Inquiry: absorb the denied/open official Codex UX backlog?

[oxysoft]

Context

This is an inquiry about whether Every Code should deliberately absorb a cluster of UX/product tickets from the official openai/codex repo.

The pattern is strong: a lot of terminal UX ideas were filed upstream, many were closed as NOT_PLANNED, and several are still open. Every Code already has a different product posture: browser integration, multi-agent workflows, theming, auto-drive/review, and compatibility-focused upstream merge automation. That makes it a plausible home for the UX surface area that upstream does not want to carry.

Given the upstream merge workflow here, this may be the right kind of downstream divergence: keep syncing core Codex while aggressively owning the terminal/operator experience.

Source backlog

Authored upstream by oxysoft on openai/codex.

Closed upstream as not planned

• Resume/session browser needs a safe two-step delete flow openai/codex#14713 - Resume/session browser needs a safe two-step delete flow
  Resume/session browser needs a safe two-step delete flow openai/codex#14713
• Resume screen needs a structural bottom split to preview the conversation tail openai/codex#14712 - Resume screen needs a structural bottom split to preview the conversation tail
  Resume screen needs a structural bottom split to preview the conversation tail openai/codex#14712
• Upgrade Alt+Up queue navigation into a first-class queued-message selector/editor openai/codex#14677 - Upgrade Alt+Up queue navigation into a first-class queued-message selector/editor
  Upgrade Alt+Up queue navigation into a first-class queued-message selector/editor openai/codex#14677
• Add a keyboard modal for selecting and actioning structured reply units openai/codex#14386 - Add a keyboard modal for selecting and actioning structured reply units
  Add a keyboard modal for selecting and actioning structured reply units openai/codex#14386
• Support click-to-copy and shift-click quote for structured reply sections openai/codex#14384 - Support click-to-copy and shift-click quote for structured reply sections
  Support click-to-copy and shift-click quote for structured reply sections openai/codex#14384
• Support multiple bottom airline/statusline rows in the CLI openai/codex#14047 - Support multiple bottom airline/statusline rows in the CLI
  Support multiple bottom airline/statusline rows in the CLI openai/codex#14047
• Expose a custom statusline widget API for the CLI airline openai/codex#14043 - Expose a custom statusline widget API for the CLI airline
  Expose a custom statusline widget API for the CLI airline openai/codex#14043
• Support double-Enter continuation prompts openai/codex#14042 - Support double-Enter continuation prompts
  Support double-Enter continuation prompts openai/codex#14042
• Add auth plugin architecture to support other subscriptions as external plugins ! openai/codex#3983 - Add auth plugin architecture to support other subscriptions as external plugins
  Add auth plugin architecture to support other subscriptions as external plugins ! openai/codex#3983
• support gpt-5-mini and gpt-5-nano openai/codex#3548 - support gpt-5-mini and gpt-5-nano
  support gpt-5-mini and gpt-5-nano openai/codex#3548
• --reasoning-effort openai/codex#3547 - --reasoning-effort
  --reasoning-effort openai/codex#3547

Still open upstream

• Support shell-like path autocomplete directly in the composer openai/codex#14673 - Support shell-like path autocomplete directly in the composer
  Support shell-like path autocomplete directly in the composer openai/codex#14673
• Add dedicated reasoning-depth hotkeys, non-semantic depth meter, and next-turn-safe switching openai/codex#14356 - Add dedicated reasoning-depth hotkeys, non-semantic depth meter, and next-turn-safe switching
  Add dedicated reasoning-depth hotkeys, non-semantic depth meter, and next-turn-safe switching openai/codex#14356
• Sticky prompt textbox when scrolling chat history openai/codex#14045 - Sticky prompt textbox when scrolling chat history
  Sticky prompt textbox when scrolling chat history openai/codex#14045
• Add optional dynamic conversation titles via a model rename capability openai/codex#14044 - Add optional dynamic conversation titles via a model rename capability
  Add optional dynamic conversation titles via a model rename capability openai/codex#14044
• Add contextual continuation hints and ephemeral refresh prompts openai/codex#14041 - Add contextual continuation hints and ephemeral refresh prompts
  Add contextual continuation hints and ephemeral refresh prompts openai/codex#14041
• Allow per-subagent model/provider/profile selection openai/codex#14039 - Allow per-subagent model/provider/profile selection
  Allow per-subagent model/provider/profile selection openai/codex#14039

Product shape

These are not isolated tweaks. They form a coherent terminal UX program:

• Composer upgrades: path autocomplete, queued-message editing, double-enter/continuation affordances.
• Session/resume upgrades: preview pane, safer deletion, dynamic titles.
• Operator control surface: reasoning hotkeys, depth meter, per-agent provider/model/profile selection.
• Response manipulation: keyboard modal, click-to-copy, shift-click quote for structured reply blocks.
• Statusline/airline: multiple rows plus widget extensibility.
• Integration architecture: auth/provider/plugin seams that let Every Code orchestrate more subscriptions and tools.

Inquiry

Should Every Code go to town on this backlog and intentionally become the high-velocity UX/product fork of Codex?

If yes, suggested first pass:

1. Mark this as an umbrella inquiry/epic.
2. Split the backlog into implementation tracks:
   • Composer and queue UX.
   • Resume/session browser UX.
   • Response block actions.
   • Statusline/widget API.
   • Model/provider/agent selection.
3. For each track, decide whether the feature belongs as:
   • upstream-compatible behavior,
   • Every Code-only behavior protected by merge policy,
   • plugin/extension API surface.
4. Keep the automatic upstream merge strategy, but add explicit merge invariants for any UX primitives introduced here.

The bet: if core Codex continues to be merged regularly while Every Code owns these UX affordances, Every Code can move far faster on product feel without losing upstream engine improvements.