Plan Codex-base substrate migration for Every Code

[shiny-code-bot]

Finish Line

Every Code has a reviewable Codex-base substrate migration plan that replaces the raw spike with scoped PR slices, clarifies the future role of code-rs and codex-rs, and prevents new work from landing on the wrong base.

Current Status

State: Rescoped from "Codex-base substrate migration for Every Code" to "Codex CLI fork foundation plus narrow Every Code overlays." The substrate work landed; the active risk is stale planning/docs language that still sounds product-first.

Decision update, 2026-06-06:

• Codex CLI compatibility is the default direction for app-server/session/protocol/config/TUI behavior.
• Every Code is moving into maintenance mode as a standalone product direction.
• The repo should be treated as a Codex CLI fork that layers selected Every Code capabilities on top only when they remain needed and are validated.
• code-rs is the editable fork implementation; codex-rs remains the read-only upstream provenance mirror until a new issue changes that role.
• Fork deltas should be small, reviewable, and easy to rebase/refresh from upstream Codex CLI.

Landed foundation:

• PR docs: record Codex substrate migration policy #389 documented the initial Codex-base substrate direction and migration metadata.
• PR feat: replace Rust substrate with Codex base #390 replaced code-rs with the Codex-base Rust workspace while keeping codex-rs as the read-only mirror and preserving CODE_HOME > CODEX_HOME > ~/.code.
• PR feat: align CLI identity with Every Code #391 restored initial Every Code CLI identity/config compatibility on top of the Codex-base workspace.
• PR docs: inventory Every Code feature ports #392 inventoried Every Code features against the new Codex-base workspace.
• PR fix: accept desktop startup app-server probes #393/fix: accept legacy Every Code config shapes #394 fixed concrete Desktop startup/config compatibility gaps discovered by Validate Codex-base Every Code in copied Codex Desktop app #387 validation.

Remaining alignment work:

• Replace stale product-era language in docs/metadata with the Codex CLI fork plus overlay framing.
• Keep just-every/code as fork/import history where relevant, but do not let it drive new product direction unless a current overlay issue says so.
• Use Inventory and port Every Code features onto Codex base #386 to decide overlays; do not port Every Code-era code wholesale.
• Keep Validate Codex-base Every Code in copied Codex Desktop app #387/Decide remote inbox and Discord UI for Codex-base session continuity #388 as validation gates before making session/remote-inbox/UI removals or high-conflict ports.

Next action:

• Track the docs/policy cleanup as a small explicit issue so future agents stop inheriting the wrong north star.

Acceptance Criteria

• Decide and document the code-rs / codex-rs roles for the Codex-base migration.
• code-rs can build from a Codex-base workspace as the code binary with ./build-fast.sh.
• Imported upstream crates keep codex-* names unless there is a specific Every Code product reason to alias/rename.
• Every Code-only additions have a documented code-* port strategy.
• CODE_HOME takes precedence over CODEX_HOME; no-env default is ~/.code.
• No code-rs crate depends on sibling ../codex-rs; the path-dependency guard enforces the chosen policy.
• .github/github.json, AGENTS/repo guidance, and docs/upstream-import-policy.md describe the new substrate/mirror roles.
• Active issues that touch app-server/session/protocol/TUI/remote-inbox/release identity are linked, blocked, or marked independent.
• The raw spike is decomposed into reviewable PR slices and is not merged wholesale.

Relationships

• Parent: Combine Every Code with the Codex Desktop app #377
• Historical spike: spike/codex-base-port proved a Codex-base workspace could be assembled. It is no longer the active source of truth after PR docs: record Codex substrate migration policy #389/feat: replace Rust substrate with Codex base #390 and may be deleted once this note is sufficient evidence.
• Active docs/policy follow-up: Realign docs around Codex CLI fork plus Every Code overlays #395
• Overlay inventory follow-up: Inventory and port Every Code features onto Codex base #386
• Informs Reduce codex-rs/code-rs search and layout confusion #88, Audit and retire obsolete legacy code paths #130, Audit Codex CLI app-server parity for Every Code #216, Document compatibility surfaces kept outside release flow #299