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If an AI coding agent cannot read or edit a project file, do not start by enabling every permission. First identify where the agent is running, then verify its workspace root, inspect the effective filesystem policy, grant only the required path access, and retry with a small reversible operation. A local editor session, worktree, container, remote host, and cloud task can all expose different files and use different controls.
Use this diagnostic order
- Identify the harness and execution target. Determine whether the agent runs in the local editor, a separate worktree, a Dev Container, a remote Agent Host, or a cloud task.
- Confirm the project root. The repository you can see in the editor may not be the directory visible to the process running the agent.
- Check the exact target path. Verify spelling, capitalization, symlinks, mount points, and whether the path exists on the execution host.
- Inspect the effective sandbox and filesystem rules. Look for read-only, read/write, or denied rules, including more-specific rules that override broader ones.
- Grant the minimum access. Use read-only access for inspection and read/write access only for files the agent must change.
- Retry narrowly and inspect the result. Read one known file, then make a small reversible edit and check the diff or file contents.
This sequence separates three problems that often look identical: the agent is in the wrong folder, it is running on a different machine, or a policy is intentionally blocking the path.
First identify the agent and where it runs
An agent name does not tell you where its tools execute. The same conversation interface may use a local process, a worktree, a container, a connected remote host, or provider infrastructure. File permissions apply to that execution target, not necessarily to the computer displaying the chat.
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|---|---|---|
| Local editor workspace | The folder opened as the current workspace | The intended repository is the active workspace, not merely an adjacent folder |
| Separate worktree | The worktree directory created for the task | The requested file exists in that worktree and changes are being made there |
| Dev Container | The mounted workspace inside the container | The repository is mounted and the path is a container path, not a host-only path |
| Remote Agent Host | The filesystem of the connected remote host | Configured paths refer to the remote machine where the agent runs |
| Cloud task | An isolated task workspace containing a configured repository | The repository, environment, account permissions, and task Git setup are all present |
VS Code’s harness documentation distinguishes Copilot sessions that can use the current folder, a worktree, or a Dev Container; Claude and Codex sessions that can use a current folder or worktree; and cloud sessions that operate on a repository and pull request on provider infrastructure. Treat those as different environments, even when the interface looks similar.
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If a remote Agent Host is connected, changing a path setting on the client may not help. The setting is evaluated on the host, and a path such as /home/dev/project must exist on that host. A path on your laptop is irrelevant if the agent process is running in a remote Linux machine or container.
Confirm the active workspace and working directory
Many built-in agent tools are deliberately limited to the current workspace. Visual Studio Code documents this behavior as: “Workspace-limited file access: Built-in agent tools can only read and write files within the current workspace folder.” If the target is outside that folder, a denial can be expected rather than a malfunction.
In an editor
- Open the repository root, not a parent folder containing several unrelated projects.
- Use the editor’s explorer or workspace indicator to confirm the folder name and full path.
- Locate the target file from that workspace. If it does not appear, check whether it belongs to another checkout, worktree, submodule, or generated directory.
- Ask the agent to state the current working directory and list one or two known files. Compare its answer with the path shown by the editor.
From a command-line agent
Start the CLI from the project directory. The Codex CLI quickstart, for example, directs users to open a project directory and run codex. A typical sequence is:
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codexUse the actual path for your checkout. Starting the command from a home directory, a parent directory, or a different clone can leave the agent in a valid but unintended workspace.
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Check path identity, not just the spelling
- On case-sensitive systems,
src/App.jsandsrc/app.jscan be different paths. - A symlink may point outside the permitted workspace.
- A submodule has its own repository and may be excluded from the parent workspace policy.
- A generated file may exist only after a build step and may not be present in a clean task environment.
- In a container or remote host, the same project may be mounted at a different absolute path.
Have the agent test one known, harmless file in the intended root before troubleshooting a deeply nested target.
Inspect the effective sandbox and path rules
Do not infer access from a setting name or from an earlier session. Inspect the policy applied to the current session.
VS Code Agent Host
In an Agent Host chat, run /sandbox policy. The command reports the execution host, sandbox state, implementation, and effective filesystem and network policy; it displays information and does not change the policy. The documented Agent Host sandbox setting, chat.agent.sandbox.enabled, defaults to off in the reference documentation, but the active session is authoritative.
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When sandboxing is enabled, the current working directory is automatically read/write under the documented rules. Additional readwritePaths, readonlyPaths, and deniedPaths entries can modify access. A more-specific denied path takes precedence over a read-only or read/write grant. Therefore, a parent directory may appear allowed while a nested directory remains blocked.
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GitHub Copilot local sandbox
Copilot’s local sandbox documentation describes separate settings for additional read/write paths, additional read-only paths, and denied paths. A sandboxed session has read/write access to its workspace and current working directory by default. A more-specific denied folder remains denied even when a parent folder has read/write access.
What to record from the policy
- The execution host and operating system.
- The current working directory.
- Whether sandboxing is enabled.
- Read/write, read-only, and denied path lists.
- The exact target path, including its resolved location if it is a symlink.
- Whether the rule applies for the current session only or is configured persistently.
If the policy report shows a denial, changing an approval prompt will not remove it. Fix the path rule or move the task into an allowed workspace.
Grant the least access that solves the task
Choose access based on the operation, not on the agent’s name.
| Task | Minimum useful access | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Inspect source, logs, or configuration | Read-only access to the specific folder | The agent can analyze files without being able to modify them |
| Apply a targeted code change | Read/write access to the project folder or the smallest folder containing the change | The agent needs to read related files and write the patch |
| Review a generated diff | Read-only access after the edit | Separates inspection from the ability to make further changes |
| Work across two repositories | Read-only for the reference repository and read/write for the active repository | Limits modification rights to the checkout that should change |
VS Code built-in agent tools
For files outside the current workspace that only need to be inspected, VS Code documents the github.copilot.chat.additionalReadAccessFolders setting. Add the narrowest containing folder rather than an entire home directory. For editing, use the product’s documented read/write path configuration and then re-check the effective policy.
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Resolve precedence conflicts
Review rules from the most specific path outward. For example, a read/write grant for /workspace does not overcome a denied rule for /workspace/secrets. Remove or narrow the conflicting denial only if the task genuinely requires that folder. Do not add a broad grant simply because a specific denial was overlooked.
Keep approvals separate from filesystem scope
Visual Studio Code states that “Sandboxing is independent of the permission level.” Approval behavior controls whether an operation needs confirmation; sandboxing controls what the process can access. Switching from manual approval to automatic approval does not, by itself, make a sandboxed terminal able to read or write a denied path.
Distinguish read failures from edit failures
The first operation that fails narrows the diagnosis.
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- The workspace root or working directory is probably wrong.
- The repository may not be mounted in a container or may be absent from a cloud environment.
- A broad read denial may apply to the current directory.
- The agent may be connected to a remote host with a different filesystem.
The agent can read but cannot edit
- The target is covered by a read-only rule.
- A nested denied path overrides a parent read/write grant.
- The file is in a different checkout than the one opened in the editor.
- The process can read the file but lacks write permission from the operating system or mounted volume.
Only one folder or file fails
- Check for a more-specific denied path.
- Resolve symlinks and verify the target is not outside the workspace.
- Check whether the path is generated, ignored, encrypted, or mounted separately.
- Compare capitalization and spelling exactly.
The agent reports success but nothing changed
- Inspect the diff in the actual worktree.
- Confirm the agent edited the intended checkout, not a temporary worktree or container layer.
- Check whether a formatter, build step, or reset operation replaced the file.
- Ask for the exact path written and read that path yourself.
Cloud tasks need repository and environment checks
A cloud coding task does not automatically inherit the files on your computer. Codex Cloud uses an isolated workspace for each task. Repository access requires both a connected GitHub account that can access the repository and an environment that includes it. Access to the environment does not replace repository permissions or the task’s Git setup.
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- Confirm that the selected repository is the one containing the target file.
- Verify that the connected account can read that repository, including private repositories if applicable.
- Check environment preparation logs for checkout or dependency setup failures.
- Determine whether the failure occurred during repository selection, environment preparation, fetching, editing, or pushing.
- After a successful change, inspect the task diff or pull request rather than the local clone on your computer.
If the repository was never fetched, changing local folder permissions cannot fix the cloud task. Conversely, a successful checkout followed by an edit denial points to the task’s filesystem policy or path configuration.
Verify the fix with a narrow, reversible retry
Use a two-stage test instead of asking the agent to perform a large refactor immediately.
- Read test: ask it to open one known file in the intended project root and report a distinctive line or symbol.
- Path test: ask it to identify the absolute path it used and compare that path with the editor, container, or remote host.
- Small edit: request a harmless, reversible change such as adding and then removing a temporary comment in a test file, or making a one-line documented change that you can revert.
- Result check: inspect the file contents and version-control diff on the execution host.
- Cleanup: revert the test change if it was only for diagnosis.
The verification action is a troubleshooting method, not proof that every agent behaves identically. If it still fails, capture the exact error text, harness and version, host type, operating system, workspace path, target path, and effective policy report. Those details distinguish a wrong directory from a policy denial, an operating-system permission problem, or a missing cloud checkout.
Common fixes by agent setup
VS Code with a local workspace
- Open the repository root as the active workspace.
- Confirm the target file appears in that workspace.
- For an external folder that only needs inspection, configure
github.copilot.chat.additionalReadAccessFolderswith the narrow path. - For edits, add the appropriate read/write path using the current product settings.
- Check denied-path entries and run
/sandbox policywhen using Agent Host. - Retry one read and one small edit.
VS Code with a Dev Container
- Confirm the repository is mounted inside the container.
- Use the container’s path in the agent request and policy configuration.
- Check whether the target is on a host directory that was not mounted.
- Verify the container user can write the file at the operating-system level.
Worktree-based sessions
- Locate the worktree path created for the task.
- Check that the target branch and file exist there.
- Inspect the diff in that worktree, not only in the primary checkout.
- Grant access to the worktree path if policy rules are scoped to the original repository.
Codex CLI on a local machine
- Change into the intended project directory.
- Run
codexfrom that directory. - Ask the agent to identify its working directory before requesting edits.
- Check the local sandbox or operating-system permissions if reads work but writes fail.
Remote Agent Host
- Identify the connected host shown by the session.
- Check that the repository exists on that host.
- Configure paths on the host, using host-native path syntax.
- Inspect the effective policy on the host and retry a narrow operation.
Security and reliability practices
- Prefer folder-specific grants. Granting an entire home directory exposes unrelated credentials and projects.
- Use read-only first. Upgrade to read/write only after confirming the agent needs to make changes.
- Keep secrets outside agent workspaces. Do not solve a path problem by exposing credential stores, private keys, or production configuration.
- Review denied rules deliberately. A denial may be protecting sensitive material; remove it only for a documented task.
- Record persistent changes. Note which setting or policy changed so it can be narrowed or reverted later.
- Inspect diffs before accepting edits. Successful file access does not guarantee that an edit is correct.
- Separate approval from access. More confirmations do not compensate for an incorrect workspace, and fewer confirmations do not safely expand scope.
A compact decision checklist
- Can the agent name the execution host and current working directory?
- Does the target file exist at that path on that host?
- Is the target inside the active workspace or configured worktree?
- Is the needed operation read-only or read/write?
- Does the effective policy show a matching grant?
- Is there a more-specific denied rule?
- For a container, remote host, or cloud task, is the repository actually mounted or checked out there?
- Did a one-file read succeed?
- Did a small edit produce the expected diff in the correct checkout?
If the answers are yes through the final check, the agent’s file access is restored without broadening permissions unnecessarily. If one answer is no, fix that specific layer before changing anything else.
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