[Bug] Codex VS Code Extension: "Error creating chat: unknown special value: ["bytes", {...}]" in Webview RPC deserializer

Codex
1

Summary

When continuing a chat session whose history contains binary buffers or serialized state, the Webview fails to initialize and throws:
Error creating chat: unknown special value: ["bytes", {"0": 123, "1": 10, ...}]

Steps to Reproduce

  1. Have an active Codex thread with file changes / audit reports containing serialized state.
  2. Reopen or continue the thread in the VS Code Codex sidebar.
  3. Observe error toast: Error creating chat: unknown special value: ["bytes", {"0": ...}].

Root Cause

In openai.chatgpt (v26.5901.22334), the RPC transport (capn-rpc) between the Extension Host (out/extension.js) and Webview (webview/assets/app-initial-*.js) runs with encodingLevel = "jsonCompatibleWithBytes".

When messages cross VS Code’s postMessage webview boundary, JSON serialization converts Uint8Array buffers into plain Objects with numeric keys ({ "0": 123, "1": 10, ... }).

In Ore.evaluateImpl under case "bytes":, the deserializer only checks:

  • e[1] instanceof Uint8Array
  • typeof e[1] === "string"

Because { "0": 123, ... } matches neither condition, it hits else break; and falls through to:
throw new TypeError('unknown special value: ' + JSON.stringify(e)).

Proposed Fix

In both out/extension.js and the Webview bundle under case "bytes":, add support for plain object/array representations:

case "bytes": {
    let s;
    if (e[1] instanceof Uint8Array) s = e[1];
    else if (typeof e[1] == "string") ...
    else if (e[1] && typeof e[1] === "object")
        s = new Uint8Array(Array.isArray(e[1]) ? e[1] : Array.isArray(e[1].data) ? e[1].data : Object.values(e[1]));
    else break;
    ...
}
2

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