sync-codex-permissions

name

sync-codex-permissions

description

Translates current-project Claude Code permission rules (.claude/settings.local.json permissions.allow and permissions.deny Bash entries only) into Codex prefix_rule blocks in .codex/rules/default.rules, computes the gap against existing project-local Codex rules, and presents portable rules for per-rule approval before writing. Global and project-agnostic. Trigger when the user says "sync codex permissions", "sync-codex-permissions", "port project claude permissions to codex", "translate project claude permissions", "replicate project claude allow rules", or "bring project claude permissions into codex".

Sync Project Claude Code Permissions To Codex

Use $sync-codex-permissions to mirror already-approved current-project Claude Code command permissions into Codex's project-local rules file. The source is always the current project's .claude/settings.local.json; the target is always .codex/rules/default.rules.

This skill intentionally syncs project-local rules only. Do not read or fall back to global Claude Code settings or ${CODEX_HOME:-~/.codex}/rules/default.rules: personal or global permissions may affect active sessions, but they are outside this project-local sync workflow.

This skill is the inverse of sync-claude-permissions. sync-claude-permissions translates .codex/rules/default.rules into .claude/settings.local.json; this skill translates .claude/settings.local.json into .codex/rules/default.rules.

Translation Reference

Claude Code Rule To Codex Pattern

Translate only Claude Code Bash(...) permission entries. Build the narrowest Codex pattern array that matches the same command prefix:

Claude Code rule	Codex prefix_rule pattern
Bash(git status:*)	["git", "status"]
Bash(git status *)	["git", "status"]
Bash(git -C /repo status:*)	["git", "-C", "/repo", "status"]
Bash(npm run test:*)	["npm", "run", "test"]
Bash(./install.sh:*)	["./install.sh"]

Accept both Bash(prefix:*) and older Bash(prefix *) forms as source syntax. Strip the wildcard suffix and split the remaining shell words with shell-aware parsing, not by plain whitespace. Preserve quoted arguments as one pattern element.

Decision Mapping

Claude Code source array	Codex decision
permissions.allow	"allow"
permissions.deny	"deny"

Not Portable

• Non-Bash(...) entries such as Read(...), WebFetch(...), and MCP/tool permissions: report as intentionally skipped.
• Bare Bash(*), Bash(bash *), Bash(python3 *), or similarly broad shells: classify for manual review; do not auto-port.
• Entries with shell control operators such as |, &&, ||, ;, redirection, command substitution, or globs: classify for manual review because Codex prefix rules match command segments rather than full shell programs.
• Absolute paths outside the current project: classify for manual review unless the user explicitly approves a project-specific rule.

Procedure

1. Read The Claude Code Source

Read .claude/settings.local.json from the current working directory. If it does not exist, report that there are no project-local Claude Code permissions to translate and stop. Do not read global Claude Code settings as a fallback.

Parse permissions.allow and permissions.deny arrays. Ignore missing arrays by treating them as empty. Preserve each rule's source array (allow or deny) for the Codex decision mapping.

2. Read The Codex Target

Read .codex/rules/default.rules when it exists. If it is missing, plan to create it only if the user approves at least one translated rule.

Parse existing prefix_rule(...) blocks from .codex/rules/default.rules, including multiline blocks. Extract pattern and decision as structured data so duplicates can be detected before proposing additions.

3. Compute The Gap

For every Claude Code permission entry:

• translate portable Bash(...) entries into Codex prefix_rule candidates;
• compare candidates against existing Codex rules by both pattern and decision;
• classify each result as new, already synced, or not portable.

If no new portable rule remains, report Already in sync - nothing to add. and stop.

4. Present The Review

Before asking for approval, show a compact summary:

Rules to add      (N new)
  allow:
    - prefix_rule(pattern = ["git", "status"], decision = "allow")
      from Bash(git status:*) - allows git status; does NOT allow git push or git reset
  deny:
    - prefix_rule(pattern = ["rm"], decision = "deny")

Already synced    (M rules, skipped)
  - ["./install.sh"] allow

Deliberately NOT ported
  - Read(//home/user/project/**)    non-Bash Claude permission
  - Bash(python3 *)                 broad shell command, manual review required

Group proposed rules by practical category such as git, build-test, package-manager, project-scripts, and other. Include the source Claude Code rule in each one-line note and call out what the permission does not cover when that boundary is important.

5. Ask For Per-Rule Approval

Ask the user which individual rules to write. Approval must be explicit per rule, even when all proposed rules are low risk. The "Deliberately NOT ported" section is informational only; do not include those entries as selectable write candidates.

If the user approves nothing, make no changes and report that no Codex permission entries were written.

6. Write Approved Rules

Append each approved rule to .codex/rules/default.rules as a prefix_rule(...) block:

prefix_rule(
    pattern = ["git", "status"],
    decision = "allow",
    justification = "Translated from project-local Claude Code permission Bash(git status:*).",
)

If .codex/rules/default.rules does not exist, create it with a short header noting that the file contains project-local Codex command approval rules. If .codex/ or .codex/rules/ is missing, create only the needed directories after the user approves at least one rule.

Deduplicate before every write. Preserve existing rules and append new blocks at the end. Finish by listing the exact rules written and the target file path.

Guardrails

• Read only the current project's .claude/settings.local.json. Never read global Claude Code settings as a fallback.
• Never modify .claude/settings.local.json, .claude/, or global Claude Code config while syncing.
• Write only after explicit per-rule approval.
• Write only to .codex/rules/default.rules; never write to ${CODEX_HOME:-~/.codex}.
• Never auto-port non-Bash(...) permissions, broad shell commands, shell programs with control operators, or absolute paths outside the current project.
• Merge with existing rules, preserve unrelated content, and deduplicate by pattern and decision.
• Stop cleanly when the source file is missing or when the computed gap is empty.