If the Codex panel in VS Code only shows Something went wrong, the developer console often has ReferenceError: process is not defined underneath. This is an extension bug, not an account or project problem — you do not need to log in again or change your code.

When it happens

Per the public issue, this was reported with the pre-release extension in a multi-root workspace (two or more folders added). The extension's WebView runs in a browser-like environment without Node's process global, and the workspace-root filtering code calls it, taking the whole panel down.

Two things you can do now

  1. Switch to the release version — in the Extensions tab, find the Codex (OpenAI) extension and click Switch to Release Version. Bugs that first appear in pre-release often do not reproduce on stable.
  2. Open a single folder — use File > Open Folder with just the folder you are working on. If you need several folders, keep a single-folder window for Codex sessions.

After either change, run Developer: Reload Window to restart the extension.

If it persists

Check whether the public issue (openai/codex #35120) is still open. The thread includes a user workaround that defines a minimal process object before the WebView loads, but it patches extension internals and is not recommended for regular users. Official fixes ship through extension updates, so staying on the latest stable release is the safest path.