Show action required in terminal title (#18372)

Implements #18162

This updates the TUI terminal title to show an explicit action-required
state when Codex is blocked on user approval or input. The terminal
title now uses the activity title item to cover both active work and
blocked-on-user states, while still accepting the legacy spinner config
value.

Changes
- Rename the terminal title item from `spinner` to `activity` while
preserving legacy config compatibility
- Show `[ ! ] Action Required `while approval or input overlays are
active, with a blinking `[ . ]` alternate state
- Suppress the normal working spinner while Codex is blocked on user
action
- Add targeted coverage for action-required title behavior and legacy
title-item parsing

Testing
- Trigger an approval or input modal and confirm the tab title
alternates between `[ ! ] Action Required` and `[ . ] Action Required`
- Disable the activity title item and confirm the action-required title
does not appear
- Resolve the prompt and confirm the title returns to the normal
spinning/idel state


https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/e9ecc530-a6be-4fd7-b9a6-d550a790eb2c

Author: canvrno-oai

codex-rs/config/src/types.rs

@@ -575,7 +575,9 @@ pub struct Tui {
     /// Ordered list of terminal title item identifiers.
     ///
     /// When set, the TUI renders the selected items into the terminal window/tab title.
-    /// When unset, the TUI defaults to: `spinner` and `project`.
+    /// When unset, the TUI defaults to: `activity` and `project`.
+    /// The `activity` item spins while working and shows an action-required
+    /// message when blocked on the user.
     #[serde(default)]
     pub terminal_title: Option<Vec<String>>,
 

codex-rs/core/config.schema.json

@@ -2266,7 +2266,7 @@
         },
         "terminal_title": {
           "default": null,
-          "description": "Ordered list of terminal title item identifiers.\n\nWhen set, the TUI renders the selected items into the terminal window/tab title. When unset, the TUI defaults to: `spinner` and `project`.",
+          "description": "Ordered list of terminal title item identifiers.\n\nWhen set, the TUI renders the selected items into the terminal window/tab title. When unset, the TUI defaults to: `activity` and `project`. The `activity` item spins while working and shows an action-required message when blocked on the user.",
           "items": {
             "type": "string"
           },

codex-rs/core/src/config/mod.rs

@@ -455,7 +455,9 @@ pub struct Config {
 
     /// Ordered list of terminal title item identifiers for the TUI.
     ///
-    /// When unset, the TUI defaults to: `project` and `spinner`.
+    /// When unset, the TUI defaults to: `activity` and `project`.
+    /// The `activity` item spins while working and shows an action-required
+    /// message when blocked on the user.
     pub tui_terminal_title: Option<Vec<String>>,
 
     /// Syntax highlighting theme override (kebab-case name).

codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/action_required_title.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+use super::TerminalTitleItem;
+
+pub(crate) const ACTION_REQUIRED_PREVIEW_PREFIX: &str = "[ ! ] Action Required";
+
+pub(crate) fn build_action_required_title_text<I, F>(
+    prefix: &str,
+    items: I,
+    excluded_items: &[TerminalTitleItem],
+    mut value_for: F,
+) -> String
+where
+    I: IntoIterator<Item = TerminalTitleItem>,
+    F: FnMut(TerminalTitleItem) -> Option<String>,
+{
+    let mut parts = vec![prefix.to_string()];
+    for item in items {
+        if item == TerminalTitleItem::Spinner || excluded_items.contains(&item) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        if let Some(value) = value_for(item) {
+            parts.push(value);
+        }
+    }
+    parts.join(" | ")
+}

codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/app_link_view.rs

@@ -494,6 +494,10 @@ impl BottomPaneView for AppLinkView {
         self.complete = true;
         true
     }
+
+    fn terminal_title_requires_action(&self) -> bool {
+        self.is_tool_suggestion()
+    }
 }
 
 impl crate::render::renderable::Renderable for AppLinkView {
@@ -630,6 +634,52 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn regular_app_link_does_not_require_terminal_title_action() {
+        let (tx_raw, _rx) = unbounded_channel::<AppEvent>();
+        let tx = AppEventSender::new(tx_raw);
+        let view = AppLinkView::new(
+            AppLinkViewParams {
+                app_id: "connector_1".to_string(),
+                title: "Notion".to_string(),
+                description: None,
+                instructions: "Manage app".to_string(),
+                url: "https://example.test/notion".to_string(),
+                is_installed: true,
+                is_enabled: true,
+                suggest_reason: None,
+                suggestion_type: None,
+                elicitation_target: None,
+            },
+            tx,
+        );
+
+        assert!(!view.terminal_title_requires_action());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn tool_suggestion_requires_terminal_title_action() {
+        let (tx_raw, _rx) = unbounded_channel::<AppEvent>();
+        let tx = AppEventSender::new(tx_raw);
+        let view = AppLinkView::new(
+            AppLinkViewParams {
+                app_id: "connector_google_calendar".to_string(),
+                title: "Google Calendar".to_string(),
+                description: Some("Plan events and schedules.".to_string()),
+                instructions: "Enable this app to use it for the current request.".to_string(),
+                url: "https://example.test/google-calendar".to_string(),
+                is_installed: true,
+                is_enabled: false,
+                suggest_reason: Some("Plan and reference events from your calendar".to_string()),
+                suggestion_type: Some(AppLinkSuggestionType::Enable),
+                elicitation_target: Some(suggestion_target()),
+            },
+            tx,
+        );
+
+        assert!(view.terminal_title_requires_action());
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn toggle_action_sends_set_app_enabled_and_updates_label() {
         let (tx_raw, mut rx) = unbounded_channel::<AppEvent>();

codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/approval_overlay.rs

@@ -528,6 +528,10 @@ impl BottomPaneView for ApprovalOverlay {
     fn dismiss_app_server_request(&mut self, request: &ResolvedAppServerRequest) -> bool {
         self.dismiss_resolved_request(request)
     }
+
+    fn terminal_title_requires_action(&self) -> bool {
+        true
+    }
 }
 
 impl Renderable for ApprovalOverlay {

codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/bottom_pane_view.rs

@@ -121,4 +121,13 @@ pub(crate) trait BottomPaneView: Renderable {
     fn dismiss_app_server_request(&mut self, _request: &ResolvedAppServerRequest) -> bool {
         false
     }
+
+    /// Whether this view means the session is blocked waiting for the user.
+    ///
+    /// Views that return `true` surface an "Action Required" terminal title
+    /// instead of the normal working spinner so terminal tabs clearly show that
+    /// Codex needs user input.
+    fn terminal_title_requires_action(&self) -> bool {
+        false
+    }
 }

codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/mcp_server_elicitation.rs

@@ -1622,6 +1622,10 @@ impl BottomPaneView for McpServerElicitationOverlay {
         }
     }
 
+    fn terminal_title_requires_action(&self) -> bool {
+        true
+    }
+
     fn on_ctrl_c(&mut self) -> CancellationEvent {
         if !self.current_field_is_select() && !self.composer.current_text_with_pending().is_empty()
         {

codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/mod.rs

@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ use ratatui::text::Line;
 use std::time::Duration;
 use std::time::Instant;
 
+mod action_required_title;
 mod app_link_view;
 mod approval_overlay;
 mod mcp_server_elicitation;
@@ -53,6 +54,8 @@ mod request_user_input;
 mod status_line_setup;
 mod status_surface_preview;
 mod title_setup;
+pub(crate) use action_required_title::ACTION_REQUIRED_PREVIEW_PREFIX;
+pub(crate) use action_required_title::build_action_required_title_text;
 pub(crate) use app_link_view::AppLinkElicitationTarget;
 pub(crate) use app_link_view::AppLinkSuggestionType;
 pub(crate) use app_link_view::AppLinkView;
@@ -1023,6 +1026,11 @@ impl BottomPane {
         self.is_task_running
     }
 
+    pub(crate) fn terminal_title_requires_action(&self) -> bool {
+        self.active_view()
+            .is_some_and(bottom_pane_view::BottomPaneView::terminal_title_requires_action)
+    }
+
     #[cfg(test)]
     pub(crate) fn has_active_view(&self) -> bool {
         !self.view_stack.is_empty()

codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/request_user_input/mod.rs

@@ -1240,6 +1240,10 @@ impl BottomPaneView for RequestUserInputOverlay {
         }
     }
 
+    fn terminal_title_requires_action(&self) -> bool {
+        true
+    }
+
     fn on_ctrl_c(&mut self) -> CancellationEvent {
         if self.confirm_unanswered_active() {
             self.close_unanswered_confirmation();