fix(core): load custom prompts from symlinked Markdown files (openai#3643)

- Discover prompts via fs::metadata to follow symlinks

- Add Unix-only symlink test in custom_prompts.rs

- Update docs/prompts.md to mention symlinks

Fixes openai#3637

---------

Signed-off-by: Soroush Yousefpour <[email protected]>
Co-authored-by: dedrisian-oai <[email protected]>
Co-authored-by: Eric Traut <[email protected]>

Author: 3 people

codex-rs/core/src/custom_prompts.rs

@@ -32,12 +32,11 @@ pub async fn discover_prompts_in_excluding(
 
     while let Ok(Some(entry)) = entries.next_entry().await {
         let path = entry.path();
-        let is_file = entry
-            .file_type()
+        let is_file_like = fs::metadata(&path)
             .await
-            .map(|ft| ft.is_file())
+            .map(|m| m.is_file())
             .unwrap_or(false);
-        if !is_file {
+        if !is_file_like {
             continue;
         }
         // Only include Markdown files with a .md extension.
@@ -197,6 +196,25 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(names, vec!["good"]);
     }
 
+    #[tokio::test]
+    #[cfg(unix)]
+    async fn discovers_symlinked_md_files() {
+        let tmp = tempdir().expect("create TempDir");
+        let dir = tmp.path();
+
+        // Create a real file
+        fs::write(dir.join("real.md"), b"real content").unwrap();
+
+        // Create a symlink to the real file
+        std::os::unix::fs::symlink(dir.join("real.md"), dir.join("link.md")).unwrap();
+
+        let found = discover_prompts_in(dir).await;
+        let names: Vec<String> = found.into_iter().map(|e| e.name).collect();
+
+        // Both real and link should be discovered, sorted alphabetically
+        assert_eq!(names, vec!["link", "real"]);
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn parses_frontmatter_and_strips_from_body() {
         let tmp = tempdir().expect("create TempDir");

docs/prompts.md

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ Custom prompts turn your repeatable instructions into reusable slash commands, s
 ### Where prompts live
 
 - Location: store prompts in `$CODEX_HOME/prompts/` (defaults to `~/.codex/prompts/`). Set `CODEX_HOME` if you want to use a different folder.
-- File type: Codex only loads `.md` files. Non-Markdown files are ignored.
+- File type: Codex only loads `.md` files. Non-Markdown files are ignored. Both regular files and symlinks to Markdown files are supported.
 - Naming: The filename (without `.md`) becomes the prompt name. A file called `review.md` registers the prompt `review`.
 - Refresh: Prompts are loaded when a session starts. Restart Codex (or start a new session) after adding or editing files.
 - Conflicts: Files whose names collide with built-in commands (like `init`) stay hidden in the slash popup, but you can still invoke them with `/prompts:<name>`.