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Codex Plugin Version Mismatch Investigation Plan

plans/2026-05-06-codex-plugin-version-mismatch.md

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Codex Plugin Version Mismatch Investigation Plan

Date: 2026-05-06

Summary

Codex is still exposing claude-mem from:

text
/Users/alexnewman/.codex/plugins/cache/thedotmack/claude-mem/12.3.1

That cache entry is the source of the claude-mem:... skills loaded in this Codex session. The working tree and the Codex marketplace clone both advertise 12.7.2, but the enabled Codex plugin points at the old installed cache. This is not a model-memory issue.

The likely root cause is an incomplete migration from marketplace registration to a first-class Codex plugin install. The current installer registers the marketplace, but it does not verify that the actual enabled plugin cache was installed or upgraded to the current .codex-plugin bundle.

Evidence

  • Current repository metadata is 12.7.2:

    • package.json
    • .codex-plugin/plugin.json
    • plugin/.codex-plugin/plugin.json
    • plugin/package.json

  • Codex marketplace source is current:

    • /Users/alexnewman/.codex/config.toml contains [marketplaces.claude-mem-local]
    • last_updated = "2026-05-06T23:13:59Z"
    • last_revision = "bb3dbfdb5ae92b55b7e4686e4904995184261232"
    • /Users/alexnewman/.codex/.tmp/marketplaces/claude-mem-local/package.json is 12.7.2
    • /Users/alexnewman/.codex/.tmp/marketplaces/claude-mem-local/.codex-plugin/plugin.json is 12.7.2

  • Active enabled plugin state is still old:

    • /Users/alexnewman/.codex/config.toml contains [plugins."claude-mem@thedotmack"] enabled = true
    • The only claude-mem plugin cache under ~/.codex/plugins/cache/thedotmack/claude-mem is 12.3.1
    • /Users/alexnewman/.codex/plugins/cache/thedotmack/claude-mem/12.3.1/package.json is 12.3.1
    • /Users/alexnewman/.codex/plugins/cache/thedotmack/claude-mem/12.3.1/.install-version records {"version":"12.3.1", ...}

  • The active cache is not shaped like the new first-class Codex bundle:

    • It has .claude-plugin/plugin.json
    • It does not have .codex-plugin/plugin.json
    • It does not have hooks/codex-hooks.json
    • Its .mcp.json still uses the old bun command with "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/mcp-server.cjs"

  • Current Codex CLI capability is limited:

    • codex-cli 0.128.0
    • codex plugin marketplace exposes add, upgrade, and remove
    • There is no CLI plugin list or plugin install subcommand in this build

  • Current installer code only registers a marketplace:

    • src/services/integrations/CodexCliInstaller.ts:188 prints the marketplace root
    • src/services/integrations/CodexCliInstaller.ts:189 runs codex plugin marketplace add <root>
    • src/services/integrations/CodexCliInstaller.ts:200 through src/services/integrations/CodexCliInstaller.ts:203 tells the user to open /plugins and install manually
    • src/npx-cli/commands/install.ts:271 through src/npx-cli/commands/install.ts:281 reports success as "hooks marketplace registered", not "plugin installed"

Working Theory

There are two independent states:

  1. Marketplace source state: current and registered as claude-mem-local.
  2. Installed plugin cache state: stale and enabled as claude-mem@thedotmack.

Codex loads skills, hooks, and MCP metadata from the installed plugin cache, not directly from the marketplace source. Since the installed cache is still 12.3.1, every new Codex session sees claude-mem as 12.3.1, even though the marketplace clone is already at 12.7.2.

The claude-mem@thedotmack plugin ID also suggests this cache came from an older GitHub marketplace install path, while the current installer registers claude-mem-local. That mismatch needs to be handled explicitly during repair and install.

Phase 0: Reproduce And Baseline

What to do:

  • Capture a clean before-state snapshot:

    • codex --version
    • sed -n '1,220p' ~/.codex/config.toml
    • find ~/.codex/plugins/cache -maxdepth 5 -type f \( -name 'plugin.json' -o -name 'package.json' -o -name '.mcp.json' -o -name 'codex-hooks.json' \) -print
    • find ~/.codex/plugins/cache/thedotmack/claude-mem -maxdepth 2 -type d -print

  • Confirm which paths Codex injects into the session skill list:

    • Start a fresh Codex session.
    • Inspect the available skills list for claude-mem: paths.
    • Expected current bad path: ~/.codex/plugins/cache/thedotmack/claude-mem/12.3.1/skills.

Verification:

  • The before-state snapshot shows the stale cache and current marketplace clone side by side.
  • The fresh session still reports 12.3.1 before remediation.

Anti-pattern guards:

  • Do not delete ~/.codex/plugins/cache blindly.
  • Do not edit unrelated ~/.codex/config.toml project trust settings.
  • Do not assume codex plugin marketplace upgrade upgrades the installed plugin cache until verified.

Phase 1: Local Recovery Procedure

What to do:

  • Back up the current Codex plugin state:

    • cp ~/.codex/config.toml ~/.codex/config.toml.bak-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)
    • Archive or copy ~/.codex/plugins/cache/thedotmack/claude-mem/12.3.1

  • Remove the stale enabled plugin state through supported UI where possible:

    • Open Codex.
    • Run /plugins.
    • Disable or uninstall claude-mem@thedotmack if it appears.

  • Register or refresh the current marketplace:

    • codex plugin marketplace upgrade claude-mem-local
    • If needed, re-add from the durable local marketplace root produced by the installer.

  • Install claude-mem from the claude-mem (local) marketplace in /plugins.

  • Restart Codex.

Verification:

  • ~/.codex/plugins/cache contains a claude-mem cache with .codex-plugin/plugin.json.
  • The active plugin cache has version: 12.7.2.
  • The active plugin cache has hooks/codex-hooks.json.
  • The active plugin cache .mcp.json uses the portable sh -c wrapper from the current repo.
  • A fresh Codex session lists claude-mem: skills from the new cache, not 12.3.1.

Anti-pattern guards:

  • Do not manually copy the repository into ~/.codex/plugins/cache as the primary fix. Use it only as a diagnostic fallback.
  • Do not leave both claude-mem@thedotmack and a new local claude-mem enabled if Codex treats them as distinct plugins.
  • Do not accept "marketplace upgraded" as proof. The cache path and loaded skill path are the source of truth.

Phase 2: Installer Fix

What to implement:

  • Change the Codex installer outcome from "registered marketplace" to "registered marketplace and verified installability".
  • Add a post-registration diagnostic that checks whether an enabled stale claude-mem plugin is already present.
  • If a stale cache is detected, print a direct remediation message that names the exact stale cache path and exact /plugins action required.
  • If Codex exposes an install/enable CLI in a future version, use it. In 0.128.0, keep the /plugins step but verify and report the gap.

Code references:

  • src/services/integrations/CodexCliInstaller.ts:10 for MARKETPLACE_NAME.
  • src/services/integrations/CodexCliInstaller.ts:12 through src/services/integrations/CodexCliInstaller.ts:16 for required marketplace files.
  • src/services/integrations/CodexCliInstaller.ts:175 through src/services/integrations/CodexCliInstaller.ts:214 for install flow.
  • src/npx-cli/commands/install.ts:269 through src/npx-cli/commands/install.ts:282 for task status text.
  • tests/install-non-tty.test.ts for existing installer behavior assertions.

Suggested implementation details:

  • Add a diagnoseCodexPluginState() helper that reads:

    • ~/.codex/config.toml
    • ~/.codex/plugins/cache/**/claude-mem/**/.codex-plugin/plugin.json
    • ~/.codex/plugins/cache/**/claude-mem/**/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
    • ~/.codex/plugins/cache/**/claude-mem/**/.install-version

  • Classify state as:

    • not_installed
    • installed_current_codex
    • installed_stale_codex
    • installed_legacy_claude_shape
    • duplicate_installs

  • Include current repo/package version in the expected state.

  • Treat installed_legacy_claude_shape as a warning or failure for Codex integration, because it is the exact observed bad state.

Verification:

  • Unit tests cover stale 12.3.1 legacy cache with .claude-plugin only.
  • Unit tests cover current 12.7.2 first-class cache with .codex-plugin.
  • Unit tests cover duplicate stale plus current installs.
  • Installer output no longer says only "hooks marketplace registered" when the installed plugin cache is stale.

Anti-pattern guards:

  • Do not parse TOML with regex if a TOML parser is already available in the dependency set.
  • Do not bake in 12.7.2; read expected version from package metadata.
  • Do not rely on ~/.codex/.tmp/marketplaces/... as proof of plugin installation.

Phase 3: Repair Command Fix

What to implement:

  • Extend npx claude-mem repair --ide codex-cli or equivalent repair flow to handle Codex first-class plugin state.
  • The repair should:
    • Register or upgrade the local marketplace.
    • Detect stale enabled claude-mem@thedotmack.
    • Tell the user whether manual /plugins installation is still required.
    • Verify the active cache after restart or after the user completes /plugins.

Code references:

  • src/npx-cli/commands/install.ts for marketplace copy and IDE task orchestration.
  • src/services/integrations/CodexCliInstaller.ts for Codex-specific registration.
  • src/npx-cli/commands/uninstall.ts for uninstall symmetry.

Verification:

  • Repair from a synthetic 12.3.1 legacy cache reports the correct stale-cache diagnosis.
  • Repair from a current cache is idempotent.
  • Repair does not remove unrelated Codex settings or non-claude-mem plugins.

Anti-pattern guards:

  • Do not silently delete old caches without a backup or explicit command mode.
  • Do not make repair depend on an interactive TUI if the install command supports non-TTY mode.

Phase 4: Documentation Fix

What to update:

  • Document that Codex currently has two steps:

    • Marketplace registration via npx claude-mem install.
    • Plugin install/enable via /plugins.

  • Add troubleshooting for this exact mismatch:

    • Symptom: Codex skill list shows ~/.codex/plugins/cache/thedotmack/claude-mem/12.3.1.
    • Cause: stale installed plugin cache, despite current marketplace source.
    • Fix: uninstall old claude-mem@thedotmack, install from claude-mem (local), restart Codex.

Code/doc references:

  • docs/public/installation.mdx
  • docs/public/troubleshooting.mdx
  • README.md

Verification:

  • Docs mention the cache path as a diagnostic check.
  • Docs do not imply that codex plugin marketplace add alone installs the plugin.

Phase 5: End-To-End Verification

Manual verification checklist:

  • Fresh install on a clean Codex profile.
  • Upgrade from old 12.3.1 cache.
  • Upgrade from current marketplace but stale installed cache.
  • Duplicate install case with both claude-mem@thedotmack and local claude-mem.

Acceptance criteria:

  • Fresh Codex session loads claude-mem: skills from a current cache path.
  • Loaded plugin cache contains .codex-plugin/plugin.json.
  • Loaded plugin cache contains Codex hooks at the path declared by .codex-plugin/plugin.json.
  • MCP server starts through the current .mcp.json wrapper.
  • Installer and repair output make stale-cache state explicit.

Open Questions

  • Does the Codex /plugins UI use marketplace name, repository owner, or plugin author to derive the installed plugin cache namespace?
  • Does codex plugin marketplace upgrade claude-mem-local intentionally avoid updating already-installed plugin caches?
  • Is there a hidden or upcoming non-interactive plugin install command that can replace the manual /plugins step?
  • Should the installer remove or disable claude-mem@thedotmack when installing claude-mem-local, or should it only warn?