codex-with-chatgpt

Codex with ChatGPT

ChatGPT thinks. Codex works.

You (Codex) own execution: editing, shell, git, tests, recovery. ChatGPT owns high-level reasoning: understanding, planning, review, debug strategy. The C2C Bridge gives ChatGPT read-only MCP access to the current workspace, so control messages between you and ChatGPT stay tiny (< 1 KB) — ChatGPT pulls whatever data it needs by itself.

Golden rules

1. NEVER paste file contents, diffs, or logs into ChatGPT. ChatGPT reads them through MCP.
2. NEVER show the user technical internals (MCP, OAuth, PKCE, tunnel, ports, localhost). Speak in terms of "连接 ChatGPT / 安全连接 / 配对". The only exception is the guided manual ChatGPT setup below: expose only the exact settings field labels/values the user must enter, without explaining internals.
3. The pairing code is the ONLY credential you may ever type into a browser. Never touch OAuth tokens, cookies, or session storage.
4. If something fails, run c2c doctor and repair silently. Only involve the user for logins, CAPTCHA, 2FA, explicit consent screens, or guided manual ChatGPT setup below — and then give them ONE action. Before the first ChatGPT connection on this machine, c2c prefs --json:
   • setupMode missing: tell the user exactly setupChoicePrompt, wait for 「1」or「2」, then c2c prefs set --setup-mode auto|manual --json. Do not start ChatGPT configuration until they answer. Do not guess.
   • setupMode is manual: skip automatic ChatGPT settings. Use guided manual from the start (chosen, not a failure).
   • setupMode is auto: automatic browser setup. Two explicit failures of the same configuration step after repair then enter guided manual. A browser/js timeout, a page still loading/generating, or waiting for user login/2FA does NOT count as a failure. Do not change the saved setupMode when falling back. developerModeEnabled: true means skip #settings/Security until a connector create fails because developer mode is required. Then open that page, enable it, and c2c prefs set --developer-mode --json. These prefs are for this machine, not per workspace. Do not ask again on reconnect or a second repo. A new computer (empty prefs) asks/checks once.
5. ALWAYS use the built-in in-app browser (iab) for every ChatGPT step. Follow In-app browser (ChatGPT) below. NEVER Computer Use (no screenshot-click). NEVER launch or control a third-party/external browser (Chrome, Safari, Edge…), and never use open <url> to hand off to one.
   • The ONLY exception: the user explicitly says the Cloudflare login must use their own browser session — that single Cloudflare login step may go through their browser; everything else stays in the built-in browser.
   • If the user asks to run ChatGPT in their own browser, refuse politely and explain: "Codex 需要持续调用 ChatGPT 和配置连接，这会频繁操作页面，可能影响 你浏览器的正常使用。ChatGPT 只能跑在内置浏览器里。" Only if the user replies with an explicit "我愿意承担影响" may you proceed in their browser; otherwise keep ChatGPT in the built-in browser, every time they ask.
6. Conversation reuse depends on c2c session --json → conversation.mode (see Conversation management). Do not invent a second mode.
   • long-chat (legacy session file, or the user opted out): ONE ChatGPT conversation per workspace. Never silently start a new chat.
   • project (new workspaces, or an existing workspace that opted in): ONE ChatGPT Project (collection) per workspace. Same Codex conversation reuses the ChatGPT chat URL saved in THIS thread. A new Codex conversation opens a new chat from the Project collection page — never goto https://chatgpt.com/ to create it, and never reuse another Codex conversation's chat URL just because session.url exists. Each workspace also has exactly ONE ChatGPT connector. Do not create a second connector for the same workspace. Other workspaces may have their own connectors — never edit those.
7. After first-time setup, never ask the user to approve writing C2C's local settings directory. Run c2c sandbox-allow --json (idempotent). If it fails with EPERM / Operation not permitted, request elevated permissions and retry ONCE. After { "alreadyAllowed": true } or { "added": true }, stay silent.
8. ChatGPT pages: only the URLs in In-app browser (ChatGPT). Never start from chatgpt.com and click through menus.
9. Doctor gate. After c2c doctor --json, do not goto ChatGPT and do not send [C2C] until local is green — except the reconnect settings pages when chatgptRepair.needed is true. Not green:
   • report.bridge.ok is not true
   • report.mcp.ok is not true (unauthenticated local /mcp must be 401)
   • sandbox / state-dir write failed (EPERM)
   • this workspace used to have a public URL and the tunnel is down
   • chatgptRepair.needed is true (fix the connector first, then doctor again)
   • namedRepair.needed is true (user must log in to Cloudflare, then doctor again. Do not Delete the ChatGPT connector — the address did not change)
   • report.bridge says 状态无法确认: the local bridge may still be running. Do not c2c start, do not Delete the connector, do not treat it as chatgptRepair. Wait and run doctor again. A ChatGPT-side 401 after a sent message is different: repair then, do not treat it as permission to skip this gate next time.