feat: add --add-dir flag for extra writable roots (#5335)

Add a `--add-dir` CLI flag so sessions can use extra writable roots in
addition to the ones specified in the config file. These are ephemerally
added during the session only.

Fixes #3303
Fixes #2797

Author: tibo-openai

codex-rs/README.md

@@ -61,6 +61,16 @@ In the transcript preview, the footer shows an `Esc edit prev` hint while editin
 
 Sometimes it is not convenient to `cd` to the directory you want Codex to use as the "working root" before running Codex. Fortunately, `codex` supports a `--cd` option so you can specify whatever folder you want. You can confirm that Codex is honoring `--cd` by double-checking the **workdir** it reports in the TUI at the start of a new session.
 
+### `--add-dir` flag
+
+Need to work across multiple projects? Pass `--add-dir` one or more times to expose extra directories as writable roots for the current session while keeping the main working directory unchanged. For example:
+
+```shell
+codex --cd apps/frontend --add-dir ../backend --add-dir ../shared
+```
+
+Codex can now inspect and edit files in each listed directory without leaving the primary workspace.
+
 ### Shell completions
 
 Generate shell completion scripts via:

codex-rs/app-server/src/codex_message_processor.rs

@@ -1353,6 +1353,7 @@ async fn derive_config_from_params(
         include_view_image_tool: None,
         show_raw_agent_reasoning: None,
         tools_web_search_request: None,
+        additional_writable_roots: Vec::new(),
     };
 
     let cli_overrides = cli_overrides

codex-rs/cli/src/main.rs

@@ -563,6 +563,9 @@ fn merge_resume_cli_flags(interactive: &mut TuiCli, resume_cli: TuiCli) {
     if !resume_cli.images.is_empty() {
         interactive.images = resume_cli.images;
     }
+    if !resume_cli.add_dir.is_empty() {
+        interactive.add_dir.extend(resume_cli.add_dir);
+    }
     if let Some(prompt) = resume_cli.prompt {
         interactive.prompt = Some(prompt);
     }

codex-rs/core/src/config.rs

@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ use codex_protocol::config_types::SandboxMode;
 use codex_protocol::config_types::Verbosity;
 use codex_rmcp_client::OAuthCredentialsStoreMode;
 use dirs::home_dir;
+use dunce::canonicalize;
 use serde::Deserialize;
 use similar::DiffableStr;
 use std::collections::BTreeMap;
@@ -1094,6 +1095,8 @@ pub struct ConfigOverrides {
     pub include_view_image_tool: Option<bool>,
     pub show_raw_agent_reasoning: Option<bool>,
     pub tools_web_search_request: Option<bool>,
+    /// Additional directories that should be treated as writable roots for this session.
+    pub additional_writable_roots: Vec<PathBuf>,
 }
 
 impl Config {
@@ -1122,6 +1125,7 @@ impl Config {
             include_view_image_tool: include_view_image_tool_override,
             show_raw_agent_reasoning,
             tools_web_search_request: override_tools_web_search_request,
+            additional_writable_roots,
         } = overrides;
 
         let active_profile_name = config_profile_key
@@ -1169,11 +1173,32 @@ impl Config {
                 }
             }
         };
+        let additional_writable_roots: Vec<PathBuf> = additional_writable_roots
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|path| {
+                let absolute = if path.is_absolute() {
+                    path
+                } else {
+                    resolved_cwd.join(path)
+                };
+                match canonicalize(&absolute) {
+                    Ok(canonical) => canonical,
+                    Err(_) => absolute,
+                }
+            })
+            .collect();
         let active_project = cfg
             .get_active_project(&resolved_cwd)
             .unwrap_or(ProjectConfig { trust_level: None });
 
-        let sandbox_policy = cfg.derive_sandbox_policy(sandbox_mode, &resolved_cwd);
+        let mut sandbox_policy = cfg.derive_sandbox_policy(sandbox_mode, &resolved_cwd);
+        if let SandboxPolicy::WorkspaceWrite { writable_roots, .. } = &mut sandbox_policy {
+            for path in additional_writable_roots {
+                if !writable_roots.iter().any(|existing| existing == &path) {
+                    writable_roots.push(path);
+                }
+            }
+        }
         let mut approval_policy = approval_policy_override
             .or(config_profile.approval_policy)
             .or(cfg.approval_policy)
@@ -1613,6 +1638,46 @@ trust_level = "trusted"
         );
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn add_dir_override_extends_workspace_writable_roots() -> std::io::Result<()> {
+        let temp_dir = TempDir::new()?;
+        let frontend = temp_dir.path().join("frontend");
+        let backend = temp_dir.path().join("backend");
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&frontend)?;
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&backend)?;
+
+        let overrides = ConfigOverrides {
+            cwd: Some(frontend),
+            sandbox_mode: Some(SandboxMode::WorkspaceWrite),
+            additional_writable_roots: vec![PathBuf::from("../backend"), backend.clone()],
+            ..Default::default()
+        };
+
+        let config = Config::load_from_base_config_with_overrides(
+            ConfigToml::default(),
+            overrides,
+            temp_dir.path().to_path_buf(),
+        )?;
+
+        let expected_backend = canonicalize(&backend).expect("canonicalize backend directory");
+        match config.sandbox_policy {
+            SandboxPolicy::WorkspaceWrite { writable_roots, .. } => {
+                assert_eq!(
+                    writable_roots
+                        .iter()
+                        .filter(|root| **root == expected_backend)
+                        .count(),
+                    1,
+                    "expected single writable root entry for {}",
+                    expected_backend.display()
+                );
+            }
+            other => panic!("expected workspace-write policy, got {other:?}"),
+        }
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn approve_all_feature_forces_on_request_policy() -> std::io::Result<()> {
         let cfg = r#"

codex-rs/exec/src/lib.rs

@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@ pub async fn run_main(cli: Cli, codex_linux_sandbox_exe: Option<PathBuf>) -> any
         include_view_image_tool: None,
         show_raw_agent_reasoning: oss.then_some(true),
         tools_web_search_request: None,
+        additional_writable_roots: Vec::new(),
     };
     // Parse `-c` overrides.
     let cli_kv_overrides = match config_overrides.parse_overrides() {

codex-rs/mcp-server/src/codex_tool_config.rs

@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ impl CodexToolCallParam {
             include_view_image_tool: None,
             show_raw_agent_reasoning: None,
             tools_web_search_request: None,
+            additional_writable_roots: Vec::new(),
         };
 
         let cli_overrides = cli_overrides

codex-rs/tui/src/cli.rs

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use clap::Parser;
+use clap::ValueHint;
 use codex_common::ApprovalModeCliArg;
 use codex_common::CliConfigOverrides;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
@@ -72,6 +73,10 @@ pub struct Cli {
     #[arg(long = "search", default_value_t = false)]
     pub web_search: bool,
 
+    /// Additional directories that should be writable alongside the primary workspace.
+    #[arg(long = "add-dir", value_name = "DIR", value_hint = ValueHint::DirPath)]
+    pub add_dir: Vec<PathBuf>,
+
     #[clap(skip)]
     pub config_overrides: CliConfigOverrides,
 }

codex-rs/tui/src/lib.rs

@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ pub async fn run_main(
 
     // canonicalize the cwd
     let cwd = cli.cwd.clone().map(|p| p.canonicalize().unwrap_or(p));
+    let additional_dirs = cli.add_dir.clone();
 
     let overrides = ConfigOverrides {
         model,
@@ -177,6 +178,7 @@ pub async fn run_main(
         include_view_image_tool: None,
         show_raw_agent_reasoning: cli.oss.then_some(true),
         tools_web_search_request: cli.web_search.then_some(true),
+        additional_writable_roots: additional_dirs,
     };
     let raw_overrides = cli.config_overrides.raw_overrides.clone();
     let overrides_cli = codex_common::CliConfigOverrides { raw_overrides };