This Week in Coding Agents: October 5, 2026

Week 41, 2026 · Published

Claude Code2.1.289
Codex CLI0.160.0
Gemini CLI0.62.0

The short version

  • Claude Code’s changelog lists 2.1.289 as the top release (October 3). 2.1.284 makes Claude Sonnet 5.5 (claude-sonnet-5-5) the default Sonnet on the Anthropic API. 2.1.287 adds Claude Mods and the built-in You should know plugin. Interactive terminal and VS Code sessions now start in auto mode unless you set permissions.defaultMode.
  • Codex CLI 0.160.0 (October 1, tag rust-v0.160.0) is the current stable. 0.159.1 makes GPT-6.1 Sol the bundled default and adds it to Amazon Bedrock Mantle and Runtime catalogs. The first fetch this morning recorded python-v0.154.0 with zero Codex releases; a second run and the releases list both show 0.160.0.
  • Cursor has no version number and no changelog entry in this window. The newest post I opened is still Rollouts and Security Review from September 23.
  • GitHub Copilot has no version number. Computer use is in public preview (/computer on). HydraFusion reached VS Code and the Copilot app. GPT-6.1 Sol and Claude Sonnet 5.5 landed. On October 2 it dropped Gemini 3.5 Flash, Gemini 3.6 Flash, Kimi K2.7 Code, and Claude Opus 4.7.
  • Gemini CLI 0.62.0 shipped on September 29. The release includes PR #29443, which adds Gemini 3.8 Flash (gemini-3.8-flash) and Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite (gemini-3.5-flash-lite).

Claude Code

2.1.284 (September 28) through 2.1.289 (October 3). I opened the live CHANGELOG.md. The first heading is 2.1.289.

2.1.289 (October 3). Plugin and permission fixes. Read deny rules now apply to files @-mentioned, changed, or selected in the IDE through a symlink. Bash deny and ask rules now catch a command behind an environment-variable prefix (example on the page: TZ="$HOME" rm -rf build) and a bare variable assignment before the command, when sandbox auto-allow is on. VS Code reverts a 2.1.288 claude auth status change that may have signed people out more often. New for mods and teammates: agent.spawn, one agent id across plugin hook events, and idle and waiting states in $.agent.list().

2.1.288 (October 2). Mods get $.ui.selection() (last selected fullscreen text, plus the transcript row when the selection sits in one). Cloud sessions whose image has no GitHub CLI get a built-in gh api. /code-review --max-findings <n>|all raises or lowers the usual finding cap; --max-findings default restores it. A prompt cleared with Ctrl+C comes back with Up, including pastes and images. CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_STRUCTURED_OUTPUTS turns structured outputs off for gateways that reject them. claude project purge is now claude purge (old name still works and prints a notice). The client-side auto mode classifier ignores an ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL pin that names Sonnet 5.5 or Opus 5.5 and uses Sonnet 5 instead. Background command time limits apply only in unattended sessions (-p, Agent SDK, CI, cloud).

2.1.287 (October 1). Claude Mods: plugins may now change deeper behavior. You should know is a built-in side agent; turn it on with /plugin enable cc-plugin-you-should-know@builtin on first-party sessions with telemetry on. MCP servers on the 2025-11-25 protocol can raise URL prompts (sign-in is the example). If a server stops connecting after this update, the changelog says to add "bareElicitationCapability": true to its MCP config entry. Self-hosted runners get a built-in gh api (REST only) when Anthropic-managed git is on and the GitHub CLI is missing. Opus 4.7+ and Fable now use a 1M context window by default on Bedrock, Vertex, Foundry, and the Claude apps gateway, with no [1m] suffix (CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_1M_CONTEXT=1 keeps 200K). alwaysLoad: false on an MCP server now defers all of that server’s tools behind tool search.

2.1.286 (September 30). --bare now connects only MCP servers named on the command line, sends the model no system reminders, and starts no background tasks. A shell command that hits its timeout under --bare stops instead of moving to the background. claude auth status reports a Console stored API key as api_key, not claude.ai. If your project or user skills include one named verify, Claude is told to run it right before committing, except for docs-only and tests-only commits. /compact, /clear, and /rewind typed while viewing a background agent’s transcript now ask which conversation they target.

2.1.285 (September 29). CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_WEB_FETCH turns off WebFetch. claude --desktop opens the Claude desktop app on the current directory, or on a session with --continue / --resume <id>. claude plugin configure <plugin> shows unset options, or writes values from stdin with --values-stdin. claude plugin install --config accepts <server>.<key>=<value> for a bundled .mcpb server. allowedProviders is a managed setting that limits which API providers a machine may use. Fork subagents now keep the parent’s plan mode or dontAsk and cannot exit plan mode. claude -p and Python Agent SDK sessions on third-party providers or with telemetry off start in auto mode when no permission mode is set; --permission-mode still wins.

2.1.284 (September 28). Claude Sonnet 5.5 (claude-sonnet-5-5) is the default Sonnet on the Anthropic API: 1M context, $2/$10 per Mtok, $0.20/Mtok cache reads. Auto mode’s outside-working-directory read prompt gains “Yes, but ask again next time.” /mcp reconnect all retries every MCP server that failed or needs auth. Interactive terminal and VS Code sessions start in auto mode when no permission mode is configured, on every plan and provider; permissions.defaultMode still overrides it. Ultracode is its own /effort toggle (Tab, or /effort ultracode [on|off]) and no longer forces xhigh.

I also opened the memory docs and the permissions page. Memory docs still say Claude Code reads AGENTS.md on its own when there is no CLAUDE.md or CLAUDE.local.md in the working directory or above it (v2.1.277+; default claude-md-or-agents-md). CLAUDE.local.md counts as a CLAUDE.md and blocks direct AGENTS.md load unless you set Project instructions to claude-md-and-agents-md.

Codex CLI

0.158.0 (September 28) through 0.160.0 (October 1). I opened each rust-v* release page. The releases list shows 0.162.0-alpha.14 as a prerelease above the current stable tag rust-v0.160.0. src/data/tool-versions.json records latest as 0.160.0.

0.160.0 (October 1). Agent command center history gets a keyboard “Show more.” Fullscreen Linux X11 terminals can select transcript text and paste with middle-click. Sessions can start outside a project with workspace defaults when policy allows, and resume restores saved permissions. Guardian review can opt in to earlier user instructions and agent-handoff context.

0.159.3 (September 30). Eligible local ChatGPT-signed-in sessions can show optional reminders to finish account security setup.

0.159.2 (September 29). Stops console windows flashing on Windows when Codex starts background processes and sandboxed commands.

0.159.1 (September 29). GPT-6.1 Sol is the default model in the bundled catalog and in Amazon Bedrock Mantle and Runtime catalogs.

0.159.0 (September 29). Opt-in instant_interrupt lets new input steer Codex during a model response or a long code-mode call. New sessions get a compact welcome screen. The warnings viewer dismisses reviewed warnings when you close it; k keeps one. You can scroll the transcript while deciding whether to implement a plan. The bundled plugin-creator skill is gone. Automatic follow-up prompt suggestions and the tui.prompt_suggestions setting are gone. Approved commands keep explicit filesystem denials, and .aws directories are protected by default under writable roots.

0.158.0 (September 28). Fullscreen TUI: configure copy-on-select and right-click paste; copied selections keep Markdown formatting. codex mcp add --oauth-client-secret covers MCP servers that need a pre-registered OAuth client secret. Direct exec-server WebSocket connections can use bearer tokens. Terminal input approval is on by default for commands running with elevated permissions.

GitHub Copilot

No version number. I opened each changelog URL below.

Copilot code review: API support and new default effort level (October 2). REST and GraphQL can request a Copilot review and set effort per request. Generally available on Pro through Enterprise. Balanced is now the Default effort level for new and existing repositories and organizations, as of September 28. An explicit Lite setting is kept. Override at enterprise (AI controls → Agents → Copilot code review), organization, repository, or personal Copilot code review settings. A lower level overrides the one above it.

Selected models in GitHub Copilot deprecated (October 2). Dropped across Chat, inline edits, ask/agent modes, and completions: Gemini 3.5 Flash (move to Gemini 3.8 Flash), Gemini 3.6 Flash (same), Kimi K2.7 Code (move to Kimi K3), Claude Opus 4.7 (move to Claude Opus 5.5). Enterprise admins may need to enable the replacements in model policy. The page says you do not have to remove the old ones.

Computer use (October 1). Public preview in Copilot CLI and the Copilot app on macOS and Windows. Copilot can read accessible app content, click, type, press keys, scroll, drag, and move across apps. It asks before controlling an app. Organization-managed settings can turn the feature off. CLI: /computer on, /computer show, /computer off. App: Settings → Computer Use, or /computer on.

Copilot in VS Code, September 2026 releases (October 1). Covers VS Code 1.136 through 1.140. Agents window: HydraFusion in the model picker (research preview, preview features on); recurring automations (preview); agent merge (preview); create a PR from a Copilot, Claude, or Codex session; Dev Container sessions from the Agents window, including SSH, Tunnel, and WSL. You can start a chat without a workspace and attach a folder later, and pick up a Codex conversation from the ChatGPT app in VS Code.

Dynamic workflows (October 1). Public preview in Copilot CLI, the Copilot app, and the Copilot SDK, on every Copilot plan. A workflow is a program inside a Copilot extension that mixes scripted steps with agents. The app needs no setup. CLI needs --experimental or /experimental on, then /update if you are behind. The page contrasts this with /fleet, where Copilot delegates without a coded process.

HydraFusion in VS Code and the Copilot app (September 30). Research preview beyond Copilot CLI. It is a picker entry that picks a workflow: Single, Cascade, or Critique. VS Code 1.140 or Insiders: enable chat.copilot.hydraFusion.enabled if it is missing; Business and Enterprise need preview features allowed. Copilot app: Settings, search HydraFusion. Pro, Pro+, Business, and Enterprise. Auto still picks one model per request; HydraFusion picks a workflow and can use more than one model in a turn.

GPT-6.1 Sol (September 29). Generally available, rolling out to Pro+, Max, Business, and Enterprise. Picker coverage: VS Code, Visual Studio, Copilot CLI, coding agent, the Copilot app, github.com, GitHub Mobile, JetBrains, Xcode, Eclipse. Provider list pricing under usage-based billing. New models stay enabled unless an admin turned off the global default or disabled this one.

Claude Sonnet 5.5 (September 28). Generally available to Pro through Enterprise, same picker list as Sol. Same default-enablement rule. Provider list pricing under usage-based billing.

Gemini CLI

0.62.0 (September 29). I opened the v0.62.0 release. The releases list shows that tag as the current stable release. Nightly v0.64.0-* tags and v0.63.0-preview.0 sit above it.

The notes I read are mostly fixes (OAuth refresh-token keep, PTY cleanup, ACP tool-call ordering) plus PR #29443. That merged PR names Gemini 3.8 Flash (gemini-3.8-flash) as the latest Flash and Gemini 3.5 Flash Lite (gemini-3.5-flash-lite) as the latest Flash Lite. USE_GEMINI, USE_VERTEX_AI, and GATEWAY get those models without an experiment flag. Code Assist / LOGIN_WITH_GOOGLE still checks LATEST_FLASH_GA_LAUNCHED and LATEST_FLASH_LITE_GA_LAUNCHED.

What this means for your setup

  • If you pin Codex’s bundled default, 0.159.1 and later select GPT-6.1 Sol unless you set a model. Pin the model you want before you upgrade.
  • If you used Codex’s bundled plugin-creator skill or tui.prompt_suggestions, 0.159.0 removed both.
  • If you start Codex MCP servers that need a pre-registered OAuth client secret, 0.158.0’s codex mcp add --oauth-client-secret is the new flag.
  • Claude Code users who type /model sonnet now get Sonnet 5.5 after 2.1.284. Multi-model routing still prices Sonnet 5 and does not name Sonnet 5.5.
  • Interactive Claude Code now starts in auto mode (2.1.284) unless you set permissions.defaultMode. -p on a third-party provider or with telemetry off also starts in auto (2.1.285). Permissions and unattended runs still says -p starts in Manual. Keep --permission-mode dontAsk on CI jobs. Unattended agents in CI already passes that flag.
  • --bare still skips auto-discovery, and after 2.1.286 it only connects MCP servers you name on the command line. A timed-out shell under --bare now stops instead of going to the background.
  • Set CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_WEB_FETCH=1 if a machine must not call WebFetch (2.1.285). Admins who need to lock providers can set allowedProviders.
  • Claude Code already reads AGENTS.md when no CLAUDE.md or CLAUDE.local.md sits in the working directory or above it. One AGENTS.md, Instruction files, New repo agent setup, and Context is a budget still describe a required @AGENTS.md bridge. A CLAUDE.local.md you add for personal notes will hide AGENTS.md unless you set claude-md-and-agents-md.
  • Copilot Business and Enterprise admins: enable Gemini 3.8 Flash, Kimi K3, and Claude Opus 5.5 if anyone still picked the October 2 dropouts. Leave HydraFusion and computer use off until you have measured them. Computer use is /computer on and can be disabled in org-managed settings.
  • Cursor users have nothing new to install this week.

Pages we updated this week

None this week.

Sources