: Op::Interrupt
    task1->>-user: Event::Error("interrupted")
    user->>session: Op::UserTurn w/ response bookmark
    session-->>+task2: start task
    task2->>user: Event::TurnStarted
    task2->>agent: prompt + Task1 last_response_id
    agent->>task2: response (exec)
    task2->>task2: exec (auto-approve)
    task2->>user: Event::TurnComplete
    task2->>agent: stdout
    agent->>task2: msg + completed
    task2->>user: Event::AgentMessage
    task2->>user: Event::TurnComplete
    task2->>-user: Event::TurnComplete
```