Files
codex/codex-rs/tools
Matthew Zeng 8335b56c33 Split plugin install discovery into list and request tools (#23372)
## Summary
- Add `list_available_plugins_to_install` as the inventory step for
plugin and connector install suggestions.
- Slim `request_plugin_install` so it only handles the actual
elicitation, instead of carrying the full discoverable list in its
prompt.
- Emit send-time telemetry when an install elicitation is dispatched,
including requested tool identity in the event payload.
- Emit install-result telemetry through `SessionTelemetry`, including
tool type, user response action, and completion status.
- Update registration and tests to cover the new two-step flow while
keeping the existing `tool_suggest` feature gate unchanged.

## Testing
- `just fmt`
- `cargo test -p codex-tools`
- `cargo test -p codex-core request_plugin_install`
- `cargo test -p codex-core list_available_plugins_to_install`
- `cargo test -p codex-core
install_suggestion_tools_can_be_registered_without_search_tool`
- `cargo test -p codex-otel
manager_records_plugin_install_suggestion_metric`
- `cargo test -p codex-otel
manager_records_plugin_install_elicitation_sent_metric`
- `just fix -p codex-core`
- `just fix -p codex-tools`
- `just fix -p codex-otel`
- `cargo check -p codex-core`
2026-05-19 14:45:37 -07:00
..

codex-tools

codex-tools is the shared support crate for building, adapting, and executing model-visible tools outside codex-core.

Today this crate owns the host-facing tool models and helpers that no longer need to live in core/src/tools/spec.rs or core/src/client_common.rs:

  • aggregate host models such as ToolSpec, ConfiguredToolSpec, LoadableToolSpec, ResponsesApiNamespace, and ResponsesApiNamespaceTool
  • host discovery models used while assembling tool sets, including discoverable-tool models and request-plugin-install helpers
  • host adapters such as schema sanitization, MCP/dynamic conversion, code-mode augmentation, and image-detail normalization
  • shared executable-tool contracts such as ToolExecutor, ToolCall, and ToolOutput

That extraction is the first step in a longer migration. The goal is not to move all of core/src/tools into this crate in one shot. Instead, the plan is to peel off reusable pieces in reviewable increments while keeping compatibility-sensitive orchestration in codex-core until the surrounding boundaries are ready.

Vision

Over time, this crate should hold host-side tool machinery that is shared by multiple consumers, for example:

  • host-visible aggregate tool models
  • tool-set planning and discovery helpers
  • MCP and dynamic-tool adaptation into Responses API shapes
  • code-mode compatibility shims that do not depend on codex-core
  • other narrowly scoped host utilities that multiple crates need

The corresponding non-goals are just as important:

  • do not move codex-core orchestration here prematurely
  • do not pull Session / TurnContext / approval flow / runtime execution logic into this crate unless those dependencies have first been split into stable shared interfaces
  • do not turn this crate into a grab-bag for unrelated helper code

Migration approach

The expected migration shape is:

  1. Keep extension-owned executable-tool authoring in codex-extension-api.
  2. Move host-side planning/adaptation helpers here when they no longer need to stay coupled to codex-core.
  3. Leave compatibility-sensitive adapters in codex-core while downstream call sites are updated.
  4. Only extract higher-level host infrastructure after the crate boundaries are clear and independently testable.

Crate conventions

This crate should start with stricter structure than core/src/tools so it stays easy to grow:

  • src/lib.rs should remain exports-only.
  • Business logic should live in named module files such as foo.rs.
  • Unit tests for foo.rs should live in a sibling foo_tests.rs.
  • The implementation file should wire tests with:
#[cfg(test)]
#[path = "foo_tests.rs"]
mod tests;

If this crate starts accumulating code that needs runtime state from codex-core, that is a sign to revisit the extraction boundary before adding more here.