Keep the Windows ChatGPT desktop app's Agent Environment set to Windows native. This owner's Windows Chrome-extension and Computer Use path is verified in that mode. Do not claim that it works with a WSL agent unless current official documentation establishes that behavior.
Treat Integrated Terminal Shell as independent from Agent Environment. Changing one is not a fix for the other.
Keep WSL2 available in parallel for Linux development and remote Codex projects. A Mac-to-WSL app SSH connection does not require changing the Windows desktop app's native agent environment.
Distinguish ChatGPT Remote, raw SSH, and an app SSH project. They can use SSH under the hood or reach the same computer without being interchangeable.
Apply the permissions, sandbox, tools, browser setup, and trust state of the selected host. Do not assume configuration or SSH trust copies between devices.
Never inspect or publish credential-capable files, network coordinates, key material, fingerprints, account identifiers, or machine-specific absolute paths. Use configured SSH aliases and environment variables.

Route The Task

Read topology and routing whenever choosing a device, connection, shell, browser, or troubleshooting layer. It contains the owner-verified device inventory, interface table, preconditions, and diagnostic rules. It also contains the concrete Codex task-dispatch procedure for starting work on another connected desktop host without reusing an unrelated task.

Read synchronization and public-safety rules when changing repositories, skills, global guidance, refresh automation, or push policy. Remote Git repositories remain canonical; generated skill installs and rendered global instructions are not editable sources.

Global AGENTS.md may use lazy-loaded runtime-mode references in a sibling agents-md-references/ directory. Keep only runtime detection and conditional links in the main file; keep detailed mode-specific instructions in separate Markdown files and load only the file for the identified product mode. The private context repository owns personal runtime content, while SkillPort materializes managed agents-md-references/*.md copies next to the generated AGENTS.md. Do not put private runtime instructions in this public AgentDesk repository.

For detailed monitor, dock, KVM, or physical cabling work, use dell-monitor-kvm-setup when installed. This skill retains only the digital routing context needed to select a host and interface.

Before Acting

Name the exact execution layer: desktop host, raw native-Windows SSH, raw WSL SSH, app SSH project, browser extension/Computer Use, SkillPort, or Git.
Confirm its preconditions and gather evidence from that layer before changing settings.
Make the narrowest layer-local correction. Do not change a system-wide shell or Agent Environment to repair a different layer.
Verify observable behavior on the selected host and report what was actually checked versus what remains intended or unverified.

cross-device-agent-ecosystem

Cross-Device Agent Ecosystem

Preserve These Boundaries