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    Tools· Software Development & Technical Infrastructure

    OpenAI Codex CLI

    Locally running terminal coding agent from OpenAI, usable as a standalone coding environment or as an independent adversarial counter-reviewer alongside another coding agent.

    reviewinggeneratingexecutableOpen Source
    Source code
    npm i -g @openai/codex or Homebrew. API key stored in ~/.codex/auth.json.
    Open provider
    OpenAI Codex CLI

    Description

    Codex CLI runs directly in the terminal on Mac, Linux and Windows and connects either to an existing ChatGPT account (Plus, Pro, Business, Edu, Enterprise) or via an API key. Beyond pure CLI use, there is a desktop app variant, extensions for VS Code, Cursor and Windsurf, and a cloud web interface at chatgpt.com/codex. The repository is licensed under Apache-2.0.

    Because Codex CLI is built on a different model and a different codebase than an already used main coding agent, it works well as a second, independent opinion before commits, especially for security-critical or complex code. The quality of the findings depends on the underlying model chosen and on the prompt; results should be treated as input for a decision, not as an automatic approval gate.

    Strengths

    Multiple installation paths
    Curl script for Mac and Linux, PowerShell script for Windows, installation via npm (`npm install -g @openai/codex`) or Homebrew cask (`brew install --cask codex`), or downloading prebuilt binaries for Apple Silicon, older Intel Macs, and Linux x86_64 and arm64.
    Installer fallback
    The installer downloads from releases.openai.com/codex by default and automatically falls back to GitHub Releases if there is a problem; an environment variable can also force GitHub Releases directly.
    Sign-in via existing ChatGPT account
    Anyone with a Plus, Pro, Business, Edu or Enterprise account can sign in directly with it, no separate API key is strictly required.
    Openly documented
    The repository is licensed under Apache-2.0 and links its own documentation pages on contributing, installation, and an open source fund.

    Assessment

    AI features

    • Terminal coding agent Runs directly in the terminal on Mac, Linux and Windows and handles coding tasks independently, connected via a ChatGPT account or an API key.
    • Counter-checking code Can be used as a second, independent opinion alongside an already used main coding agent, for example before committing security-critical or complex code.
    • Additional interfaces Besides the CLI there is a desktop app, extensions for VS Code, Cursor and Windsurf, and a cloud web interface at chatgpt.com/codex.

    Suitable for

    • Developers who want code from another AI coding agent checked by an independent model before security-critical code is committed
    • Teams looking for a lightweight, purely terminal-based coding agent without an additional interface
    • Users with an existing ChatGPT subscription who want to put its quota to use for coding tasks as well
    • Less suitable for Less suitable as a sole coding environment when another agent already carries the main workflow; there, Codex CLI works better as a second opinion

    Limitations and notes

    • API key requires extra setup Signing in with an API key instead of a ChatGPT account requires an additional setup step according to the documentation.
    • No substitute for your own judgment The quality of the findings depends on the model chosen and on the prompt; results should be treated as input for a decision, not as an automatic approval gate.
    • Separate executables per architecture When installing from the individual release archives, the correct file for your platform has to be chosen, and the executable inside usually needs to be renamed to `codex` by hand.

    Quick start

    1. On Mac or Linux, run `curl -fsSL https://chatgpt.com/codex/install.sh | sh`.
    2. On Windows, run `powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://chatgpt.com/codex/install.ps1 | iex"` in PowerShell.
    3. Alternatively install via a package manager: `npm install -g @openai/codex` or `brew install --cask codex`.
    4. Start with `codex` and choose "Sign in with ChatGPT" to use your existing ChatGPT subscription.

    Tips

    • Anyone who does not want to use the official installer can find the matching archives for their platform under GitHub Releases, for example `codex-aarch64-apple-darwin.tar.gz` for Apple Silicon or `codex-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl.tar.gz` for Linux.
    • If the download from releases.openai.com is blocked, the environment variable `CODEX_INSTALLER_USE_RELEASES_OPENAI_COM=false` forces the download directly from GitHub Releases.
    • For a pure API-key sign-in without a ChatGPT account, it is worth checking the additional setup steps in the official documentation first.

    Access

    Repository: https://github.com/openai/codex (license: Apache-2.0). Installation via npm: npm i -g @openai/codex, alternatively via Homebrew. The API key or the ChatGPT login is stored locally in ~/.codex/auth.json. We provide access to the official source here only, no hosting of our own.

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