fix: implement 'Allow this session' for apply_patch approvals #8451

owenlin0 · 2025-12-22T22:43:25Z

Summary
This PR makes “ApprovalDecision::AcceptForSession / don’t ask again this session” actually work for apply_patch approvals by caching approvals based on absolute file paths in codex-core, properly wiring it through app-server v2, and exposing the choice in both TUI and TUI2.

This brings apply_patch calls to be at feature-parity with general shell commands, which also have a "Yes, and don't ask again" option.
This also fixes VSCE's "Allow this session" button to actually work.

While we're at it, also split the app-server v2 protocol's ApprovalDecision enum so execpolicy amendments are only available for command execution approvals.

Key changes

Core: per-session patch approval allowlist keyed by absolute file paths
- Handles multi-file patches and renames/moves by recording both source and destination paths for Update { move_path: Some(...) }.
- Extend the Approvable trait and ApplyPatchRuntime to work with multiple keys, because an apply_patch tool call can modify multiple files. For a request to be auto-approved, we will need to check that all file paths have been approved previously.
App-server v2: honor AcceptForSession for file changes
- File-change approval responses now map AcceptForSession to ReviewDecision::ApprovedForSession (no longer downgraded to plain Approved).
- Replace ApprovalDecision with two enums: CommandExecutionApprovalDecision and FileChangeApprovalDecision
TUI / TUI2: expose “don’t ask again for these files this session”
- Patch approval overlays now include a third option (“Yes, and don’t ask again for these files this session (s)”).
- Snapshot updates for the approval modal.

Tests added/updated

Core:
- Integration test that proves ApprovedForSession on a patch skips the next patch prompt for the same file
App-server:
- v2 integration test verifying FileChangeApprovalDecision::AcceptForSession works properly

User-visible behavior

When the user approves a patch “for session”, future patches touching only those previously approved file(s) will no longer prompt gain during that session (both via app-server v2 and TUI/TUI2).

Manual testing
Tested both TUI and TUI2 - see screenshots below.

TUI:

TUI2:

jif-oai · 2026-01-06T18:03:04Z

@codex review

jif-oai

It seems to work but it looks a bit like reimplementing what is already partially there. We should be able to re-use the exact same workflow as what exist but with just change the keys we use for approval

jif-oai · 2026-01-06T18:04:05Z

codex-rs/app-server-protocol/src/protocol/v2.rs

+    Accept,
+    /// Approve and remember the approval for the session.
+    AcceptForSession,
+    Decline,


Do we really want this? How is it different from Cancel? (in any case, add a docstring please)

unfortunately they behave differently and both are used by VSCE. added docstrings

decline - does not abort the turn
cancel - aborts

jif-oai · 2026-01-06T18:05:13Z

codex-rs/app-server/src/bespoke_event_handling.rs

    }
 }

+fn map_file_change_approval_decision(


This logic sounds supper hacky but it was already there so I guess out of scope

codex-rs/core/src/state/service.rs

chatgpt-codex-connector · 2026-01-06T18:11:35Z

Codex Review: Didn't find any major issues. More of your lovely PRs please.

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…ovalDecision

owenlin0 · 2026-01-06T23:36:49Z

@jif-oai Removed the extra store and refactored things a bit so that Approvable / with_cached_approval takes a list of keys instead of a single key. This is because a single apply_patch call can modify multiple files, and we need to make sure all files have been previously approved

owenlin0 · 2026-01-07T00:52:21Z

@codex review

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Reviewed commit: f1afe46d0b

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codex-rs/core/src/tools/sandboxing.rs

jif-oai

Ok after the processing of all my comments

jif-oai · 2026-01-07T16:54:30Z

codex-rs/core/src/tools/runtimes/apply_patch.rs

-                } else {
-                    ReviewDecision::Approved
-                }
+            if let Some(reason) = retry_reason {


Any reason why you extract it from the cache?

hmm I don't follow - this checks whether there's a retry_reason, which based on codex's explanation happens when the tool orchestrator is trying to retry the command outside of the sandbox (dependent on the right approval policy)

codex-rs/core/src/tools/sandboxing.rs

codex-rs/core/src/apply_patch_approval_key.rs

jif-oai · 2026-01-07T17:29:08Z

codex-rs/core/src/tools/runtimes/apply_patch.rs

        !matches!(policy, AskForApproval::Never)
    }
+
+    fn exec_approval_requirement(


What is this?

we have an assess_patch_safety check prior to triggering the runtime, and it returns a SafetyCheck::AutoApprove / AskUser / Reject value and we now convert AskUser to ExecApprovalRequirement::NeedsApproval to trigger start_approval_async, which will in turn check the cache.

This is needed now since I moved approval checking from core/src/apply_patch.rs to ApplyPatchRuntime::start_approval_async to be more in-line with the shell and unified_exec tools

added a docstring

codex-rs/core/src/tools/runtimes/apply_patch.rs

owenlin0 force-pushed the owen/fix_allow_this_session_apply_patch branch 4 times, most recently from 5600af9 to 7f9b921 Compare January 5, 2026 22:03

owenlin0 changed the title ~~fix: implement 'Allow this session' for apply_patch~~ fix: implement 'Allow this session' for apply_patch approvals Jan 5, 2026

owenlin0 force-pushed the owen/fix_allow_this_session_apply_patch branch 2 times, most recently from dde3e77 to 5e96d2b Compare January 5, 2026 22:38

owenlin0 marked this pull request as ready for review January 5, 2026 22:55

owenlin0 requested review from bolinfest and jif-oai and removed request for bolinfest January 5, 2026 23:00

jif-oai reviewed Jan 6, 2026

View reviewed changes

owenlin0 added 8 commits January 6, 2026 13:24

fix: implement 'Allow this session' for apply_patch

3d59b1f

clean up

e395603

add app-server test

e45c51a

ApprovalDecision -> CommandExecutionApprovalDecision + FileChangeAppr…

b824fda

…ovalDecision

remove cached approval checks in apply_patch runtime

b470dae

PatchApprovalStore -> ApplyPatchApprovalStore

f1aeeee

format

e69db79

shorten: remove 'this session' text

b9931c2

owenlin0 force-pushed the owen/fix_allow_this_session_apply_patch branch 2 times, most recently from 755a8e5 to 39eb1ad Compare January 6, 2026 22:47

remove extra store and extend approvable to work for apply_patch

fc1c0fd

owenlin0 force-pushed the owen/fix_allow_this_session_apply_patch branch from 39eb1ad to fc1c0fd Compare January 6, 2026 23:01

owenlin0 added 2 commits January 6, 2026 15:09

lint

2991dcc

add docstrings

1445ce5

owenlin0 added 3 commits January 6, 2026 15:37

rename

267ccb0

change tui shortcut from s to a

0d95657

update

f1afe46

chatgpt-codex-connector bot reviewed Jan 7, 2026

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codex-rs/core/src/tools/sandboxing.rs Show resolved Hide resolved

jif-oai approved these changes Jan 7, 2026

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pr feedback

df96740

owenlin0 force-pushed the owen/fix_allow_this_session_apply_patch branch from 178a094 to df96740 Compare January 7, 2026 19:25

fix

006190e

owenlin0 enabled auto-merge (squash) January 7, 2026 20:03

owenlin0 merged commit 66450f0 into main Jan 7, 2026
26 checks passed

owenlin0 deleted the owen/fix_allow_this_session_apply_patch branch January 7, 2026 20:11

github-actions bot locked and limited conversation to collaborators Jan 7, 2026

fix: implement 'Allow this session' for apply_patch approvals #8451

fix: implement 'Allow this session' for apply_patch approvals #8451

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owenlin0 commented Dec 22, 2025 •

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