fix: resolve ENOENT for .cmd shims on Windows#13
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dkundel-openai merged 1 commit intoopenai:mainfrom Mar 31, 2026
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On Windows, Node.js `spawnSync` without `shell: true` uses
`CreateProcess`, which only resolves `.exe` files. npm installs global
tools (like `codex`) as `.cmd` shims, so `spawnSync("codex", ...)`
returns ENOENT even when codex is correctly installed and on PATH.
Adding `shell: process.platform === "win32"` routes through `cmd.exe`
on Windows, which properly resolves `.cmd`, `.bat`, and PATHEXT entries.
No behavior change on macOS/Linux since the condition evaluates to false.
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Mar 31, 2026
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…lity On Windows, `codex` is installed as an npm `.cmd` shim. Node's `child_process.spawn()` cannot resolve `.cmd` files without `shell: true`, causing `ENOENT` when `SpawnedCodexAppServerClient` tries to start `codex app-server`. This is the same class of bug fixed in openai#13 for `spawnSync` in `process.mjs`, but the async `spawn()` call in `app-server.mjs` was missed.
This was referenced Mar 31, 2026
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Summary
shell: process.platform === "win32"tospawnSyncinrunCommand(), fixing binary detection (codex,npm, etc.) on WindowsProblem
On Windows, npm installs global CLI tools as
.cmdshims (e.g.,codex.cmd). Node.jsspawnSync()withoutshell: truecallsCreateProcess, which only resolves.exefiles — it cannot find.cmdor.batfiles, even when they are onPATH.This causes
binaryAvailable("codex", ...)to return{ available: false, detail: "not found" }on Windows, even with a correctly installed and PATH-accessible Codex CLI. The same applies tonpmdetection.Before (on Windows)
After
Root cause
spawnSync("codex", ["--version"])→ WindowsCreateProcess→ searches forcodex.exeonly → ENOENT.Adding
shell: trueroutes throughcmd.exe, which resolves commands usingPATHEXT(.CMD,.BAT, etc.), matching how the Windows shell resolves commands.Why this is safe
process.platform === "win32"evaluates tofalseon macOS/Linux — zero behavior change on non-Windows platformsshell: trueis the standard Node.js pattern for cross-platform command resolution (used bycross-spawn,execa, and npm itself)terminateProcessTreealready works on Windows becausetaskkillis a native.exe, not a.cmdshim — so it is unaffected by this changeTest plan
/codex:setupreports all components as available after the fixfalse, no code path change)