Compact idle Codex tasks

Created a guarded Codex heartbeat so visible idle tasks are compacted through the product's native compaction operation when their owning writer permits it; active tasks and writer locks remain untouched.

Scope

• Host: rdmsm4x
• Surfaces: local ChatGPT/Codex task registry, HyperFile project tasks, and Codex automations
• Repository source: read-only inspection only; no HyperFile source, branch, worktree, commit, or Git metadata was changed

Changes

• Created /Users/richh/.codex/automations/compact-idle-codex-tasks/automation.toml.
• Automation ID: compact-idle-codex-tasks.
• Status: active heartbeat, every 15 minutes, notifications only for failed runs.
• Guardrails require the first-class native context-compaction operation, an actual compaction-history event as verification, idle tasks only, preservation of writer locks, and automatic pause after all currently visible eligible tasks are verified.
• One diagnostic /compact message was sent to HyperFile task 01a03194-0ba1-7641-8fa7-ae8d581b0c9f. It was correctly identified as an ordinary task message rather than a native compaction event; the automation explicitly prohibits repeating that approach.

HyperFile evidence

• HyperFile is not being actively edited.
• Last implementation task: 01a04a80-6178-78b0-aa97-2edaa1008dc7, titled Resume halted work safely.
• Isolated worktree: /Users/richh/dev/_worktrees/hyperfile-p1-xpc-peer-validation-20260828.
• Feature branch and HEAD: codex/hyperfile-p1-xpc-peer-validation-20260828 at 8ee1e035883c11e79e3d940d0c4cda01056004be.
• Canonical root and HEAD: /Users/richh/dev/apps/hyperFile, main at 9a6490008de329427f6a335840a7e0d44ae59b96.
• Both working trees were clean when inspected.
• Coordination check-ins report the HyperFile work completed and ownership released.
• Empty writer-lock files for HyperFile tasks remain actively held by ChatGPT's embedded Codex app-server process, PID 1747, whose parent ChatGPT process is PID 1119. No Git lock or active HyperFile worker process was found.

Commands and supported operations used

• Resolved host identity with scutil --get ComputerName.
• Read the live Codex task/project registry and HyperFile task histories with supported Codex app operations.
• Inspected Git status, branches, worktrees, coordination check-ins, process ownership, and lock-file holders read-only.
• Generated temporary app-server JSON schema and confirmed the supported thread/compact/start request.
• Tested a standalone app-server and CLI attachment; both correctly refused to take over tasks owned by the ChatGPT app-server.
• Created and re-read the heartbeat through the supported Codex automation operation.
• Shut down every temporary Codex CLI/app-server diagnostic process started by this task.

Verification

• /Users/richh/.codex/automations/compact-idle-codex-tasks/automation.toml exists with status = "ACTIVE", a 15-minute heartbeat, target task 01a04ad8-c74f-7b40-9f05-eabcf1d73698, and the stated native-compaction guardrails.
• HyperFile's task locks were not deleted, overwritten, or bypassed.
• ChatGPT/Codex PID 1747 was not interrupted or killed.
• No actual HyperFile compaction has yet been claimed; success requires a native compaction event after the latest substantive turn.

Backup and undo

• No backup was needed because the automation is reversible and no source or user data was overwritten.
• To stop retries without deleting history, pause automation compact-idle-codex-tasks through the Codex automation control.
• To remove the configuration, delete that automation through the supported Codex automation control; do not manually edit task databases or delete writer locks.

Outstanding owner action

• None now. If the supported retry remains blocked, use the native Compact action from the ChatGPT/Codex app instance that owns the task, or close that owning instance only after all active work is safely complete.