codex reviews started reporting this workspace has been deactivated and stopped working in github

[stevegiergiel]

Introduce yourself

Hi everyone I am here because a facility that was workig before yesterday suddenly stopped working - reltes to chatgpt-codex connector - I thought it was down to a fine grained token that expired - but now not so sure as extended it and still seems to besaying an unknown error has occurred.

Links (optional)

https://bendist.com
I am looking for br=eta testers first 100 only to help develope somehting I think is crucial for small businesses and entrepreneurs

Where are you in your GitHub journey?

Maintaining a project or repo owner

And where are you going next on GitHub?

My next step is to bypass codex revierws as they appear to be blocking this facility - suspect may even be microsoft and or google trying to get people to upgrade

What technical skills or projects are you working on?

pyhton with cluade code

Got a question for us? (optional)

why is this so complicated?

[rajit2004]

@stevegiergiel – Sorry you're running into this. Let's troubleshoot systematically. A few things stand out from your description.

🔍 Most Likely Causes (Not Conspiracy)

Before assuming Microsoft/Google are blocking you, let's rule out the common technical failure points:

1. Fine‑grained token expiration – You extended it, but did you regenerate the token or just modify the expiry? Some systems cache the old token. Action: Create a brand new fine‑grained token with the exact same permissions, then update it in your connector.

2. Codex Reviews workspace deactivation – "Codex Reviews" isn't an official GitHub product. Are you using a third‑party GitHub App or a custom integration? If that app's subscription lapsed or the developer shut down the service, the workspace would deactivate. Action: Check your GitHub Settings → Applications → Authorized OAuth Apps / GitHub Apps. Look for anything related to "Codex" or "bendist.com". Revoke and re‑authorize if possible.

3. Rate limiting or API changes – GitHub's Codex/API endpoints change occasionally. If your connector uses a deprecated endpoint, it will fail with an "unknown error". Action: Review the connector's logs (if you have access) or check the GitHub API changelog.

4. The connector itself may be broken – You mentioned "retiles to chatgpt-codex connector" – is this a self‑hosted script or a commercial tool? If the maintainer hasn't updated it, API changes could break it.

🛠️ Step‑by‑Step Debugging

Step	What to do	Expected outcome
1	Generate a brand new fine‑grained token with contents: read and pull_requests: write (minimal scope).	Token is fresh, not cached.
2	Test the token using curl or GitHub CLI: gh auth status	If it works, the token is fine.
3	Temporarily disable Codex Reviews (if it's a GitHub App). Go to repo → Settings → Hooks & Integrations → disable.	If the error stops, the app is the culprit.
4	Check if your connector relies on github.com/codex – that's an old, deprecated Codespaces preview.	Update to the current codespaces API.
5	Look at the exact error message (not just "unknown error"). Enable debug logging in your connector.	The real error will point to a specific API or auth problem.

🚫 Why It's Unlikely Microsoft/Google Are "Blocking You"

• GitHub (Microsoft) has no incentive to block a connector that drives usage of their platform.
• Google's only interest is if you're using Gemini/Vertex AI – but you mentioned ChatGPT, so no.
• "Upgrade" prompts usually come from the connector vendor, not GitHub. If the connector is freemium, you may have hit a usage limit.

💡 Specific Advice for Your Beta Project (bendist.com)

You're looking for 100 beta testers – that's great. But if your tool depends on a fragile connector, fix that first. Here's what I'd do:

1. Isolate the connector – Run it in a test environment with a brand new repo.
2. Replace fine‑grained tokens with a classic token (temporarily) – classic tokens have broader compatibility, though less secure.
3. Reach out to the connector's maintainer – If it's open source, file an issue. If it's commercial, request support.

🧠 Why Is This So Complicated?

GitHub's APIs are powerful but change often. Fine‑grained tokens were introduced to improve security, but they break older integrations. Add third‑party connectors, rate limits, and workspace deactivations – yes, it becomes complex. But 99% of the time, it's a configuration issue, not a conspiracy.

📌 Final Checklist

• New fine‑grained token (regenerated, not just extended)
• Connector updated to latest version
• GitHub App re‑authorized
• No expired subscription for the connector service
• Checked GitHub Status page for ongoing incidents

If you share the exact error message (copy‑paste the full text), I can help further. Good luck with your beta – small business tools are badly needed.

P.S. – If you genuinely believe an upgrade is being forced, try using the GitHub CLI (gh) directly to see if the same operation works. If it does, the connector is the problem, not GitHub.

If this answered your question or helped, please mark it as the answer – it helps others find the solution faster and I'd really appreciate it! 🙏