Codex desktop app opens %20 literally in local file paths with spaces

Codex
1

I found a bug in the Codex desktop app when clicking local file links.

If a file path contains spaces, the app appears to URL-encode the path and then tries to open the encoded path literally instead of decoding it first.

Example linked path:
/Users/example/projects/demo/output/Test%20Cases%20-%20BUG-123.xlsx

Actual file on disk:
/Users/example/projects/demo/output/Test Cases - BUG-123.xlsx

Expected behavior:
Clicking the link should open the real local file path with spaces.

Actual behavior:
The app tries to open the %20 version of the path, which does not exist.

Steps to reproduce:

  1. Have a local file whose path contains spaces.
  2. Codex references that file as a clickable link.
  3. Click the path in the Codex desktop app.
  4. Observe that the app uses %20 literally instead of opening the real path.

Environment:

  • Codex desktop app
  • macOS
  • Reproduced on March 12, 2026

This looks like the app is treating a filesystem path as a URL path and not decoding percent-encoded characters before opening it.

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2

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