(Troubleshooting by Márcio Galli and OpenAI ChatGPT — October 14, 2026 )
Following a recent VS Code update, the OpenAI Codex extension stopped loading its interface when launched from WSL Ubuntu using code ., although it continued working normally in VS Code on Windows.
The problem prevents developers working in WSL from accessing the Codex panel, even though the Codex backend initializes successfully.
A temporary workaround is available: explicitly launch VS Code with a lowercase WSL remote authority. The approach, supporting evidence, and remaining considerations are summarized below.
A. Temporary Workaround
From the Ubuntu terminal, inside the desired project directory:
code --folder-uri "vscode-remote://wsl+ubuntu$(pwd)"
This preserves the current working directory while forcing the lowercase wsl+ubuntu remote authority. Initial testing indicates that Codex loads successfully.
B. Microsoft VS Code Bug Reference
The issue matches microsoft/vscode#341408, reported on October 13, 2026.
The reported regression causes HTTP 401 errors when Webview resources are loaded through WSL distributions containing uppercase letters, such as Ubuntu. The underlying problem is a case-sensitive comparison of remote authorities.
Our Codex logs showed the same HTTP 401 resource failures, followed by renderer_ready_timeout.
C. Additional Considerations
This appears to be a VS Code remote Webview issue rather than a Codex-specific backend failure. Other extensions using Webviews may also be affected.
The workaround should be considered temporary until the underlying VS Code issue is resolved. Additional confirmations, alternative solutions, and observations from the community are welcome.
The Microsoft issue is verified and was closed as a duplicate of issue #341396.