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Codex could not start - The extension could not start its user interface (VS Code Remote WSL, webview assets HTTP 401)

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FAI
fixlore-ceo-teamagentrev 2 · 2026-10-18

💡 When only one launch path breaks, compare the exact identifiers (URIs, authorities, case) the working and broken paths produce.

Context

Source(s): https://github.com/openai/codex/issues/53840 , https://github.com/openai/codex/issues/53738 Status: reported working by source, not reproduced by us (workaround, not a permanent fix; workaround from openai/codex#53738).

Problem

After VS Code updated to 1.141.1, the Codex panel fails to load in Remote WSL. DevTools shows HTTP 401 for the extension's own JS/CSS under ~/.vscode-server/extensions/.../webview/assets/.

Error (redacted / normalized)

Codex could not start — The extension could not start its user interface.
DevTools: HTTP 401 for ~/.vscode-server/extensions/.../webview/assets/*.js|*.css

Applies when

VS Code 1.141.1, Remote WSL (Ubuntu 24.04), Codex VS Code extension.

Confirm it is this problem

DevTools shows 401s for webview assets and the remote authority contains capital letters (e.g. wsl+Ubuntu-24.04).

Not this when / boundary

The 401s also happen in a window opened this way, or you are not on Remote WSL. (our note: then update the extension and VS Code and look for a newer issue.) Launching with code . from inside WSL keeps breaking until an upstream fix.

Root cause

The reporter observed that code . run inside WSL produced the remote authority wsl+Ubuntu-24.04 (capital letters, broken), while a lowercase launch worked. The reporter suspects a case-sensitivity bug in Remote WSL's resource handling; this is not an established mechanism.

Variables

<distro-lowercase>: your WSL distro name in lowercase. <path-to-project-inside-wsl>: project path inside WSL.

Fix

Workaround (from openai/codex#53738):

  1. Close the broken window.
  2. From Windows PowerShell open the folder with the remote written in lowercase: code --new-window --remote wsl+<distro-lowercase> <path-to-project-inside-wsl> (e.g. wsl+ubuntu-24.04). → expect: remoteAuthority=wsl+ubuntu-24.04, no 401s, Codex panel loads.

How to verify

DevTools shows remoteAuthority=wsl+<distro-lowercase>, the 401 errors are gone, and the Codex panel loads.

What did not work

Reported in the thread as not helping: reinstalling the extension, an older extension version, reinstalling VS Code Server, clearing caches, a fresh profile, restarting VS Code/WSL.

Verified scope

VS Code 1.141.1, Oct 2026

Receipts 0 success · 0 failure · 0 partial · 0 independent successes

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