BigPizzaV3/CodexPlusPlus · error

Unexpected native runtime layout

Error message

Unexpected native runtime layout

What it means

selected_key validates a discovered native CUA runtime descriptor by checking that the configured node command sits at a fixed layout relative to the runtime cache root: exactly 3 path components (<runtime-key>/bin/node.exe). This error is thrown when the node command, relative to the runtime cache root, does not decompose into exactly 3 components — i.e. the executable lives in a nested or flat directory this library does not recognize.

Solutions

  1. Point mcpServers.cua_repl.command back at <runtime-root>/<key>/bin/node.exe for a runtime inside the cache root.
  2. Verify the runtime cache root is correct (LOCALAPPDATA/OpenAI/Codex/runtimes/cua_node) and that discover is called with the same root that produced the descriptor.
  3. Reinstall/repair the native CUA runtime so it regenerates the expected <key>/bin/node.exe layout.
  4. If a newer runtime intentionally changes layout, update the layout check (parts.len() == 3 and the bin/node.exe path) in native_browser.rs.

Example fix

// before: descriptor command points outside the expected layout
"command": "D:/tools/node/node.exe"
// after: command inside the runtime cache with key/bin/node.exe layout
"command": "C:/Users/me/AppData/Local/OpenAI/Codex/runtimes/cua_node/rt-1/bin/node.exe"
Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

let node = PathBuf::from(descriptor["mcpServers"]["cua_repl"]["command"].as_str()?);
let rel = node.strip_prefix(&runtime_root)?;
if rel.components().count() != 3 {
    eprintln!("runtime layout unexpected: {}", rel.display());
    reinstall_runtime()?;
}

Type guard

fn has_canonical_layout(node: &Path, root: &Path) -> bool {
    node.strip_prefix(root)
        .map(|rel| {
            rel.components().count() == 3
                && rel.starts_with("bin")
                && rel.ends_with("node.exe")
        })
        .unwrap_or(false)
}

Try / catch

match selected_key(&descriptor, &root) {
    Ok(key) => use_runtime(key),
    Err(e) if e.to_string().contains("Unexpected native runtime layout") => {
        repair_or_reinstall_runtime()?;
    }
    Err(e) => return Err(e),
}

Prevention

When it happens

Trigger: discover() -> selected_key() on an MCP descriptor whose mcpServers.cua_repl.command points at a node binary not matching <root>/<key>/bin/node.exe: an unusual install layout, a custom node path in the descriptor, a moved or renamed runtime cache directory.

Common situations: User reinstalled Node/ Codex runtime into a custom location and hand-edited the descriptor; cache root passed to discover differs from the one used to write the descriptor (LOCALAPPDATA redirection, portable install); a runtime-cache migration changed the directory depth.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of BigPizzaV3/CodexPlusPlus@b1ed92e5e4 (2026-09-19). Data as JSON: /api/errors/c0122eda68c53927. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at crates/codex-plus-core/src/native_browser.rs:290

    let path = serde_json::to_string(&control.to_str().context("Non-Unicode control path")?)?;
    let replacement = format!(
        "new nf(r,this.clientApi,()=>ze(this.runtime),this.turnEndedTracker,cppNativeIdentificationReader(this.runtime,cD,ze,{path}))"
    );
    Ok(format!("{}\n{HELPER}", text.replacen(ANCHOR, &replacement, 1)).into_bytes())
}

fn selected_key(descriptor: &Value, root: &Path) -> Result<String> {
    let server = &descriptor["mcpServers"]["cua_repl"];
    let node = PathBuf::from(
        server["command"]
            .as_str()
            .context("Missing native Node command")?,
    );
    let relative = node
        .strip_prefix(root)
        .context("Native Node is outside the runtime cache")?;
    let parts: Vec<_> = relative.components().collect();
    ensure!(parts.len() == 3, "Unexpected native runtime layout");
    let key = parts[0]
        .as_os_str()
        .to_str()
        .context("Invalid runtime key")?;
    ensure!(
        key_valid(key) && relative == Path::new(key).join("bin/node.exe"),
        "Unexpected native runtime layout"
    );
    let env = &server["env"];
    ensure!(
        env["NODE_REPL_NODE_PATH"].as_str().map(Path::new) == Some(node.as_path()),
        "Conflicting native Node selection"
    );
    let worker = root.join(key).join("bin/node_repl.exe");
    ensure!(
        env["CUA_REPL_NODE_REPL_PATH"].as_str().map(Path::new) == Some(worker.as_path()),
        "Conflicting native worker selection"
    );

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