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Cade's Dotfiles

`codex -p <domain>` cannot see its expected MCP tools

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Source: Troubleshooting reference

Symptom. A new Codex session using -p browser, creative, or another domain profile starts, but the expected tools are absent or Codex rejects the profile.

Root cause. Domain overlays are generated files in the active CODEX_HOME. Older configurations selected core MCPs only; current Codex sync enables every managed server unless DF_MCP_PROFILES explicitly narrows that selection. An older checkout, an incomplete bootstrap, or a registry change can leave the configuration or overlays stale. Codex accepts one profile per invocation.

Confirm and fix. Regenerate the configuration, then run the same parser check used by bootstrap:

Terminal window
env -u DF_MCP_PROFILES bash ~/dotfiles/install/codex.sh sync-config
bash ~/dotfiles/install/codex.sh check
codex -p browser debug prompt-input "healthcheck"

Set DF_MCP_PROFILES=core or a named selection only when a narrower baseline is wanted. Disabled custom entries outside the registry remain user-controlled. Start a new Codex task after the check, because an existing task keeps its initial tool inventory and may retain an old MCP subprocess environment.