Environment
- Surface: Linux desktop app
- OS: Kali Linux, XFCE, X11, amd64
- App version: 26.908.31748
- Previous working version: 26.903.71938
- Affected feature: ChatGPT Linux desktop application
- Model: not model-specific
Bug
After upgrading the official ChatGPT Linux .deb package from 26.903.71938 to 26.908.31748, the desktop application became unusable.
The main application window displays:
“ChatGPT encountered a problem”
Additionally, an abnormal X11 window is created at startup. It is partially off-screen, click-through, and uses override_redirect.
Expected behavior:
The ChatGPT desktop application should start normally and display the main UI.
Actual behavior:
The main UI crashes and an additional malformed window appears.
Downgrading back to 26.903.71938 immediately restores normal operation on the same machine and user profile.
Reproduction
- Install ChatGPT Linux .deb version 26.903.71938.
- Confirm the application works normally.
- Upgrade via APT to 26.908.31748.
- Launch ChatGPT.
- The main window displays “ChatGPT encountered a problem”.
- An additional malformed click-through X11 window appears.
- Downgrade back to 26.903.71938.
- Launch ChatGPT again.
- The application works normally.
This is reproducible on every launch of 26.908.31748.
Diagnostics
Exact error shown in the UI:
“ChatGPT encountered a problem”
Relevant X11 diagnostics for the malformed window:
Absolute upper-left X: -263
Absolute upper-left Y: -142
Width: 772
Height: 2049
Map State: IsViewable
Override Redirect State: yes
WM_CLASS:
“chatgpt (/home/user/.config/Codex)”, “Chatgpt”
The malformed window and the main ChatGPT window share the same PID.
Relevant application log excerpt:
errorMessage=“n is not a function”
name=AppRoutes
The same error appears in the primary renderer.
The application also creates an additional window with:
appearance=avatarOverlay
Package integrity was verified with:
dpkg -V chatgpt
Result:
No output / no modified package files.
The bundled “sites” plugin is physically present under:
/usr/lib/chatgpt/resources/plugins/openai-bundled/plugins/sites
Clearing/rebuilding plugin cache did not resolve the issue.
Working version:
26.903.71938
Broken version:
26.908.31748
When it happened:
2026-09-11, approximately 08:30-09:15 CEST (UTC+2)
Frequency:
Every launch of version 26.908.31748
Rollback result:
Downgrading to 26.903.71938 immediately restored normal operation.
Screenshots and a complete diagnostic package are available, but my current
OpenAI Community account does not appear to allow file uploads.
I can provide the screenshots, PDF report, and additional logs to OpenAI staff
through Support if requested.