fix(codex): strip alt-screen + scrollback-erase from the codex byte stream

Codex's TUI emits alternate-screen toggles (DECSET/DECRST 47/1047/1049),
scrollback-erase (CSI 3 J), and mouse-tracking enables (?1000-1007) during
startup and on every repaint. xterm.js obeys them: it switches to the
scrollback-less alternate buffer, wipes saved lines, and forwards the scroll
wheel to codex — so the user's conversation history both disappears and
becomes unreachable on each tab switch / pane refresh.

Strip these sequences in two places, leaving the visible-viewport erases
(2J / J) intact so codex can still repaint its own rows:

- Session._handleTerminalOutput: filter the live SSE/WS stream and the
  persisted terminal buffer at the source, for mode === 'codex'.
- GET /api/sessions/:id/terminal: apply the same strip to the replayed
  buffer (ALT_SCREEN_TOGGLE_PATTERN / ERASE_SCROLLBACK_PATTERN) so a
  tab-switch replay keeps full scrollback.

Adds test/codex-terminal-output.test.ts covering the strip (alt-screen and
3J removed, 2J/J preserved, Ctrl+L redraws preserved) and confirming codex
output passes through without Ink row-repair mangling.

Co-Authored-By: Saqeb Akhter <saqeb.akhter@gmail.com>
This commit is contained in:
Aamer Akhter
2026-06-10 13:18:45 -04:00
co-authored by Saqeb Akhter
parent 055f18fb66
commit d7606366a2
3 changed files with 303 additions and 1 deletions
+26
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@@ -1052,6 +1052,32 @@ export class Session extends EventEmitter {
}
private _handleTerminalOutput(data: string): void {
// Codex emits sequences that wipe xterm.js scrollback, plus mouse-tracking
// enables that hijack the scroll wheel so the user can't reach scrollback:
// - \x1b[?1049h / \x1b[?47h / \x1b[?1047h: switch to the alt buffer (no
// scrollback) — \x1b[?...l switches back.
// - \x1b[3J: erase saved lines (scrollback). (\x1b[2J / \x1b[J — erase
// the visible viewport — are left intact; the TUI repaints those rows.)
// - \x1b[?1000h / 1002h / 1003h / 1005h / 1006h / 1007h: mouse-tracking
// modes (X10, button-event, any-event, UTF-8, SGR, alt-scroll). Once on,
// xterm.js forwards wheel events to codex instead of scrolling the
// viewport, so the conversation is in scrollback but unreachable.
// (Focus events at ?1004 are left alone — codeman uses them for
// active-tab detection.)
// Strip them at the source so neither the persisted buffer nor the live
// SSE/WS stream carries them, keeping everything in the main buffer with
// scrollback intact. Codex's cursor-positioned redraws overwrite only the
// cells they actually target, so the non-erased rows keep their content.
if (this.mode === 'codex') {
data = data
// eslint-disable-next-line no-control-regex
.replace(/\x1b\[\?(?:47|1047|1049)[hl]/g, '')
// eslint-disable-next-line no-control-regex
.replace(/\x1b\[3J/g, '')
// eslint-disable-next-line no-control-regex
.replace(/\x1b\[\?(?:1000|1001|1002|1003|1005|1006|1007)[hl]/g, '');
}
// BufferAccumulator handles auto-trimming when max size exceeded
this._terminalBuffer.append(data);
this._lastActivityAt = Date.now();
+27 -1
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@@ -65,6 +65,25 @@ const CLAUDE_BANNER_PATTERN = /\x1b\[1mClaud/;
const CTRL_L_PATTERN = /\x0c/g;
const LEADING_WHITESPACE_PATTERN = /^[\s\r\n]+/;
/**
* Match xterm alternate-screen mode toggles + the standalone scrollback-erase.
*
* - DECSET/DECRST 47, 1047, 1049 = enter/exit alternate screen buffer
* (1049 also saves cursor and clears the alt buffer).
* - CSI 3 J = erase saved lines (scrollback).
*
* Codex emits `\x1b[?1049h` and clear-scrollback sequences during startup and
* on repaint. xterm.js obeys them by switching to the alt buffer (no native
* scrollback) and wiping saved lines, so the user's conversation history
* disappears on every tab switch / pane refresh. Stripping these from the
* replayed byte stream keeps everything in the main buffer with scrollback
* intact. Mirrors the live-stream strip in Session._handleTerminalOutput.
*/
// eslint-disable-next-line no-control-regex
const ALT_SCREEN_TOGGLE_PATTERN = /\x1b\[\?(?:47|1047|1049)[hl]/g;
// eslint-disable-next-line no-control-regex
const ERASE_SCROLLBACK_PATTERN = /\x1b\[3J/g;
/**
* Strip redundant Ink spinner/status-bar redraw frames from the terminal buffer.
* Ink (Claude Code's TUI) uses absolute cursor positioning (CSI n d = VPA) to animate
@@ -916,7 +935,14 @@ export function registerSessionRoutes(
// During long thinking phases, Ink rewrites the same rows thousands of times
// (500KB+). Without stripping, tail mode returns only spinner frames and
// the terminal appears empty when switching tabs.
const strippedBuffer = stripInkRedrawBloat(rawBuffer);
let strippedBuffer = stripInkRedrawBloat(rawBuffer);
// Strip alt-screen toggles and scrollback-erase from codex byte streams.
// xterm.js obeys them by switching to its scrollback-less alt buffer and
// wiping saved lines, so conversation history disappears on tab switch.
if (session.mode === 'codex') {
strippedBuffer = strippedBuffer.replace(ALT_SCREEN_TOGGLE_PATTERN, '').replace(ERASE_SCROLLBACK_PATTERN, '');
}
if (tailBytes > 0 && strippedBuffer.length > tailBytes) {
// Fast path: tail from the end, skip expensive banner search on full 2MB buffer.
+250
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@@ -0,0 +1,250 @@
import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
import { Session } from '../src/session.js';
type SessionInternals = {
_handleTerminalOutput(data: string): void;
_ptyRows: number;
};
function handleOutput(session: Session, data: string): void {
(session as unknown as SessionInternals)._handleTerminalOutput(data);
}
describe('Codex terminal output filtering', () => {
it('keeps browser scrollback guards but skips Codeman row repair in hybrid render mode', () => {
const session = new Session({ workingDir: '/tmp', mode: 'codex', codexConfig: { renderMode: 'hybrid' } });
(session as unknown as SessionInternals)._ptyRows = 63;
const emitted: string[] = [];
session.on('terminal', (data) => emitted.push(data));
const hybridRedraw = '\x1b[?1049h\x1b[55;1H\x1b[2m• Working (21s)\x1b[3J\x1b[?1006h\x1b[?1049l';
handleOutput(session, hybridRedraw);
expect(emitted[0]).toBe('\x1b[55;1H\x1b[2m• Working (21s)');
expect(emitted[0]).not.toContain('\x1b[55;1H\x1b[2K');
expect(session.terminalBuffer).toBe(emitted[0]);
});
it('preserves Codex erase-display redraws used by the TUI layout engine', () => {
const session = new Session({ workingDir: '/tmp', mode: 'codex' });
handleOutput(session, '\x1b[H\x1b[Jidle redraw');
expect(session.terminalBuffer).toBe('\x1b[H\x1b[Jidle redraw');
});
it('strips Codex scrollback erase without stripping visible-screen erase', () => {
const session = new Session({ workingDir: '/tmp', mode: 'codex' });
handleOutput(session, '\x1b[?1049h\x1b[2Jvisible\x1b[3Jscrollback\x1b[?1049l');
expect(session.terminalBuffer).toBe('\x1b[2Jvisiblescrollback');
});
it('preserves Codex erase-display redraw when the user pressed Ctrl+L', () => {
const session = new Session({ workingDir: '/tmp', mode: 'codex' });
session.write('\x0c');
handleOutput(session, '\x1b[H\x1b[Jredraw after clear');
expect(session.terminalBuffer).toBe('\x1b[H\x1b[Jredraw after clear');
});
it('passes native Codex TUI prompt/status redraws through without row repair', () => {
const session = new Session({ workingDir: '/tmp', mode: 'codex' });
(session as unknown as SessionInternals)._ptyRows = 63;
const emitted: string[] = [];
session.on('terminal', (data) => emitted.push(data));
const bottomBandRedraw =
'\x1b[48;2;42;42;42m' +
'\x1b[60;2H\x1b[K' +
'\x1b[61;39H\x1b[K' +
'\x1b[62;2H\x1b[K' +
'\x1b[52;1H\x1b[49m\x1b[2m• \x1b[1mRunning node -e ...' +
'\x1b[60;1H\x1b[48;2;42;42;42m \r\n' +
'\x1b[1m›\x1b[0m\x1b[48;2;42;42;42m \x1b[2mUse /skills to list available skills\r\n' +
'\x1b[63;3H\x1b[49m\x1b[38;2;246;226;183mgpt-5.5 xhigh\x1b[39m' +
'\x1b[2m · \x1b[38;2;242;181;144mContext 42% left\x1b[39m' +
'\x1b[61;3H';
handleOutput(session, bottomBandRedraw);
expect(emitted[0]).not.toContain('\x1b[52;1H\x1b[2K');
expect(emitted[0]).not.toContain('\x1b[60;1H\x1b[2K');
expect(emitted[0]).not.toContain('\x1b[63;1H\x1b[2K');
expect(emitted[0]).toContain(bottomBandRedraw);
});
it('passes Codex advisory rows through without row repair', () => {
const session = new Session({ workingDir: '/tmp', mode: 'codex' });
(session as unknown as SessionInternals)._ptyRows = 63;
const emitted: string[] = [];
session.on('terminal', (data) => emitted.push(data));
const advisoryRedraw =
'\x1b[55;1H\x1b[2mMessages\x1b[Cto\x1b[Cbe submitted\x1b[Cafter\x1b[Cnext toolcall ' +
'(press esc to interrupt and send immediately)\x1b[56;1H';
handleOutput(session, advisoryRedraw);
expect(emitted[0]).not.toContain('\x1b[55;1H\x1b[2K');
expect(emitted[0]).toContain(advisoryRedraw);
});
it('does not clear Codex resume-picker rows just because an option is selected', () => {
const session = new Session({ workingDir: '/tmp', mode: 'codex' });
(session as unknown as SessionInternals)._ptyRows = 63;
const emitted: string[] = [];
session.on('terminal', (data) => emitted.push(data));
const resumePickerRedraw =
'\x1b[1;2H\x1b[36m\x1b[1mResume a previous session' +
'\x1b[3;2H\x1b[2mType to search Filter: \x1b[35m[Cwd]\x1b[39m\x1b[2m All' +
'\x1b[5;3H\x1b[33m\x1b[48;2;42;42;42m\x1b[1m❯ \x1b[2m22h ago ll' +
'\x1b[6;3H\x1b[2m 1d ago $kb-health' +
'\x1b[60;1H\x1b[2m──── 2 / 2 · 100% ─' +
'\x1b[61;1H enter resume esc exit ↑/↓ browse';
handleOutput(session, resumePickerRedraw);
expect(emitted[0]).not.toContain('\x1b[4;1H\x1b[2K');
expect(emitted[0]).not.toContain('\x1b[5;1H\x1b[2K');
expect(emitted[0]).toContain(resumePickerRedraw);
});
it('does not full-clear sparse Codex resume-picker navigation redraws', () => {
const session = new Session({ workingDir: '/tmp', mode: 'codex' });
(session as unknown as SessionInternals)._ptyRows = 63;
const emitted: string[] = [];
session.on('terminal', (data) => emitted.push(data));
let sparseResumePickerRedraw = '';
for (let row = 1; row <= 51; row++) {
const col = row % 2 === 0 ? 239 : 27;
sparseResumePickerRedraw += `\x1b[${row};${col}H\x1b[K`;
}
sparseResumePickerRedraw +=
'\x1b[21;3H \x1b[2m9d ago \x1b[mreview this webex room webexteams://im?space=672465b0-4fcb-11f1-9d54-51475df86e3a\x1b[K' +
'\x1b[22;3H\x1b[33m\x1b[1m❯ \x1b[m\x1b[33m\x1b[2m9d ago \x1b[m\x1b[33mcisco hybrid mesh firewall includes support for smart switch enforcement...\x1b[K' +
'\x1b[52;229H\x1b[39m\x1b[2m8\x1b[m';
handleOutput(session, sparseResumePickerRedraw);
expect(emitted[0]).not.toContain('\x1b[H\x1b[2J');
expect(emitted[0]).toContain(sparseResumePickerRedraw);
});
it('passes Codex UI rows through when the status band moves downward', () => {
const session = new Session({ workingDir: '/tmp', mode: 'codex' });
(session as unknown as SessionInternals)._ptyRows = 63;
const emitted: string[] = [];
session.on('terminal', (data) => emitted.push(data));
handleOutput(
session,
'\x1b[55;1H\x1b[2m• Working (1s)\x1b[56;1H\x1b[1m›\x1b[0m ask\x1b[57;3Hgpt-5.5 · Context 80% left'
);
handleOutput(
session,
'\x1b[58;1H\x1b[2m• Working (2s)\x1b[59;1H\x1b[1m›\x1b[0m ask\x1b[60;3Hgpt-5.5 · Context 79% left'
);
expect(emitted[1]).not.toContain('\x1b[55;1H\x1b[2K');
expect(emitted[1]).not.toContain('\x1b[56;1H\x1b[2K');
expect(emitted[1]).not.toContain('\x1b[57;1H\x1b[2K');
expect(emitted[1]).toContain('\x1b[58;1H');
expect(emitted[1]).not.toContain('\x1b[54;1H\x1b[2K');
});
it('does not full-clear the viewport for stable Codex UI rows at the same position', () => {
const session = new Session({ workingDir: '/tmp', mode: 'codex' });
(session as unknown as SessionInternals)._ptyRows = 63;
const emitted: string[] = [];
session.on('terminal', (data) => emitted.push(data));
const stableRedraw =
'\x1b[58;1H\x1b[2m• Working (2s)\x1b[59;1H\x1b[1m›\x1b[0m ask\x1b[60;3Hgpt-5.5 · Context 79% left';
handleOutput(session, stableRedraw);
handleOutput(session, stableRedraw.replace('2s', '3s'));
expect(emitted[1]).not.toContain('\x1b[H\x1b[2J');
});
it('passes status-only Codex Working redraw rows through', () => {
const session = new Session({ workingDir: '/tmp', mode: 'codex' });
(session as unknown as SessionInternals)._ptyRows = 63;
const emitted: string[] = [];
session.on('terminal', (data) => emitted.push(data));
const workingRedraw = '\x1b[55;1H\x1b[2m• Working (21s)';
handleOutput(session, workingRedraw);
expect(emitted[0]).not.toContain('\x1b[55;1H\x1b[2K');
expect(emitted[0]).toContain(workingRedraw);
expect(emitted[0]).not.toContain('\x1b[H\x1b[2J');
});
it('passes Codex spinner Working rows that omit elapsed time parentheses through', () => {
const session = new Session({ workingDir: '/tmp', mode: 'codex' });
(session as unknown as SessionInternals)._ptyRows = 29;
const emitted: string[] = [];
session.on('terminal', (data) => emitted.push(data));
const spinnerRedraw = '\x1b[24;1H\x1b[38;5;254m\x1b[1m•\x1b[CWorking\x1b[27;3H';
handleOutput(session, spinnerRedraw);
expect(emitted[0]).not.toContain('\x1b[24;1H\x1b[2K');
expect(emitted[0]).toContain(spinnerRedraw);
expect(emitted[0]).not.toContain('\x1b[H\x1b[2J');
});
it('does not treat ordinary gpt model mentions as Codex status rows', () => {
const session = new Session({ workingDir: '/tmp', mode: 'codex' });
(session as unknown as SessionInternals)._ptyRows = 63;
const emitted: string[] = [];
session.on('terminal', (data) => emitted.push(data));
const outputRow = '\x1b[20;1Hnormal output comparing gpt-5 and another model';
handleOutput(session, outputRow);
expect(emitted[0]).toContain(outputRow);
expect(emitted[0]).not.toContain('\x1b[19;1H\x1b[2K');
expect(emitted[0]).not.toContain('\x1b[20;1H\x1b[2K');
});
it('does not inject row erases during partial Working spinner ticks', () => {
const session = new Session({ workingDir: '/tmp', mode: 'codex' });
(session as unknown as SessionInternals)._ptyRows = 63;
const emitted: string[] = [];
session.on('terminal', (data) => emitted.push(data));
handleOutput(
session,
'\x1b[55;1H\x1b[2m• Working (1s)' +
'\x1b[56;1H\x1b[1m›\x1b[0m ask' +
'\x1b[57;3Hgpt-5.5 xhigh fast · codeman · Working · Context 79% left'
);
handleOutput(session, '\x1b[55;1H\x1b[2m• Working (2s)');
expect(emitted[1]).not.toContain('\x1b[55;1H\x1b[2K');
expect(emitted[1]).not.toContain('\x1b[56;1H\x1b[2K');
expect(emitted[1]).not.toContain('\x1b[57;1H\x1b[2K');
expect(emitted[1]).toContain('\x1b[55;1H\x1b[2m• Working (2s)');
});
});