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codex - ✅(Solved) Fix SHIFT + BACKSPACE / CTRL + BACKSPACE not working on Windows [1 pull requests, 5 comments, 3 participants]

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openai/codex#21046•Fetched 2026-05-05 05:54:10
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Fix Action

Fixed

PR fix notes

PR #21058: fix(tui): support modified backspace/delete keys

Description (problem / solution / changelog)

Why

Fixes #21046.

Codex TUI 0.128.0 can show Backspace/Delete-related editor shortcuts in /keymap, but Windows-style modified Backspace/Delete events were still dropped by the composer because the default editor keymap did not include those modified special-key variants. On Windows/CMD this meant Shift+Backspace and Shift+Delete did not fall through to normal character deletion, and Ctrl+Backspace / Ctrl+Delete did not perform the word deletion users expect from Windows text inputs.

What Changed

  • Added default editor bindings for shift-backspace and shift-delete so shifted delete keys keep normal grapheme deletion behavior.
  • Added default editor bindings for ctrl-backspace, ctrl-shift-backspace, ctrl-delete, and ctrl-shift-delete so Windows-style word deletion works when terminals preserve those modifiers.
  • Added regression coverage for the resolved default keymap and textarea behavior.

How to Test

  1. Start Codex in the TUI on Windows CMD or another terminal that reports modified Backspace/Delete keys distinctly.
  2. Type hello world in the composer.
  3. Press Ctrl+Backspace; confirm world is removed and hello remains.
  4. Type world again, move the cursor before it, then press Ctrl+Delete; confirm the next word is removed.
  5. Type a few characters and press Shift+Backspace and Shift+Delete; confirm they delete one character in the expected direction instead of doing nothing.
  6. Open /keymap, inspect the Editor deletion actions, and confirm the modified Backspace/Delete aliases are visible as configurable defaults.

Targeted tests:

  • cargo test -p codex-tui keymap::tests
  • cargo test -p codex-tui bottom_pane::textarea::tests
  • cargo test -p codex-tui keymap_setup::tests

Changed files

  • codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/textarea.rs (modified, +47/-0)
  • codex-rs/tui/src/keymap.rs (modified, +64/-1)
RAW_BUFFERClick to expand / collapse

What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?

0.128.0

What subscription do you have?

Pro

What platform is your computer?

Win11

What issue are you seeing?

SHIFT + BACKSPACE / CTRL + BACKSPACE not working on Windows

At the same time as a recent change on your end which disabled CTRL + ENTER, and now only allows SHIFT + ENTER for newline, you also broke erasing. So now SHIFT + BACKSPACE is not allowed, nor CTRL + BACKSPACE. You still require ALT + BACKSPACE to erase a word.

It's like you partially shifted from Linux inputs to OS-inputs, but only for part of the inputs. And on top of that, you nuked previously supported hotkeys. SHIFT + BACKSPACE should not SOAK the backspace, it should at least let it through. The same for CTRL + BACKSPACE.

The same for DELETE.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

I'm sure you'll figure it out

What is the expected behavior?

For SHIFT + BACKSPACE to erase. For CTRL + BACKSPACE to erase.

Ideally CTRL + BACKSPACE should erase the entire word like on any text input field on Windows, including CMD. But it should NOT absorb and invalidate the backspace usage.

The same for DELETE.

Additional information

No response

extent analysis

TL;DR

The issue can be addressed by re-enabling the SHIFT + BACKSPACE and CTRL + BACKSPACE hotkeys to their previous functionality, allowing them to erase text without being absorbed.

Guidance

  • Review recent code changes that modified hotkey behavior, specifically those related to the introduction of SHIFT + ENTER for newline, to identify where SHIFT + BACKSPACE and CTRL + BACKSPACE were inadvertently disabled.
  • Test the current implementation of ALT + BACKSPACE to understand how it successfully allows erasing a word, and apply similar logic to SHIFT + BACKSPACE and CTRL + BACKSPACE.
  • Consider implementing platform-specific hotkey mappings to ensure consistency with native text input fields on Windows, such as CMD.
  • Verify that the fix does not interfere with other hotkey combinations or text editing functionality.

Example

No specific code example can be provided without access to the Codex App's source code, but the solution likely involves modifying event handlers for keyboard input to properly handle SHIFT + BACKSPACE and CTRL + BACKSPACE.

Notes

The solution may require adjustments based on the specific implementation details of the Codex App, and thorough testing is necessary to ensure that the fix does not introduce new issues.

Recommendation

Apply a workaround by modifying the hotkey mappings to re-enable SHIFT + BACKSPACE and CTRL + BACKSPACE, as this is a more targeted approach than waiting for a potential version update that may address this issue.

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codex - ✅(Solved) Fix SHIFT + BACKSPACE / CTRL + BACKSPACE not working on Windows [1 pull requests, 5 comments, 3 participants]